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I have given this talk around town for the last couple of years now and so pleased to finally add it to our coverage of the Hong Kong investment visa. This segment addresses specifically the expectations ImmD have as regards the capital sum on hand to be able to properly finance your new business (and with it your Hong Kong investment visa to boot!)

PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy:

• Historical Editorial Standard: This lecture addresses the perennial question of capital requirements by debunking the myth of a statutory minimum or “magic number.” Historically, the Geeza advised that ImmD maintained an open-ended, case-by-case approach: an applicant simply needed sufficient capital to cover startup expenses and sustain operations for the first two quarters (often cited as around HKD 250,000 to HKD 500,000 for asset-light service businesses or consultancies). The presentation emphasized that funding could be staged, supplemented by offshore personal liquidity, or structured through prospective shareholder loans as the commercial concept gained local traction.

• Comparative Reading Under the Upgraded Regime: The assertion that there is no de facto financial baseline and that a few hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars will suffice has been completely overturned. While the statutory language of the Immigration Ordinance still does not specify a dollar threshold, ImmD’s post-April 2026 administrative practice has established an unyielding capital floor. Aligned with the economic substance benchmark of Category A under the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS), case officers now require immediate, unencumbered deployed capital of HKD 1.5 million to HKD 2.0 million fully remitted into an active Hong Kong corporate bank account prior to visa endorsement. Pledges of future capital calls, offshore bank statements demonstrating personal wealth, staged shareholder loans, or nominal share capital are no longer accepted as proof of fiscal capability. Furthermore, applicants must document actual operational expenditures drawn from these funds (deposits, dedicated commercial fit-out, technology infrastructure) alongside verified cash reserves sufficient to sustain operations, dedicated “four walls” commercial tenancy, and the active payroll of 2 to 3 local permanent residents throughout the initial visa term.

The talk was graciously hosted at WYND Co-working Space, ran by a group of great people for whom I have a great deal of time.

The Complete Talk in Logical Segments

1 – Introduction

2 – Policy

3 – Visa Problem?

4 – Mainlanders

5 – Visitors

6 – Work Visa?

7 – Investment Visa?

8 – Approvability Test

9 – Cash Needed

10 – Catch 22

11 – Loved Ones

12 – Visa Refused?

13 – Trying Again

14 – D-I-Y

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