What Does the Hong Kong Training Visa Actually Allow and What Do the Immigration Department Expect of the Parties to the Application?
Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Your Question Answered / 8 responses
The Hong Kong training visa is an oft-misunderstood animal so I am grateful for this question that allows me to clear up some of the confusion.
QUESTION
Hi, congrats on the website, it’s very helpful!
I just arrived in Hong Kong and my new potential employer is worried about the following:
(a) That if I finish my 3 month training visa and then just go back home for 2 or 3 weeks but then come back to Hong Kong and look for another job (while on a visitor entry – German passport) then this will reflect badly on his firm’s chances of being granted work visas in the future.
(b) What do the Hong Kong Immigration Department mean by “going back”. Is it OK if I physically go away for a couple of weeks but then come back as a Visitor or on another work/trainee visa?
(c) Â Lastly (and separate from the topic above), my new potential employer doesn’t know whether giving me a work visa for 3 months only will be accepted by the Immigration Department if he pays me a minimum amount (e.g HKD 5,000 per month). Is there a minimum at which the Immigration Department would raise some eyebrows?Â
Thanks for your help!
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The Hong Kong Visa Geeza (a.k.a Stephen Barnes) is a co-founder of the Hong Kong Visa Centre and author of the Hong Kong Visa Handbook. A law graduate of the London School of Economics, Stephen has been practicing Hong Kong immigration since 1993 and is widely acknowledged as the leading authority on business immigration matters here for the last 24 years.
Amy
Hi, does training visa count as “ordinary residency” when apply for PR? Thank you.
The Visa Geeza
Yes
Chloe
Hi! Can you apply for permanent residency after 7 years of living/working in Hong Kong, with 2 of those years being on a Training Visa and the other 5 being on a Work visa? Thanks!
The Visa Geeza
Yes as long as they were back to back
S
Is There a Minimum Number of Days You Need to be in Hong Kong in Order to Maintain Your HK Residence under the IANG Visa?
Merry Christmas & thank you
The Visa Geeza
No – but you need an employer at the time you extend and if you’re away from HK for an extended period without an employer (ie, you go home) it could well break your continuity of ordinary residence for PR purposes after 7 years.