Hong Kong Visa & Immigration Topics

Will Performance-Based Equity Compensation Suffice Instead of a Cash Salary for A Hong Kong Employment Visa?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Investment Visas, Your Question Answered / 2 responses

No one has asked me this type of question about compensation for employees for about 17 years now so I’m grateful to the questioner for raising it as she did. QUESTION I have successfully registered a business and been awarded an investment visa in Hong Kong. The company is a start up with limited capital […]

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I Run an Internet Company Based Out of Hong Kong But Choose to Spend Most of My Time Away – Can I Get Permanent Residency in Hong Kong After 7 Years?

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

First Published July 9, 2016 The modern, connected economy throws up myriad ways for people to organize their lives and business affairs and, as can be seen from this great question, how might ImmD respond to an application for the Right of Abode where an internet entrepreneur bases himself here with his family but they […]

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Hong Kong Employment Visa Self-Sponsorship – the Reality for Entrepreneurs Masquerading as Employees

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Investment Visas, Musing / 6 responses

First Published May 1, 2012 There really is no such thing as visa self-sponsorship if you are an entrepreneur seeking permissions to join in your own business in Hong Kong. You either work for an independent third party employer, or you are working for yourself (or possibly in partnership with one or 2 others). Let’s […]

Interview: Is the Hong Kong Immigration Department Website Actually Fit For Purpose?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Musing, Refusals & Appeals, Special Programmes, Visitor Visas / 16 responses

On June 6th, 2013 I was interviewed by five law students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong about my experiences practicing immigration here over the last 20 years. We covered a great deal of ground in the 90 minutes we spent together and over the next few weeks I will be posting the interview […]

Are Such Facilities as Virtual Offices, Incubators, Serviced Offices & Co-working Spaces Deemed ‘Suitable Business Premises’ for the Purposes of a Hong Kong Business Investment Visa Application?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Hadley Says…, Investment Visas / 4 responses

Hong Kong has an incredibly dynamic economy with the reality that the Hong Kong Immigration Department has recognized that entrepreneurs today have a wide variety of options in which to home their start up and early stage businesses. Consequently, incubators, serviced offices and co-working spaces are generally acceptable to the Immigration Department as early homes […]

Help!! All My Family Are Permanent Residents of Hong Kong and I’m Stuck as a Visitor Due to My Time Spent Studying Abroad – Is There Any Way Forward?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Long Stay & PR, Your Question Answered / 3 responses

Sometimes the sun and the moon simply doesn’t align on your Hong Kong immigration situation and, with the system working against you, find yourself orphaned from the rest of your family and questioning the fairness of it all… QUESTION I’m about to kill myself over this visa situation I’m in. I’m Singaporean, but I grew […]

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What Do Both Hong Kong Employment & Investment Visa Applications Share In Common?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Hadley Says…, Investment Visas / 15 responses

The approvability tests for both employment visas and investment visas, whilst fundamentally different, call for an examination of the applicant’s special skills, knowledge and experience which can be said to be of value to Hong Kong. In the case of an employment visa, the focus is squarely on the personal profile of the applicant, while in […]

A Harsh Decision – Why the Hong Kong Immigration Department Will Not Give My Client a Prolonged Visitor Visa

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Family Visas, Musing, Visitor Visas / 7 responses

I’ve written lots and lots previously about same sex partner visa applications for Hong Kong. To recap, same sex partners who are in a loving committed life partner relationship and who have cohabited previously prior to their relocation here, can expect that the ‘trailing spouse’ will go on to procure a prolonged visitor visa in […]

Hong Kong Employment Visa – Teenage High School Graduate Gets Approved!

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Case Study, Employment Visas / 11 responses

There are about 15,000 Hong Kong employment visas granted each year. Every one of these applications is unique with its own particular qualities and circumstances. Consequently the application of the approvability test for permission to work in the HKSAR, obviously, differs from case to case. The test for approval places a burden on the applicant […]

60 Pages or 7 Pages for Your Hong Kong Investment Visa Plan? It’s Your Choice…

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Hadley Says…, Investment Visas / 3 responses

If someone has told you that you need a fully fledged business plan in support of your Hong Kong investment visa, don’t believe them because it’s not true. Most definitely have your plans, intentions and money flows written down and make sure your business is planned, but don’t be intimidated into drawing up a formally […]