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For many foreign national residents, it can take a couple of runs at living in Hong Kong before they catch the bug and realise they want to call the HKSAR their permanent home. Inadvertently, however, such folks can break their continuity of residence and also find themselves back to square one when it comes to both short and long stay immigration status here.

QUESTION

I was in Hong Kong on a working visa for almost four years and left on 23rd June 2011. My visa at the time was still valid until this coming March 2013.

Since then I have been back twice. Once on 24th December 2011 for a week (leaving 1st Jan 2012) and again a year later on 1st Jan 2013 for a month.

I may or may not be moving back in a few months time.

 Is there any point in trying to work out if I could qualify for a new visa now or is it best to wait until I know if I am coming back?

I ask because the follow up question is, if I do move back in say March/April, what are my odds of being able to get PR 7 years after my initial arrival and visa in September 2007?

More Stuff to Help You Along

Will I still qualify for the right of abode if I worked temporarily in Macau yet lived in Hong Kong for the full seven years?

What can be said to constitute ordinary residence for the purposes of a Hong Kong right of abode application?

Will a  break in continuous employment mean a break in continuous residence when it comes to my Hong Kong right of abode application after 7 years?

Employment ended? What visa options do you have to stay in Hong Kong for another 2 years to qualify for permanent residency?

Your Hong Kong employment visa – what happens when you lose your job?

PODCAST ANSWER

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