Hong Kong Visa & Immigration Topics

A Public Thank You to the Hong Kong Immigration Department

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Feature Article, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Musing, Refusals & Appeals, Special Programmes, Visitor Visas / 1 response

A few weeks ago we received instructions from a client who was needing to extend a Quality Migrant Admission Scheme visa on the strength of a new business she was in the process of implementing here in Hong Kong (after a few years of working as an employee under the QMAS programme). Still relatively new, […]

Why Would You Choose Unconditional Stay After 7 Years Residence in Hong Kong When the Right of Abode is Available Instead?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in 60 Second Snapshot, Long Stay & PR, Special Programmes / 9 responses

  Unconditional stay and the right of abode are 2 very different immigration statuses but they both have one thing in common. Namely, you need to have been continuously and ordinarily resident in the HKSAR for at least 7 years in or to qualify for either of these immigration consents. But, whilst the right of […]

Hong Kong Unconditional Stay Status vs. the Right of Abode for CIES Visa Holders

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Your Question Answered / 9 responses

PRACTICE UPDATE: October 2026 Summary of Legacy Position: This piece tackles the classic question of whether merely holding a CIES visa for seven years automatically guarantees the Right of Abode (Permanent Residency). It clarifies that holding the visa is insufficient on its own if an investor has not satisfied the continuous “ordinary residence” test under […]

7 Years Residence in Hong Kong Under the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme – What Permanent Residency Options Exist?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Your Question Answered / 2 responses

PRACTICE UPDATE 2026 How the Content Must Now Be Read in Light of the New CIES Policy Our original analysis addressed the critical Year 7 milestone for CIES visa holders, examining the dual pathways available under the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115): applying for the Right of Abode (RoA) (Permanent Residency) versus opting for Unconditional Stay […]

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Losing Your Right of Abode in Hong Kong & Then Using eChannels

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Long Stay & PR, Your Question Answered / 6 responses

QUESTION “Can I ask a simple question – do you know of anyone (not Chinese) who has actually lost the right of abode after 36 months absence? I do know the theory and the provisions in the Ordinance but how about in practice? I ask because my (Australian) daughter may have lost hers after 38 […]

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