Applying for a residency visa & HK ID Card

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Residence Visas

Here is a breakdown of all visa options for expatriates:

Employment Visa

In order to obtain an employment visa, companies must sponsor foreign nationals to work for them and apply for employment visas on their employees’ behalf. This type of visa generally takes four-to-six weeks to process. The length of the visa is dependent on the employee’s contract. Visa holders can stay for the duration of their visa, even if their employment is terminated before the visa expiration date.

Application forms for Employment Visa:

All non-local graduates should complete application form ID 990A. The employing company of those returning non-local graduates should complete application form ID 990B.

The application forms can be obtained free of charge from the following offices:

• Immigration Department Headquarters.

• Immigration Branch Offices.

• District Offices.

• Overseas Chinese Diplomatic and Consular Missions.

• Hong Kong's network of offices in the Mainland of China and overseas.

The forms can also be downloaded from the Immigration Department's website at www.immd.gov.hk.

For a full detailed list of requirements for an Employment Visa please read the Government guidebook>>

Investment Visa

This visa is geared toward those looking to open a business in Hong Kong. Applicants must submit a detailed two-year business plan and have enough capital to keep the business afloat for the first six months. Fees to apply for the visa can add up to HK$749; the visa itself costs $HK160. Investment visas expire after two years, but holders can apply for an additional two years, then another three years.

Application Forms for Investment Visa:

Applicant should complete application form ID 999A. The sponsor should complete application form ID 999B.

The application forms can be obtained free of charge from the following offices:

• Immigration Department Headquarters.

• Immigration Branch Offices.

• Overseas Chinese Diplomatic and Consular Missions.

• Immigration Division of the Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing.

• Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong.

The forms can also be downloaded from the Immigration Department's website at www.immd.gov.hk.

Sponsor in Hong Kong:

To apply for entry for investment, the applicant must nominate a local sponsor. A local sponsor can either sponsor the applicant as a company or an individual.

If the sponsor is an individual, he/she should be:

• Of the age of 18 or above;

• A bona fide Hong Kong resident; and

• Acquainted with the applicant.

For a full detailed list of requirements for an Investment Visa please read the Government guidebook>> 

Spouse Visa

Spouses, which include children under the age of 18, can move to Hong Kong with an expatriate employee or investor. Spouse applications must be submitted at the same time as the sponsor’s visa paperwork. Spouses are able to live, study and work in Hong Kong. Unmarried partners, including gay couples, are ineligible for spouse visas. They might be able to qualify for a prolonged visitor visa if they can prove they were in a relationship for an extended period before moving to Hong Kong, but these visas are difficult to obtain.

Application Forms for Spouse Visa:

Applicant should complete Part A of application form ID 997, while Part B of the form should be completed by the sponsor.

The application form can be obtained free of charge from the following offices:

• Immigration Department Headquarters.

• Immigration Branch Offices.

• Overseas Chinese Diplomatic and Consular Missions.

• Immigration Division of the Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing.

• Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong.

The forms can also be downloaded from the Immigration Department's website at www.immd.gov.hk.

Please note: The sponsor may include his/her accompanying spouses’ application for entry for residence when completing their own entry application forms, and so the accompanying spouse will not be required to complete application form ID 997 separately.

For a full detailed list of requirements for a Dependant Visa please read the Government guidebook>>

Permanent Residency

After seven years of living in Hong Kong, expatriates can become permanent residents. Perks for becoming a permanent resident include social benefits that locals have, such as public housing, assistance payments and priority in public schools. In order to qualify for permanent residency, foreign nationals need to have stayed in Hong Kong for a continuous seven years. If one travelled for a month outside Hong Kong within a seven-year period, then he or she needs to have resided in Hong Kong for at least seven years and one month. Permanent residents aren’t required to give up their passports or other citizenships.

The Government website has lots of information about eligibility of becoming a permanent resident of Hong Kong and also all the documents and supporting documents will need.

Visit the Government website to see an updated and complete list of all visas and their requirements>>

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Hong Kong ID Cards

The Hong Kong Identity Card is an official identity document issued by the Immigration Department of Hong Kong. All residents of age 11 or above who are living in Hong Kong for longer than six months must, within 30 days of either reaching the age of 11 or arriving in Hong Kong, register for a Hong Kong ID card. HKIDs do not expire for the duration of residency in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong identity cards are issued in the form of smart cards, each embedded with an integrated circuit or ‘chip’ that stores and processes data. There are many features and benefits of the smart identity card. You either hold a permanent identity card which states you are a Chinese citizen or have the right of abode in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) or you hold a standard identity card designed for expats including people on Employment, Investment or Spouse visas.

To find out more about your obligations when you hold a smart identity card and where to find a list of frequently asked questions about the smart identity card visit the Government website here>>

Hong Kong law requires you to carry your new ID card with you at all times and from time to time, the police may make spot checks. Therefore, if you are still waiting for your ID card, make sure to carry your passport as well as the document that shows you have applied for the ID card. If you plan to leave Hong Kong for three months or longer, you have to inform the Registration of Persons office. You might be required to hand in your Hong Kong ID card before leaving.

Registering For a Hong Kong ID Card

All you need to apply for a HKID card is a valid travel document and your visa.

Applicants are advised to make prior appointment (at least 24 days in advance) before they go to the offices for services. If you have all the supporting documents that are required, you can make your appointment online .

As well as the online booking system, you can also make an appointment via the 24-hour telephone booking system Tel: (852) 2598 0888. You may make an appointment for up to four applicants. Applicants of the same appointment should turn up at the chosen office together at the selected time slot to get a number tag for registration.

To download the form to fill in to register for a HKID visit the official Government website here>>

Locations & Opening Times of the Registration of Persons Office or the Immigration and Registration of Persons Office

Hong Kong

Registration of Persons – Hong Kong Office

Address: 8/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai
(MTR Wan Chai Station – Exit A5)

Opening Hours: 8:45 am – 4:30 pm (Monday to Friday) 9 – 11:30 am (Saturday) Closed on Sunday and public holidays

Tel: 2824 6111

Services available:

• Registration of identity cards for Hong Kong residents

• Registration of identity cards for new arrivals (other than persons admitted under the Supplementary Labour Scheme and holders of One-way Permits i.e. Chinese Exit Permits)

• Replacement of identity cards due to defacement/loss

• Replacement of identity cards following changes in immigration status

• Amendment of registered particulars

• Application for Certificate of Registered Particulars

• Application for Certificate of Exemption

Kowloon

Registration of Persons – Kowloon Office

Address: 3/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Sham Shui Po
(MTR Sham Shui Po Station – Exit C1)

Opening Hours: 9 am – 4:30 pm (Monday-Friday) 9 am – 12:30 pm (Saturday) Closed on Sunday and public holidays

Tel: 2150 7933

Services available:

• Registration of identity cards for Hong Kong residents

• Registration of identity cards for new arrivals (other than persons admitted under the Supplementary Labour Scheme)

• Registration of identity cards for new arrivals holding One-way Permits and simultaneous processing of applications for Document of Identity for Visa Purposes

• Replacement of identity cards due to defacement/loss

• Replacement of identity cards following changes in immigration status

• Amendment of registered particulars

• Application for Certificate of Registered Particulars

• Application for Certificate of Exemption

Registration of Persons – Kwun Tong Office

Address: Shop 25-35 & 43-45, G/F, Wharf T&T Square, 123 Hoi Bun Road, Kwun Tong
(MTR Ngau Tau Kok Station – Exit B6)

Important Notice:The Registration of Persons – Kwun Tong Office will be relocated to the following address on 22 April 2014 (Tuesday) : Office 3, 2/F, Manulife Financial Centre, 223-231 Wai Yip Street, Kwun Tong (MTR Kwun Tong Station – Exit B1) The existing office at Wharf T&T Square will be closed and will cease providing services on the same day. Services provided will not be affected during the relocation period.

Opening Hours: 9 am – 12:45 pm and 2 – 4:30pm (Monday-Friday) 9 am – 12:30pm (Saturday) Closed on Sunday and public holidays.

Tel: 2755 9545

Services available:

• Registration of identity cards for Hong Kong residents

• Registration of identity cards for new arrivals (other than holders of One-way Permits)

• Registration of identity cards for persons admitted under the Supplementary Labour Scheme

• Replacement of identity cards due to defacement/loss

• Replacement of identity cards following changes in immigration status

• Amendment of registered particulars

• Application for Certificate of Registered Particulars

• Application for Certificate of Exemption

New Territories

Immigration and Registration of Persons – Fo Tan Office

Address: Shops 405 & 406, 4/F, Jubilee Square, 2-18 Lok King Street, Fo Tan
(MTR Fo Tan Station – Exit C)

Opening Hours: 9 am – 12:45 pm and 2 – 4:30 pm (Monday-Friday) 9 am – 12:30 pm (Saturday) Closed on Sunday and public holidays.

Tel: 2653 3116

Services available:

• Registration of identity cards for Hong Kong residents

• Registration of identity cards for new arrivals (other than persons admitted under the Supplementary Labour Scheme and holders of One-way Permits)

• Replacement of identity cards due to defacement/loss

• Replacement of identity cards following changes in immigration status

• Amendment of registered particulars

• Application for Certificate of Registered Particulars

• Application for Certificate of Exemption

• Other applications relating to immigration matters

Immigration and Registration of Persons – Yuen Long Office

Address: Shop B, G/F, Manhattan Plaza, 23 Sai Ching Street, Yuen Long
(Tai Tong Road Light Rail Station)

Opening Hours: 9 am – 12:45 pm and 2 – 4:30 pm (Monday-Friday) 9 am – 12:30 pm (Saturday) Closed on Sunday and public holidays

Tel: 2475 4114

Services available:

• Registration of identity cards for Hong Kong residents

• Registration of identity cards for new arrivals (other than persons admitted under the Supplementary Labour Scheme and holders of One-way Permits)

• Replacement of identity cards due to defacement/loss

• Replacement of identity cards following changes to immigration status

• Amendment of registered particulars

• Application for Certificate of Registered Particulars

• Application for Certificate of Exemption

• Other applications relating to immigration matters

Information for Permanent Resident ID Cards

If you have just arrived in Hong Kong, you are unlikely to qualify for permanent residence. You will thus get a temporary Hong Kong ID card. But once you have been living in Hong Kong for at least seven consecutive years, you can apply for permanent residence. In your application, you need to show that you have your habitual residence in Hong Kong, that your family is there with you and that you have sufficient income. (Fortunately, expats with stable jobs usually have a good income.

If your application is successful, you will receive a permanent Hong Kong ID card. This gives you the right of abode in Hong Kong: You may stay in the country indefinitely and you cannot be removed or deported. Furthermore, as a resident with a permanent Hong Kong ID card, you have most of the rights which Hong Kong citizens enjoy, like the right to vote in local elections.

Sources: www.guides.wsj.com/hong-kong/guide-to-hong-kong/visas-and-residency and www.internations.org/hong-kong-expats/guide/15941-visa-administration/getting-a-hong-kong-id-card-15926

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