We provide a simplified solution with our in-depth knowledge and years of experience in the procedures and requirements of visa application. We offer professional advice on choosing the most appropriate visa type and its relevant forms, with the best strategy.
Hong Kong Visa Types
Employment Visa
To employ overseas staff, you must demonstrate that a prospective employee has special skills, knowledge or experience not readily available in Hong Kong. The proposed employee must be sponsored by an employer in Hong Kong.
Investment Visa
This requires you to be a shareholder of a Hong Kong registered company. You can do this by:
- Registering and setting up a company in which you are the major investor, or
- Investing in a Hong Kong-based company.
You will also need to provide details of the viability of your proposed business – or your financial position if you are investing in an existing company.
Entrepreneur Visa
The applicant should be the proprietor or partner of the startup company or a key researcher of the relevant project. Their startup business should be supported by a government-backed programme with a rigorous vetting and selection process. For example:
- Incu-App, Incu-Bio and Incu-Tech programmes administered by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation;
- Cyberport Incubation Programme;
- Enterprise Support Scheme administered by the Innovation and Technology Commission; and
- Design Incubation Programme administered by the Hong Kong Design Centre.
People who successfully apply for a visa can bring their spouse and dependent children under the age of 18, provided they have sufficient funds and suitable accommodation. The limit on their stay is the same as the visa holder – who is officially the ‘sponsor’. A spouse holding a Dependant visa can undertake any type of lawful employment in Hong Kong.
Other Details
Hong Kong has business friendly immigration policies. As such, visitors from over 170 countries/territories can enjoy visa-free entries to Hong Kong and stay for between seven to 180 days.
Working Visa Requirements
Short-term visitors can make the most of Hong Kong’s light-touch visa policies and are permitted to conduct business negotiations and sign contracts while on a visitor’s visa or entry permit. Foreign nationals working in Hong Kong for longer periods of time require a visa before they can live or work in Hong Kong.
Enhancement measures have been applied to the General Employment Policy (for both employment and investment), the
Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, and the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme.
The Immigration Department has also introduced a pilot scheme for the admission of the second generation of Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents who have emigrated overseas. For more details, please refer here.
The Government of Hong Kong SAR announced in May 2018 to launch the Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS). To learn more about TechTAS, please visit here.
During the process of visa application, our one-stop professional consultation services include:
- Full review of the application circumstances, including the relevant information of the applicant, the applicant’s family and the sponsor;
- Choosing the most appropriate visa type and its relevant forms;
- Advice on the justification for the application;
- Provision of detailed checklist of necessary documents for both the sponsor and the applicant;
- Drafting any other letters required by the Hong Kong Immigration Department;
- Careful review of all completed forms and supporting documents before submission;
- Submission of application to the Hong Kong Immigration Department in person;
- Follow-up on application progress;
- Keeping both the sponsor and the applicant informed of the progress;
- Attending any interviews required by the Hong Kong Immigration Department; and
- Careful co-ordination of any further correspondences with the Hong Kong Immigration Department.FREE follow-up servicesAfter the successful visa application, we will continually provide FREE follow-up services to our clients.
These services may include:
- Collection and dispatch of visas (including local courier charges);
- Provision of useful information about Hong Kong for settling in;
- Keeping our clients informed of any relevant immigration news and further necessary actions;
- Notification of leaving to the Hong Kong Immigration Department; and
- Referral of professional services offered by our Group: office finding (virtual office / serviced office), payroll services, tax advisory, company secretary, accounting and auditing.Under different circumstances, there are various types of visa and immigration services we would advise our clients for application. Below we try to provide more detailed, yet exhaustive, information of each type of these services. For further details, please contact us for a free enquiry.