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Hong Kong Employment Visa Scheme

The Employment Visa is intended for applicants who will be employed by a Hong Kong company and residing in Hong Kong. Eligible applicants must have good educational qualifications and possess special skills, knowledge or experience of value to and not readily available in the Hong Kong. There is no official quota system limiting the number of Employment Visas that can be issued to a company.

Applicant can apply for Employment Visa only after securing an employment with a Hong Kong company. This visa scheme is normally issued for a one year period and is renewable thereafter (subject to the applicant fulfilling the eligibility criteria). There is no quota system for this category, each application is considered based on its own value.

The following individuals can apply and are eligible under the Employment Visa scheme.

• Foreigners who have graduated from an academic institute in Hong Kong
• Foreigners who graduated overseas and possess special skills, knowledge or experience not readily available in the Hong Kong

To apply for under Employment Visa Scheme, the applicant should meet the following requirements:

• Applicants should not have any criminal records or security objections.
• Applicants must possess a good educational background. Normally it is preferable to have at least an undergraduate degree in the relevant field. However, in the absence of such a degree, documentary evidence of good technical qualifications, relevant professional abilities, achievements and experience may suffice.
• There is a genuine job vacancy at the employing company.
• Applicant have secured a confirmed employment offer and the job matches the applicant's academic qualifications or working experience and that the job cannot be readily taken up by the local work force.
• The remuneration package including income, accommodation, medical and other fringe benefits is in line with the prevailing market standards in Hong Kong.
• The applicant should provide documents such as Application form, Passport details, proof of overseas residence, proof of academic qualifications and working experience etc. to lodge the application.

In the meantime, the employing company should also provide supporting documents such as Business Registration Certificate, Proof of financial stand of the company, Detailed Business plan etc. to meet the requirements. The Immigration authorities reserve the right to demand further documents from the applicant or employing company as and when necessary.

Once both the applicant and the employer have prepared the necessary documents required for the application, the application must be submitted to the Hong Kong Immigration Department via post. The processing of work visa application takes about 4-6 weeks.

If the application is successful, the Immigration Department will issue a Visa/Entry Permit label which must be collected from the immigration office in-person by the applicant or an authorized representative. The Visa/Entry Permit label must be affixed on a blank visa page of the applicant's passport and presented to the Immigration Officer upon arrival in Hong Kong. Most work permit visas issued initially are valid for one-year period.

In case the work permit application is rejected, an appeal can be filed with authorities.

Renewing the visa - Work permit holders can apply for renewal by filing the renewal application at least four weeks before the limit of stay expires.

The renewal application will be considered only if the applicant continues to meet the work permit eligibility criteria as outlined above. If the work visa renewal application is approved, the extension of stay will normally follow the 2-2-3 years pattern or in accordance with the duration of your employment contract, whichever is shorter.

Permanent Residence - If the applicant has been granted a work visa under the employment for professionals scheme and the applicant has resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of at least seven years, then the applicant is eligible to apply for Permanent Residence, commonly referred to as "Right of Abode" in Hong Kong. The application is subject to satisfying the requisite criteria.

DEPENDANTS - Applicants under this work permit scheme are eligible to bring their family members (spouse and unmarried dependent children under 18 years of age to Hong Kong) with them to Hong Kong. A dependant visa application must be filed for each family member for this purpose.

The dependant's length of stay is tied to the applicant's length of stay in Hong Kong and dependant visa holders are free to take up employment or study in Hong Kong, as applicable. For further details on dependent visa, refer to Hong Kong Family Visa guide.

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