Summary of 6 Frequently Asked Questions on Hong Kong Visa Application

1. Do you need an entry visa if you want to come to Hong Kong for study, employment, training, investment or settlement?

Generally speaking, except for those who have the right of abode or right to land in Hong Kong,working visa extension hong kong any person who wishes to come to Hong Kong to study, take up employment, receive training, invest or settle in Hong Kong must obtain a visa before coming to Hong Kong.

2. When do I need to apply for extension of stay? What are the formalities?

Generally speaking, visitors to Hong Kong must leave Hong Kong on or before the expiry date of their period of stay before they can return to their place of origin.

Visitors who need to extend their stay in Hong Kong due to special reasons or difficulties may apply for an extension of stay up to 7 days before the expiry of their period of stay. But whether the application is approved will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Non-Mainland visitors may submit their applications at the Extension of Stay Unit on the 5th floor of the Hong Kong Immigration Tower or at any of the branch offices of the Immigration Department (excluding the Hong Kong Islands District Travel Document Issuing Offices).

The Extension of Stay Unit only accepts applications for extension of stay from Mainland visitors.

3. How can I apply for entry into Hong Kong as a dependant?

Applications to stay in Hong Kong as dependants may be considered if they fulfill the following criteria.

The applicant and the sponsor can provide reasonable proof of their relationship; the applicant has no known adverse record; and the sponsor can maintain the dependant's living conditions in Hong Kong above the basic level and provide him/her with suitable accommodation.

4. Will dependants coming to Hong Kong under the Dependants Policy be restricted from studying in local schools?

No. All dependants studying in Hong Kong are not required to obtain prior approval from the Director of Immigration.

5. Can dependants admitted under the Dependants Policy work in Hong Kong?

Dependants of the following persons are allowed to work in Hong Kong without restriction.

Hong Kong permanent residents;

Hong Kong residents who are not subject to a limit of stay (i.e. those who have the right to land or are allowed to stay unconditionally);

persons admitted to Hong Kong for employment (professionals, entrepreneurs or trainees).

and persons admitted to Hong Kong under the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme or the Second Generation Entrant Scheme for Hong Kong Permanent Residents of China.

However, dependants of persons who have entered Hong Kong as student-athletes are not allowed to take up employment as employees of enterprises in Hong Kong without first obtaining the permission of the Director of Development and Immigration.

6. Why is it necessary to extend the limit of stay in order to be eligible to apply for extension of stay in Hong Kong as a dependant?

An application for extension of stay as a dependant is made provided that the applicant remains eligible to reside in Hong Kong as a dependant (including that the applicant will not lose the sponsorship due to a change in circumstances, e.g. a change in the marital relationship between the dependent spouse and the sponsor or the death of the sponsor) and that the sponsor is still a bona fide Hong Kong resident.