Permanent Residency Pathway of Hong Kong

The broad career opportunities and post graduation visa extension has made Hong Kong a favorite study abroad destination for those seeking to excel in life personally and professionally. The pathway to attain permanent residency of Hong Kong after you graduate from one of Hong Kong’s universities is explained step by step in this section:

Resident Permit Visa Valid For 12 Months Duration Initially  

 The skilled professional work visa of Hong Kong if you meet any of the following criterions:

• You can extend your visa or return to Hong Kong under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG) program, if you are a fresh graduate who has studied a full time study programme in an accredited institution of Hong and completed their degree successfully.

• You can get work visa of Hong Kong under the General Employment Policy (GEP) program, if you have studied outside Hong Kong and hold a higher education degree from a globally renowned education institution.

• The Chinese mainland residents who have studied in Hong Kong and hold a higher education degree and adequate professional skills can work in Hong Kong under the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP) program.

The nationals of Afghanistan, Albania, Cambodia, Cuba, Laos, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), Nepal and Vietnam cannot take the above mentioned immigration pathway to work in Hong Kong.

Resident Permit Visa Valid For 6 Months Duration 

• The international students who have graduated from an accredited institute of Hong Kong apply for visa extension within six months of their graduation; they are not conditioned to show an employment contract under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG). (Read Details of Student Visa of Hong Kong Requirements Here)

• If you have applied for visa after six months of your graduation, you will be required to show an employment contract as a condition of visa under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG).

• The non local fresh graduates will be initially allowed one year duration visa and resident permit. The candidates can further extend this visa for further 2 years based on their employment contract. For the second time the visa will be extended for more two years and for the third time it will be extended for next three years.

Documents Required For Visa under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG)

Fresh Graduates:

• Visa application form ID990A

• Recent photograph of applicant

• Copy of applicant’s passport (page containing applicant’s identity details, current visa and if present in Hong Kong while applying for visa the period of stay through current students visa).

• Copy of HKID Card (if any)

• Photocopies of all academic transcripts including the degree attained from Hong Kong’s institute

Returning Graduates:

• Visa application form ID990B.

• Employment contract or employment offer from Hong Kong based firm or company with details of applicant’s job position and details.

• Business registration certificate of the company employing the applicant

• Financial statement, tax return, salary details of applicant (it should be latest)

• In case the company employing the applicant is newly established, a letter is required explaining business plan must be detailed.

Terms and Conditions For (IANG).

• You can visit you homeland or any other country on this visa without restriction and re enter Hong Kong without requiring any further permit.

• You can change jobs and live in Hong Kong with new employment contract.

• If your first employment lasted less than 12 months, you can still live in Hong Kong for further 12 months if all other requirement of immigration are being met.

• You do not require seeking any permission from immigration department if you want to change employment.

• The visa holders under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG) are allowed to invite their spouse and their unmarried under 18 children to live with them in Hong Kong as their dependents.

Permanent Residency Of Hong Kong

The following requirements must be met by non local Hong Kong residents to be eligible to apply for permanent residency of Hong Kong:

• A person who has entered Hong Kong on valid travel documents and resided in the country for 7 years before or after the HKSAR establishment.

• The person will be required to appear before the Director of Immigration and declare that he/she is taking Hong Kong as his/her permanent residence, if the applicant is under 21 years of age then his/her parents will make declaration on their behalf. The applicants have to satisfy the Director of Immigration about their declaration of taking Hong Kong as their permanent residence and provide the necessary information. 

• A person applying to take Hong Kong as their permanent residence will only be approved their status as right to abode or permanent resident if they satisfy the Director of Immigration.

Documents Required To Apply For Permanent Residency Of Hong Kong

• Copy of your CV

• Copies of the passports you held during last 7 years duration

• Copies of tax returned and the salaries you received in last 7 years

• Copy of accommodation tenancy agreements (all the details of past 7 years) if you are a tenant.

• Copy of land registry record of your accommodation (if you are owner of the land).

• Copies of electricity, water and gas bills

• Credit card statements (all other supporting documents assuring you have met residency requirements in past 7 years)

• Photocopy of your Smart Hong Kong Identity Card

• A letter written by the applicant detailing the accounts of his/her life in chronicle manner in Hong Kong in the duration of last 7 years.

• HKID Form ID697,

• Travel records in form of documented statement

• The ROP 145 and ROP 146 application forms completed and signed by the applicant.