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Hong Kong Visa & Immigration Topics

Your Questions Answered

Can I Set Up A Hong Kong Company, Employ My Business Partner & Sponsor An Employment Visa For Him?

September 14th, 2026

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

PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy: This piece explores the common strategy where one partner incorporates a company to hire their co-founder under an employment visa rather than an investment visa. While the advice historically warned that ImmD scrutinizes “new business situations” and checks whether the […]

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Your Questions Answered

Can I Sponsor Myself For Freelance Work ‘On-the-Side’ Whilst Working For My Current Hong Kong Employment Visa Sponsor?

September 7th, 2026

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

This is joining in a side business albeit in another name…and a solution for certain types of Hong Kong Employment Visa holders thinking about freelancing in Hong Kong PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy: The advice regarding securing ImmD permission to “join in a side business” under Section […]

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Hadley Says

How Will Your Employment Visa Application Be Impacted If The Hong Kong Company Employing You Is New?

September 3rd, 2026

Posted by / in Employment Visas, Hadley Says…, Investment Visas / 3 responses

Where your proposed employer is a brand new company you can expect the Hong Kong Immigration Department to look very closely at the enterprise to make sure that it is in fact a suitable sponsor for your working visa permissions. In many ways, the due diligence which the Hong Kong ID undertake is very much […]

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Your Questions Answered

What Do The Immigration Department Look For When Establishing The Bona Fides Of A Hong Kong Employer As A Suitable AND Credible Sponsor Under The Immigration Arrangements For Non-local Graduates?

August 31st, 2026

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

Can any old entity successfully sponsor an employment visa extension under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates? What qualifies a Hong Kong employer as a suitable and credible sponsor? PRACTICE UPDATE: How to read in light of current ImmD policy: While the historical case advisory in What Do The Immigration Department Look For When Establishing […]

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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? PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy: Historical Editorial Standard: This Question of the Week addresses an independent professional seeking to hold a GEP Investment as Entrepreneur visa while billing 100% of their time to a single corporate […]

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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? PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy: This article addresses the common scenario of mobile entrepreneurs […]

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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. PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy: This advisory piece regarding how ImmD handles malicious or competitive third-party objections must now be read alongside the department’s forensic […]

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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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