Hong Kong Visa & Immigration Topics

What Compliance Obligations Do I Have If I Hold A Hong Kong Employment Visa And Want To Start Freelancing After I Stop Working For My Employer-Sponsor?

Posted in Employment Visas, Investment Visas, The Hong Kong Visa Geeza, Your Question Answered /

I hold a Hong Kong employment visa and want to start freelancing…   As a foreign national temporarily resident in Hong Kong on a sponsored employment visa, there are a number of different compliance issues that need to be addressed if you lose your job and you fancy embarking down the path of freelancing on […]

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Is It Ever Possible To Seek An Early Extension To A Hong Kong Investment Visa For A Non-Immigration Related Reason?

Posted in Investment Visas, The Hong Kong Visa Geeza, Your Question Answered /

What will the Hong Kong Immigration Department make of a very early application for an extension to a business investment visa? QUESTION I am 6 months into my first 12 month stint of an investment employment visa.  I am looking to move into a new apartment and the landlord is requesting a minimum of 12 […]

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Can I Remain In Hong Kong As A Dependant Visa Holder If My Spouse Has Died?

Posted in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Feature Article, The Hong Kong Visa Geeza, Your Question Answered /

What can you do about your dependant visa status in Hong Kong if you have sadly lost your much loved spouse-as-sponsor? QUESTION Hello, I came to Hong Kong on a dependent visa (my wife, a PR, sponsoring me). I have already completed 3.5 years and my visa is about due for extension. The dilemma I […]

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How Can I Go From Being A Sponsored Hong Kong Employment Visa Holder To Working In My Own Business As I Wait Out The 7 Years To Permanent Residency Here?

Posted in Employment Visas, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, The Hong Kong Visa Geeza, Your Question Answered /

If you leave your job and want to start your own business in Hong Kong, what are the immigration implications of this if you are a temporary resident foreign national employee? QUESTION Hi Stephen, I am in a bit of a pickle, I am currently waiting for my PR and I have a visa extension […]

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Can The Company You Have Just Left Contact Hong Kong Immigration And Make Your Visa Expire Immediately?

Posted in Employment Visas, Special Programmes, The Hong Kong Visa Geeza, Your Question Answered /

Contact Hong Kong Immigration and make your visa expire? This question comes up often enough for it to warrant another explanation of the arrangements which prevail (current ImmD practice)… QUESTION Dear Visa Geeza,  I’m under the impression that when you leave a company that has been sponsoring your employment visa or if you are fired, […]

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Can A Newly Qualified Foreign National Permanent Resident Of Hong Kong Automatically Secure PR For His Parents Too?

Posted in Long Stay & PR, The Hong Kong Visa Geeza, Your Question Answered /

So, just what immigration options for parents accrue to a foreign national holding a Hong Kong permanent identity card? QUESTION Hi there!  A foreign national became a permanent resident after many years study and work in Hong Kong. Now he wants to sponsor his parents holding Canadian passports to become a P.R. In Hong Kong […]

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How Do You Prove To The Hong Kong Immigration Department That You Have Tried To Recruit Locally?

Posted in Employment Visas, The Hong Kong Visa Geeza, Your Question Answered /

Excellent question earlier this week. Great opportunity to slay a few sacred cows. QUESTION Hi, one of the requirements for the work visa application is a proof of genuine vacancy. What if a sponsoring company doesn’t do job ads? What can he present? He does recruit locally via his network since he is just a […]

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Am I Compelled To Apply For Hong Kong Permanent Residency After 7 Years Or Can I Maintain The Status Quo Of My Present Employment Visa?

Posted in Employment Visas, Long Stay & PR, The Hong Kong Visa Geeza, Your Question Answered /

Once you have achieved 7 years continuous ordinary residence in Hong Kong, your long stay immigration options open up considerably… QUESTION My current working visa is due to expire at the end of  September, (previously I was given an extension of 3 years in 2010), this I assume was so that I would be valid for […]

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QOTW: Can I Get An Employment Visa Again If I Still Owe Taxes From The Last Time I Worked In Hong Kong?

Posted in Case Study, Employment Visas, The Hong Kong Visa Geeza, Your Question Answered /

What is the interplay between unpaid taxes and a Hong Kong employment visa application subsequently? QUESTION Hi, I worked in Hong Kong last year, 2013, and left the city mid year after my work terminated. When I left, my company filed a IR56G “leaving Hong Kong” tax form for me with the IRD. However, I […]

What Are The Obligations Of An Employer To A Prospective Employee When An Application For A Hong Kong Employment Visa Has Been Refused?

Posted in Employment Visas, Musing, Refusals & Appeals, The Hong Kong Visa Geeza /

Foreign nationals seeking to work in Hong Kong have a lot of stake in an employment visa application so when it doesn’t work out positively where does that leave their proposed relationship? QUESTION Hi, After the recruitment process in a multinational company in Hong Kong, they decided to employ me, so I signed the offer […]