Hong Kong Visa & Immigration Topics

Do I Need an Employment Visa Even if I Will be in Hong Kong for Just 2 Weeks to Complete a Consulting Assignment?

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

A foreign national seeking to come to Hong Kong to work, paid or unpaid, for a long or short duration, requires the permission of the Hong Kong Director of Immigration. QUESTION Dear Stephen Your on-line book is very clear and helpful. I just need to clarify my position – and you must get lots of […]

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Is It Possible to Get an Extension to My Hong Kong Visitor Visa to Stay With My Girlfriend Here?

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

Sometimes people have solid, genuine reasons for spending extended periods of time in Hong Kong with a Hong Kong visitor visa as in the case of this question from a Kiwi who wants to spent time with his girlfriend here. But the patience of the Hong Kong Immigration Department can extend only so far and […]

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The Experience of Being Denied Entry As A Visitor to Hong Kong

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Musing, Visitor Visas / No responses

The experience of being denied entry as a visitor to Hong Kong… Got this email in over the weekend. Good to share:Hi, I travelled to Hong Kong on 12th on a PAR from India. The immigration officer asked me for the duration of my stay. I told her I am in hong kong for 10 […]

Does Volunteering for a Good Cause Represent Unpaid Work Which Requires the Specific Permission of the Hong Kong Director of Immigration?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Visitor Visas, Your Question Answered / 3 responses

The law here is clear – work, paid or unpaid requires the permission of the Hong Kong Director of Immigration – but what about charity and volunteering – do you still need to get the express permission of ImmD? QUESTION Dear Stephen I run an NGO.   We rely on volunteers from the community in […]

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How to Establish Your Bona Fides as a Non-Business Frequent Visitor to Hong Kong

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Visitor Visas, Your Question Answered / 8 responses

If ever there was a situation where a person can be said to be a ‘bona fide visitor’ to Hong Kong, this set of circumstances, arguably, illustrates ‘it’. The question though… is it sustainable? QUESTION I’m a British citizen of Chinese descent who’s been making repeated trips as a Visitor to Hong Kong for the past […]

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How Can I Spend As Much Time As Possible With My Daughter After She Moves to Hong Kong For Work?

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

Coming to Hong Kong to frequently visit family members resident here is not such a problem (usually)… QUESTION My daughter and family are moving to Hong Kong. I would like to spend as much time as possible with them. If I go to Hong Kong as a tourist from the US and return home after […]

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What Are the Chances of Being Allowed Back if You Overstay Your Hong Kong Visa and Are Then Convicted of that Crime?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Musing, Refusals & Appeals, Uncategorized, Visitor Visas / No responses

It is NEVER a good idea to overstay your Hong Kong visa for the reasons set out below… QUESTION I previously overstayed my Visitor visa for a period of 13 months;  I reported to the Immigration Department, was charged and at Sha Tin court I was convicted and given a suspended sentence of 6 months. […]

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Hong Kong Visitors No Longer Get Visa Stamps In Their Passports

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Musing, Visitor Visas / 2 responses

As of March 19, 2013 the Hong Kong Immigration Department have changed the way they process and record Visitors entering into Hong Kong. According to the blurb put out on the ImmD website… “..all arriving visitors at immigration control points will be issued with landing slips in lieu of stamping on their travel documents. The […]

Hong Kong Visas – The Long Stay Visitor’s Awkward Predicament

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in 60 Second Snapshot, VG Front Page, Visitor Visas / 23 responses

3 or 4 times a week I receive a call from people who have exactly the same problem.It happens so often now, that I can tell what the problem is within the first 5 seconds of our conversation kicking off. And 9 times out of 10 these calls all follow a similar story line. Namely….. […]

The ‘Shenzhen Shuttle’ – A Good Way to Extend Your Hong Kong Visitor Visa?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Hadley Says…, Visitor Visas / 12 responses

Many people chose to shuttle between Hong Kong and Shenzhen in order to secure a defacto extension to their visitor visa? The question, however, is this a good idea? What most people who do this don’t realise is that the Hong Kong Immigration Department are keeping count. You see, once you reach more than 180 […]