Hong Kong Visa & Immigration Topics

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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I Want To Live In Hong Kong With My Boyfriend – Is The Working Holiday Visa A Viable Option?

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

Sometimes, the sun and the moon align beautifully on a set of circumstances to allow an unmarried couple to spend time together in Hong Kong when ordinarily visa circumstances conspire against them. Not on this occasion, however! QUESTION “Hi there, I have just recently returned from Hong Kong to Canada where I am a citizen. […]

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My Employment Visa Has Been Refused – What Can I Do Now?

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

My employment visa has been refused …. We have been contacted a lot recently by applicants who’s cases have been refused  – so this question is both timely and, for all those affected, of great significance. QUESTION “I would like to know if, once  I have received the first rejection letter from an Officer of the […]

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Does The Hong Kong Immigration Department Positively Consider Family Reunion As A Factor To Employment Visa Grant?

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

First Published January 4, 2020 – Still Relevant  Employment visa grant? What do the Hong Kong Immigration Department take into account exactly when considering an application for an employment visa where the applicant has recently divorced from a Hong Kong resident? QUESTION I have been in Hong Kong for two years and have recently divorced.  […]

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

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

The answer to this question is multi-part and ultimately driven by the challenges associated with a New Business Situation… QUESTION I am based in Hong Kong and would like your advice on visa applications for a friend.   A friend of mine, who is based in the US and I have been discussing a business opportunity for Hong Kong and […]

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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 […]

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

Posted in 60 Second Snapshot, Employment Visas, Investment Visas, The Hong Kong Visa Geeza /

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 […]