Hong Kong Visa & Immigration Topics

Business Investment Visas – A Leg Up For Start Ups In Hong Kong

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Musing / 7 responses

Intro to the Hong Kong Startup Scene from Casey Lau After waaaay too much time had passed I finally made it to my first StartupsHK event held at the Hive last week. Casey Lau, serial entrepreneur and 15 year veteran of the  Hong Kong start up scene, put on a great show last Thursday, which I am […]

Why Do The Immigration Department Prefer A Limited Liability Company To Underpin A Hong Kong Investment Visa Application?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Hadley Says…, Investment Visas / 4 responses

This post deals with the reasons why the Immigration Department favors limited liability companies in the process of Hong Kong investment visa applications. PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy: Historically, this advisory explained why ImmD favored a private limited liability company over sole proprietorships or partnerships […]

The Challenge Of Visa Approvability For Freelance Writers & Reporters In Hong Kong

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Your Question Answered / 4 responses

Freelance writers & reporters in Hong Kong are often faced with a round-pegs-in-square-holes visa situation that is not easily resolved. PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy: This article’s examination of the classic “round-peg-in-a-square-hole” dilemma for freelance foreign journalists, authors, and reporters must now be read as […]

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Hong Kong Business Investment Visas – The Catch 22 For Foreign National Entrepreneurs

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Musing / 3 responses

    PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy: This installment breaks down the systemic procedural conflict where a visitor is legally prohibited from working or managing a company, yet ImmD demands evidence that an enterprise is viable before granting an entrepreneur visa. The historical strategy of […]

Is It Possible To Change Employment Visa Sponsorship Where The Employer Has Not Yet Established A New Company In Hong Kong (i.e. Has No Business Operations Here Yet)?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Your Question Answered / 1 response

What’s the story where a new company in Hong Kong has not yet set up shop in the HKSAR but want to hire staff? What do the Immigration Department make if this situation when it comes to visa sponsorship for foreign employees?   QUESTION Hello Visa Geeza, Thanks in advance! Your website has brought clarity […]

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How Do I Go About Setting Up A Side Business To Complement My Full Time Hong Kong Employment Visa?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Your Question Answered / 36 responses

Foreign national employment visa holders in Hong Kong are quite often interested in setting up a side business… QUESTION I am currently employed full-time by a company in Hong Kong. They successfully sponsored my Hong Kong employment visa and I just started my job 2 months ago. All is going very well. But I would like […]

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How Hard Is It To Secure A Visa Extension As An ‘Investor’ Under The Hong Kong Immigration Arrangements For Non-Local Graduates?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Investment Visas, Your Question Answered / 5 responses

The Hong Kong Immigration Department offer ‘liberalised’ immigration arrangements for foreign nationals and mainland students who graduate from Hong Kong tertiary education institutes (“IANG”). If you have a job in Hong Kong one year after graduation, then the extension process is all but a rubber stamping exercise. But what if you wish to start a […]

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Does Choosing Not To Pay Yourself A Salary Mean It’s OK To Run A Business In Hong Kong Without Getting An Investment Visa First?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Your Question Answered / No responses

There appears to be a misconception among foreign nationals that you can be living here and it be OK to run a business in Hong Kong without getting an investment visa just so long as you don’t pay yourself a salary… PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy: […]

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What Compliance Obligations Do I Have If I Hold A Hong Kong Employment Visa And Want To Start Freelancing After I Stop Working For My Employer-Sponsor?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Investment Visas, Your Question Answered / 1 response

I hold a Hong Kong employment visa and want to start freelancing…   As a foreign national temporarily resident in Hong Kong on a sponsored employment visa, there are a number of different compliance issues that need to be addressed if you lose your job and you fancy embarking down the path of freelancing on […]

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If You Start A Company Based In Hong Kong Do You Always Need To Have An Investment Visa To Be Able To Run It?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Visitor Visas, Your Question Answered / 1 response

The question of investment visa or not is actually quite straight forward. It’s all about ‘living’ in Hong Kong… PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy: This piece delineating the boundary between permissible passive ownership (shareholding, attending shareholder meetings) and unlawful management (direct operational control without a […]

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