How to obtain a work visa for your employees?
Overseas nationals intending to take employment in Hong Kong must obtain a
visa before they arrive, unless they do not require permission before they
take up employment because they have a dependent visa (see Note below).
(Note: With effect from 15 May 2006, dependants of
professional workers or capital
investment entrants admitted to Hong Kong will not need prior permission
before taking up employment. These people will be granted dependant
visas/entry permits and will have no restrictions on taking up employment.
Such
dependants in Hong Kong before this date and who have restrictions on their
employment, may apply to the Immigration Department for cancellation of the
restriction, free of charge.
The limit on their stay is the same as on that of the applicant.
They are allowed to take up study in Hong Kong during their stay.)
Hong Kong maintains an open and liberal policy towards entry
for employment. Foreigners who possess special skills, knowledge or experience
of value to and not readily available in Hong Kong, or who are in a position
to make substantial contribution to its economy are welcome to come to work in
Hong Kong.
A prerequisite for an employment visa is a sponsor, namely the person or
enterprise offering employment.
Applicants must complete a form (available from the Immigration Department)
and send it together with the undernoted details either directly to the Hong
Kong Government's Immigration Department or through the nearest Chinese
Diplomatic and Consular Mission in the applicants' home country.
For a visa application for employment in Hong Kong, the applicant must provide
the following information:
- The name, contact address and telephone number of the
applicant's employer
- Various details about the sponsor
- A copy of the applicant's service contract or letter of
appointment with position title, salary and benefits
- A full description of role
- Details and proof of the applicants academic
qualifications and experience relevant to the post
- A letter ideally with proof from the applicant's employer
stating why the post cannot be filled locally.
It normally takes four to six weeks to process an entry-visa application.
Different procedures and requirements apply for applicants from Mainland China
and Taiwan. A quota free and non-sector specific special scheme, called the
Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, provides special
rules for employing people from the Mainland in Hong Kong.
Contact
InvestHK
for further details.
Once individuals have resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less
than seven years and made Hong Kong their permanent residence, individuals may
apply for their permanent residence, which gives then right of abode and right
to work with no requirement for a visa.
