Obtaining a Hong Kong visa and a residence permit for foreign workers and entrepreneurs. Service offer

Foreign citizens who are of interest to the Hong Kong economy are eligible to obtain work and entrepreneur visas under the General Employment Policy (GEP) for a period of 1 to 3 years with the issuance of a local Hong Kong ID (the work and residence permit can later be renewed).

Advantages of working and living in Hong Kong

the holder is eligible to visit and stay in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) without restrictions;

a permanent residence permit is issued automatically after 7 years of renewal of temporary resident status; one can lose their permanent resident status only if they are continuously absent from Hong Kong for 3 years;

the holder is eligible for Hong Kong SAR citizenship by naturalization after 7 years;

transparent application procedure;

the application is made entirely online, a visit to Hong Kong is required only if the application is approved – to collect the documents;

it is possible to obtain residence permits not only for the applicant himself/herself, but also for his/her family members (the spouse, even if she/he is not employed in Hong Kong, and the children);

the scheme does not involve financial costs, deposits or mandatory investments, although it is necessary to demonstrate sufficient funds in the company’s current accounts;

one of the world’s lowest income tax rates and a straightforward taxation system; there are tax benefits in the case of dependant family members.

The following must be considered:

A temporary permit is issued for the period of the applicant’s employment in the company. In the case of change of employment, it is necessary to inform the Immigration Department about the new employer. One has time to find a new job: it is the time until the expiration of the work/entrepreneur visa. The first visa is most often issued for 1 year and then can be renewed for 2 to 3 years. The matter of finding an employer can be resolved by incorporating your own Hong Kong company which is generally inexpensive to maintain.
General Employment Policy implies “sponsorship”. The visa’s sponsor can be any legal entity or group of individuals within or outside Hong Kong. In order to prove that the sponsor has money to pay the employee, it is necessary:
- to show the company’s real activity in any jurisdiction, have documentary evidence in the form of statements, contracts, and other documents;
- to obtain the signature of the executive officers of the sponsor company on the guarantees of payment to the applicant for the period of the employee’s work;
- to incorporate a Hong Kong company which will act as the employer.
General Employment Policy does not “distinguish” between employees and entrepreneurs, the main thing is to have a sponsor in or outside Hong Kong.

Requirements for the applicant

Educational criteria

Higher education, preferably with work experience.

Having an employer

The following serve as guarantees that the employee will have funds for accommodation and conducting activities in Hong Kong:

availability of USD 50 000 – USD 100 000 in the company’s accounts;
employer having an office in Hong Kong (inexpensive short-term options are possible);
contract containing a clause on payment for the apartment (preferably).

IMPORTANT: the guarantees in the form of letters and forms must be signed by an individual other than the applicant himself/herself – by a partner, head of an overseas business, etc.

Qualitative criteria

New companies would be required to show a business plan stating the intention of the company to employ local workers in the future.
Certificate of no criminal record from the applicant’s country of residence.
It is necessary to justify that the employee’s relocation has value for the Hong Kong economy.

Family members

Information about dependant family members is submitted on the same application. In case of possible later employment, it is necessary to change the status from “dependant” to “employed” and obtain the relevant permission from the Immigration Department.

Application processing time

The application processing time does not exceed 28 calendar days, but in practice there will always be an additional request for clarifying documents (even if you initially provide the Immigration Department with a big package of documents containing detailed information). It will take up to another 28 calendar days to review documents for each such additional request. Thus, it takes 2 to 4 months to obtain a visa. After arriving in Hong Kong with an electronic work permit, it is necessary to visit the Immigration Department to obtain a Hong Kong ID within 30 days of arrival.

Fees for basic services[1]

Services	Fees (USD)
Assistance with obtaining residence and work permits under a work or enterprise visa (GEP) The fee includes: · advice on visa application issues; · assistance with filling in and submitting applications; · advice on putting together a package of supporting documents for the application; · replying to additional requests from the Immigration Department and collecting documents related to these requests. The following expenses are not included in the fee and are payable by the applicant additionally: · notarization, apostille and/or legalization of supporting documents[2]; · translation of documents into English; · incorporation of a Hong Kong company (if necessary); · drafting of a business plan (if necessary); · rent of the company’s office; · arranging of a visit to the Immigration Department to submit biometrics (to obtain a Hong Kong ID).	6 000
Incorporation of a Hong Kong company, including preparation and provision of original constitutive documents and their apostilled copy	2 500[3]
Drafting a business plan	200 / hour (based on time spent)
Finding office space (temporary or permanent)	200 / hour (based on time spent)
Arranging a visit to the Immigration Department to submit biometrics for obtaining a Hong Kong ID	800

[1] The fees are valid as at September 2023.

[2] Not usually required: such requests from the Immigration Department regarding any documents are rare, but cannot be ruled out completely.

[3] The company incorporation cost does not include a compliance check required before the incorporation (compliance fee is payable additionally).

Are you interested in the offer?

from USD 6 000

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