Hong Kong Visas Made Easy

07

Jan 2013

I Worked in Hong Kong for 4 Years – then Left for 2 – and Have a Valid Visa in My Passport – Can I Still Work & then Apply for PR?

Posted by / in Employment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Your Question Answered / 7 responses

For many foreign national residents, it can take a couple of runs at living in Hong Kong before they catch the bug and realise they want to call the HKSAR their permanent home. Inadvertently, however, such folks can break their continuity of residence and also find themselves back to square one when it comes to both short and long stay immigration status here.

QUESTION

I was in Hong Kong on a working visa for almost four years and left on 23rd June 2011. My visa at the time was still valid until this coming March 2013.

Since then I have been back twice. Once on 24th December 2011 for a week (leaving 1st Jan 2012) and again a year later on 1st Jan 2013 for a month.

I may or may not be moving back in a few months time.

 Is there any point in trying to work out if I could qualify for a new visa now or is it best to wait until I know if I am coming back?

I ask because the follow up question is, if I do move back in say March/April, what are my odds of being able to get PR 7 years after my initial arrival and visa in September 2007?

More Stuff to May Find Useful or Interesting

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What can be said to constitute ordinary residence for the purposes of a Hong Kong right of abode application?

Will a  break in continuous employment mean a break in continuous residence when it comes to my Hong Kong right of abode application after 7 years?

Employment ended? What visa options do you have to stay in Hong Kong for another 2 years to qualify for permanent residency?

Your Hong Kong employment visa – what happens when you lose your job?

PODCAST ANSWER
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02

Jan 2013

IT’S OFFICIAL: The Quality Mainland Migrant Admission Scheme – 77% of All QMAS Visas Go to Chinese Nationals!

Posted by / in Musing, Special Programmes, VG Front Page / 6 responses

Last week, just before the end of the year, the Government of the HKSAR put out a flurry of information on the performance of the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme since its inception six years ago.

Since 2006 and up to last month, the Hong Kong Immigration Department had received 8,553 QMAS applications and approved 2,392.

And, of those approved (wait for it…)

77% were from the mainland (1842 – 307 each year)

3.76% from the US (90 – 15 each year)

3% from Australia (72 – 12 each year)

3% from Canada (72 – 12 each year)

Consequently, the balance 13% (311 – 25 each year) were made up of various other nationalities with seemingly no single country comprising more than 3% of the total number of approvals issued.

So, for those of you ready to throw your hat in the ring and get in the queue for your QMAS lottery ticket, you can now be assured that only 27% of all applications received ever get approved and 87 % percent of those that do get approved go to Chinese, Australian, Canadian or US nationals.

Of course, my maths is rubbish – my discipline is law not numbers even though I did graduate from the LSE – so you’re welcome to pick holes in my interpretation of the stats.

But it can’t be denied.

The Selection Committee unequivocally favour Mainland candidates and your “talent” can not be humdrum run of the mill (mid-ranking corporate warriors look out).

Committee Chairperson Marjorie Yang said they looked for energetic and innovative applicants who could bring a wealth of professional skills and contribute to the city’s diversified development.

“We try to attract talented people who have a good understanding of Hong Kong, because Hong Kong is much more than just a financial centre. We have many opportunities for people of different talents,” she added.

Population expert Paul Yip has called for a revamp arguing that QMAS doesn’t actually address the needs of our society.

Source: Hong Kong Standard

More Related Stuff on the Quality Mainland Migrant Admission Scheme

1o must have resources for a Quality Migrant Admission Scheme application

Finally, the HKID shed some light on what constitutes talent for the purposes of a QMAS approval

Why I hate the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (and you should too!)

Is the Hong Kong QMAS programme just too competitive to be realistic?

Realistically, what is the minimum number of points for a shot at a QMAS approval?

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28

Dec 2012

It Took Me Almost 12 Months to Settle in Hong Kong After My QMAS Approval – When Does the 7 Year Clock Start Ticking for the Right of Abode?

Posted by / in Long Stay & PR, Special Programmes, Your Question Answered / No responses

The Quality Migrant Admission Scheme provides the successful applicant with a window of time after approval to make arrangements to move to Hong Kong and, after the first year, an extension is only available on the basis you can show that you have ‘settled’ here. It is this act of settlement that holds the key as to when  the 7 year clock starts ticking for the purposes of the Right of Abode.

QUESTION

I have been a holder of an entry permit issued under Quality Migrant Admission Scheme since March 2007 and will be renewed again soon. I imagine upon completing my 7 years residence due in March 2014, I shall be entitled to apply for the right of abode and a permanent ID card.

The question is if I was absent from Hong Kong for almost the entire first year during which I still hold a valid QMAS visa, will that period still  be counted towards my 7 years residence?

If No, it means that I have to stay for one more year to make up the difference.

What are the other supporting documents shall I be asked to present at the right of abode application?

FYI, I am a Chinese born on the Mainland and currently hold a Foreign passport where the Hong Kong entry permit is currently placed.

Look forward to hearing from you!

More Stuff to May Find Useful or Interesting

10 must have resources for a Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme visa application

Will I get my first QMAS visa extension if I have not yet taken up residence in the HKSAR?

What can be said to constitute ‘ordinary residence’ for the purposes of Hong Kong right of abode application?

Hong Kong right of abode for foreign nationals – when does the 7 year clock start ticking?

Will any time spent in Hong Kong as a visitor count towards the magic 7 years for permanent residency?

PODCAST ANSWER
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24

Dec 2012

Statistically, What Are the Chances of Your Hong Kong Investment Visa Application Being Approved?

Posted by / in Hadley Says…, Investment Visas / 15 responses

Each year, there are between  250 and 400 business investment visas approved in Hong Kong.

This compares with the approximately 1,600 Capital Investment Entrant Scheme visas which are issued here annually.

As a business investment visa approval can be had for less than a HKD1 million investment in Hong Kong, compared to the minimum HKD10 million under the capital investment visa programme, it may come as a surprise that so few business investment visas are granted each year.

But that’s not the whole story.

Whilst the Hong Kong ID do not put out statistics on how many applications for business investment visas are applied for each year, the file referencing system of the Department actually sheds a great deal of light on the numbers of application they receive.

And, believe it or not, it amounts to approximately 250 each month!

This means, statistically, only 15% or so of all investment visa applications are approved each year!

More Stuff You May Find Useful

How is the investment visa application process typically experienced by a foreign national visa applicant?

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How important is the support of InvestHK in your Hong Kong investment visa application?

Is it actually becoming harder to get your Hong Kong employment or investment visa application approved?

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18

Dec 2012

Finally the HKID Shed Some Light on What Constitutes ‘Talent’ in a QMAS Application (3 Case Studies’ Video)

Posted by / in Musing, Special Programmes / 5 responses

Either the Hong Kong Immigration Department are ‘on the sell’ or word has finally gotten back to them that its time to let prospective applicants under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme know something of the calibre and credentials of  people who pass muster and are successful in securing a QMAS visa.

As you may know, I am uber-critical of the way this programme is structured and administered but, credit where credit is due, this type of information is actually very helpful and the Department should be commended for the effort.

The Official video can be down-loaded from the Immigration Department website here.

More Stuff On QMAS You May Find Useful

Why I hate the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (and you should too!)

Is the Hong Kong QMAS programme just too competitive to be realistic?

How important are employment testimonials in a Hong Kong QMAS visa application?

Is there such a thing as an Occupations-in-Demand list under the QMAS programme?

Will I get my first QMAS visa extension if I have not yet taken up residence in the HKSAR?

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13

Dec 2012

How Flexible is the Admission of Mainland Talents & Professionals Scheme in Enabling Chinese Nationals to Come & Work in Hong Kong?

Posted by / in Employment Visas, Hadley Says…, Investment Visas, Special Programmes / 6 responses

The Admission of Mainland Talents & Professionals Scheme can be used in a number of creative ways to facilitate the entry of suitably qualified mainland residents to take up employment in Hong Kong.

In spite of the general perception that it is hard for Chinese nationals to secure an employment visa in Hong Kong moving here directly from the Mainland.

For example, it can be used by local companies headhunting Mainland talent for specific employment position.

It can also be used by a Mainland business owner who is seeking to transfer him or herself to their self owned Hong Kong business.

Additionally,  the Scheme is suitable for a business executive presently working in China for an Mainland employer wishing to establish new operations in the HKSAR.

Last, but by no means least, the AMTP programme is ideally suited to a Chinese national inter-company transferee who works for a substantial Hong Kong, Mainland or Multinational Enterprise with operations in both Hong Kong and in China proper.

The Admission of Mainland Talents & Professionals Scheme is an extremely flexible category of employment visa and, so long as the cases are argued properly, a wide variety of scenarios can expect to get approved.

More Stuff You May Find Useful

Doing the Hong Kong Capital Investment Entrant Scheme on the cheap!

I have a PRC national spouse resident on the Mainland – can she get a dependant visa for Hong Kong?

How to get a Hong Kong working visa automatically and with no questions asked

Why I hate the Quality Migrants Admission Scheme (& you should too!)

Hong Kong employment visa – do you absolutely definitely positively need a degree to qualify?

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11

Dec 2012

How to Get a Hong Kong Working Visa Automatically – With No Questions Asked!

Posted by / in Employment Visas, Hadley Says… / 26 responses

Until only just a few short years ago, it was nigh on impossible for foreign nationals studying for an undergraduate or post graduate degree at a university in Hong Kong to secure an employment visa upon their graduation.

However, since the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates came into effect in 2008, any student visa holder successfully graduating from their course, can now essentially walk straight into an employment visa without even needing a sponsor or an offer of an employment.

This prevails if you make the application to the Hong Kong ID within 6 months of graduation, as they deem these applicants ‘fresh graduates’ and the conversion from student to employment visa is almost akin to a rubber stamping exercise.

However, 12 months later once the first employment visa comes up for extension, the holder of such an employment visa needs to have a confirmed employment to be able to remain in Hong Kong under that status.

The situation is different for ex students who graduated more than 6 months ago, as they are called returning graduates.

The visa conditions for such returning graduates are more onerous than they are for fresh graduates but their applications are ‘favourably considered’ so long as they have a suitable job offer paying market rates from a suitable sponsor.

But for fresh graduates, the employment visa is a shoe in and many foreign nationals choose specifically to study in Hong Kong first simply to get direct access to permissions to work – and strategically the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local graduates has provided a fantastic additional pathway to getting approval to work in the HKSAR.

More Stuff to Help You Along

What are your visa options for Hong Kong if your marriage has irretrievably broken down?

How to stop worrying about your Hong Kong visa application and start applying

How to cure your Hong Kong visa extension headache and make sure it gets approved the very first time

Why and how Hong Kong seeks to attract foreign national talent

The impact of brain drain on Hong Kong and resulting immigration policy development

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