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Hong Kong Visa & Immigration Topics

Your Questions Answered

Must The Employing Company Sponsor Of My Hong Kong Work Visa Application Be Profitable?

July 14th, 2026

Posted by / in Employment Visas, Your Question Answered / No responses

How important is sponsor-profitability, especially for start up businesses less than 12 months old? QUESTION I have been recruited by a newly established company (12 months old as of this week). They have never hired a foreigner and have tasked me with completing the visa forms, both employee and employer versions. The Employer-side application requires […]

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Your Questions Answered

If I Get A Hong Kong Investment Visa Can I Consult To A Single Client Only As A Pseudo-Employee?

March 26th, 2026

Posted by / in Employment Visas, Investment Visas, Your Question Answered / No responses

Just how ‘flexible is the Hong Kong investment visa? QUESTION  I’m Swedish and currently in the process of applying for a Hong Kong investment visa. In addition, I have an interview for a consulting position with another organization. They will not support me with an employment visa and have asked me if I can also […]

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Your Questions Answered

Is There A Minimum Number Of Days You Need To Be In Hong Kong In Order To Maintain Your Investment Visa Status?

February 27th, 2026

Posted by / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Special Programmes, Your Question Answered / 4 responses

Hong Kong is a small place with borders on our doorstep so how much time do you need to be physically in Hong Kong to retain your Hong Kong investment visa? QUESTION I would like to know, if I am able to hold a visa in Hong Kong, then what is the minimum time per […]

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Your Questions Answered

Will Performance-Based Equity Compensation Suffice Instead Of A Cash Salary For A Hong Kong Employment Visa?

February 26th, 2026

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

To what extend the salary can be replaced with performance-based equity compensation in case of a Hong Kong employment visa? 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 […]

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Your Questions Answered

What Will The Immigration Department Make Of A Third Party Objection To An Application For A Hong Kong Investment Visa?

February 12th, 2026

Posted by / in Investment Visas, Your Question Answered / 4 responses

Objection to an application for a Hong Kong investment visa? Revenge is a dish best eaten cold, as they say. So, can an application for a Hong Kong investment visa be negatively impacted by the fact of a debt outstanding to a disgruntled creditor – or can it at least be used as a point […]

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Your Questions Answered

Can I Get A Hong Kong Investment Visa If I’m Presently An Employee Seeking To Go Into Business With A New Partner?

February 8th, 2026

Posted by / in Employment Visas, Investment Visas, Your Question Answered / No responses

What’s the differentiating line between a Hong Kong investment visa and an employment visa when investing in the company that is seeking to sponsor-employ you? QUESTION I’m from Australia and have been living and working, as a language teacher, in Hong Kong since  December 2014. I am currently starting up a business with a partner. […]

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Your Questions Answered

I Have A Socially Advantageous Yet Modestly Capitalised Business Plan – Can I Get An Investment Visa For Hong Kong?

January 27th, 2026

Posted by / in Investment Visas, Your Question Answered / 12 responses

This is an important question on the business investment visa for Hong Kong…. Experience suggests that the Hong Kong Immigration Department do tend to look favourably upon such business plans, but the applicant absolutely does not have it all his or her own way, as you will learn in my PodCast answer. (Please note the […]

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60 Second Snapshot'

Why Do Hong Kong Technology Startups Mostly Struggle To Win Investment Visa Approvals For Their Founders?

January 9th, 2026

Posted by / in 60 Second Snapshot, Employment Visas, Investment Visas / No responses

I’m often asked how feasible business investment visas are for foreign nationals seeking to establish a new technology start up here. Bootstrappping and running Lean can be a double edged sword as a foreign national starting up in Hong Kong… The actual extent of the challenge is, in fact, no more onerous than it has […]

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Musing

Hong Kong Employment Visa Self-Sponsorship – The Reality For Entrepreneurs Masquerading As Employees

December 14th, 2025

Posted by / in Employment Visas, Investment Visas, Musing / 6 responses

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 assume you make an application […]

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Musing

Hong Kong Entrepreneur Visa (Business Investment) – A Practical Guide

November 20th, 2025

Posted by / in Investment Visas, Musing, Resource, VG Front Page / No responses

The Hong Kong entrepreneur visa (business investment) is arguably the most challenging immigration status to acquire in the HKSAR… On March 21, 2014 I gave a presentation at the Chinese Club entitled Business Immigration to Hong Kong – A Practical Guide. Although more than a decade has passed, the information remains relevant today because the underlying rationale […]

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