Hong Kong Visa & Immigration Topics

PRACTICE UPDATE: The GEP Work Visa Policy | A New Era of Skills-Based Immigration

Posted in Employment Visas, Feature Article, Musing, The Hong Kong Visa Geeza /

GEP Work Visa | The General Employment Policy  Enters a New Era of Skills-Based Immigration The Evolving GEP Work Visa Assessment Regime, Technical Professionals Stream and Employer Sponsorship Requirements GEP Work Visa: For more than three decades, the General Employment Policy (GEP work visa) has been one of the principal mechanisms through which Hong Kong […]

I Am An Independent Contractor Not An Employee – Can I Get An Employment Visa As An Intercompany Transferee?

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

I Am An Independent Contractor Not An Employee – Can I Get An Employment Visa As An Intercompany Transferee? Sometimes, round-pegs-in-square-holes situations crop up which make the challenge of securing a Hong Kong employment visa especially daunting! This question raises a very interesting set of circumstances which make for an interesting visa application experience ahead! […]

Will My Hong Kong Employment Visa be Compromised If I Leave My Job Due to Intolerable Working Conditions?

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

Hong Kong Employment Visa Lost If You Have a Terrible Boss & Want To Leave? What’s The Risk To Your Hong Kong Employment Visa? Should you be worried that your employment visa status in Hong Kong might be undermined if you choose to leave the employ of an unsavoury employer? Practice Update 2026 – This […]

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Do I Really Need An Employment Visa If I Get 6 Months’ Visitor Status Upon Arrival Intend To Work In Hong Kong For A Maximum Of 2 Weeks?

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

Visitor Status Upon Arrival Intend To Work In Hong Kong? Is it ever legal to work in Hong Kong – especially on a short term basis – with  Visitor status – without the permission of the Director of Immigration? Practice Update 2026 – This content must be read in light of changes to ImmD practice […]

Foreign Nationals Working In Hong Kong – Getting Married, Changing Visas & The Immigration Status Of Children Born Here Subsequently

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

So, what are the immigration implications of getting married and then having children in Hong Kong if you are a temporary resident presently holding an employment visa? QUESTION Hi, Can you please help with a few questions? 1. I am getting married next month and would like to cancel my employment visa through my employer, […]

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Considerably Heightened Diligence by ImmD on All Types of Hong Kong Visa Applications

Posted in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Musing, Refusals & Appeals, Sherpa, The Hong Kong Visa Geeza, Visitor Visas /

Updated October 12, 2026.   Heightened ImmD Scrutiny ImmD shifted from a traditional “process and approve” paradigm to an aggressive compliance-and-audit model. This heightened diligence has been driven by several key factors: 1. Abuse of New Talent Schemes: Massive application volumes under the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) and QMAS led to illicit intermediaries selling […]

Can I Study Then Get Married All Whilst Holding A Hong Kong Employment Visa Sponsored By A Company I No Longer Work For?

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

Life in Hong Kong throws up many new opportunities and this question seeks to understand the implications for 7 years continuous residency in respect of an eventual right of abode application where an overall switch over in life plans sees a lady intending to relinquish her employment visa for a student or dependant visa … […]

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Hong Kong Work Visa – Is 2 Years Post Graduation Work Experience An Absolute Prerequisite?

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

If you are a graduate is it hard and fast that you need at least 2 years post graduation working experience in a managerial or supervisory capacity in order to secure a Hong Kong work visa – or is there some wriggle room in this regard? QUESTION Hi there, I have heard in one of […]

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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 /

PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy: This piece explores the common strategy where one partner incorporates a company to hire their co-founder under an employment visa rather than an investment visa. While the advice historically warned that ImmD scrutinizes “new business situations” and checks whether the […]

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Lame Excuses Won’t Cut It If You’re Caught Working In Hong Kong Without An Employment Visa

Posted in Employment Visas, Feature Article, Investment Visas, Musing, Refusals & Appeals, Special Programmes, The Hong Kong Visa Geeza, Visitor Visas /

Caught Working in Hong Kong Without an Employment Visa? If you’re working in Hong Kong  (paid, unpaid or temporarily transferred in) but do not have an employment visa sponsored by your current employer you are breaking the law and could be subject to 3 years imprisonment and/or up to a HKD350,000 fine. The law is very […]