Hong Kong
Dependent Visa

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The Hong Kong Dependent Visa is offered to a dependent spouse and unmarried dependent children under the age of 18 who wish to apply for dependent visas with a sponsor who has a valid visa, such as one for employment, investment, or study (depending on the type), or who has already attained permanent HK residency. 

Before traveling to Hong Kong, every family member must submit an independent application for a dependent visa for each applicant.

Those with dependent visas have the legal right to work, attend education, and set up their own companies.

The age restriction for dependent children who are unmarried and under 18 should be set, while the age limit for dependent parents should be at least 60 years old. The ability to sponsor dependent parents is restricted to permanent residents only.

Who can apply?

The dependents mentioned below may apply to join their sponsor in Hong Kong, depending on the sponsor’s residency status.

Category A – For a sponsor who is a Hong Kong permanent resident or a non-limited-stay resident (i.e., one who has the right to land or on unconditional stay):

·       Spouse

·       Unmarried children below 18 years of age

·       Parents older than 60 years

 

Category B – For a sponsor who has been issued a visa for employment as a professional, for investment to join/establish a business, for training, for studies in a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate program at a local degree-awarding institution, or who has been granted permission to remain in Hong Kong under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme.:

·       Spouse

·       Unmarried children below 18 years of age

 

Eligibility – Who can apply for Hong Kong Dependent Visa?

To qualify for the Hong Kong Investment Visa, the applicant must meet each of the four eligibility requirements listed below:

  • Who’s it for? – The spouses (including same-sex marriages and civil partnerships) and unmarried children under 18 of a sponsor who possesses a long-term visa for Hong Kong, or the dependant who is a permanent resident of Hong Kong, are eligible for dependent visas.
  • What are the requirements for the dependent? – The sponsor must be able to demonstrate that they can financially support their dependents and offer adequate housing for the duration of their stay in Hong Kong.
  • What other points do I need to be aware of? – Parents at least 60 years old and whose child is a permanent resident of Hong Kong are eligible to apply for a dependent visa for themselves.

Frequently Asked Questions

The time it takes to process a Hong Kong dependent visa application varies according to the visa type and the applicant’s nationality.
  • Dependants of the following individuals are eligible to work in Hong Kong
    • Hong Kong permanent residents
    • Those who are not subject to a stay restriction (i.e., residents with the right to land or on unconditional stay)
    • Those admitted for work (as professionals, for investment to establish/join a firm, or for training) and those admitted for training.
    • Entrants under the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme or the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme
  • Unless prior authorization from the Director of Immigration is acquired, dependents of those admitted to Hong Kong to study are ineligible to accept employment in Hong Kong.

To work in Hong Kong, Dependent visa holders need not apply separately for an Employment Visa.

Yes. All dependents can study in Hong Kong without the Immigration Department’s approval. Dependent visa holders are not required to apply for a separate student visa to study in Hong Kong.

The first stay for dependents of individuals granted admission to study in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is usually 12 months, with the possibility of an annual extension subject to permission.

Applications for extensions of stays for residence as dependents in Hong Kong will only be taken into consideration if the applicant continues to meet the eligibility requirements for entry for living as a dependent in Hong Kong (this includes that there hasn’t been a change in circumstances that would have otherwise rendered the dependent visa applicant ineligible for sponsorship, such as a change in the dependent spouse’s and sponsor’s marital status or the sponsor’s death). The sponsor still meets all of the requirements as pertained to the dependent visa.

  • Residents of Hong Kong who are caring for dependents have the option to prolong or renew their Hong Kong dependent visas. The purpose of the Hong Kong dependent visa renewal and the Hong Kong dependent visa extension is to maintain or extend the resident status of non-permanent Hong Kong residents permitted to work, study, or reside as dependents in Hong Kong. These individuals are eligible for the Hong Kong dependent visa renewal and the Hong Kong dependent visa extension.

  • It is recommended that the applicant send their request to extend their stay at least four weeks before the authorized stay expires. This applies to Hong Kong dependent visa renewals / Hong Kong dependent visa extensions.


    The applicant’s travel document’s validity must be sufficient and longer than the anticipated extension of the visa duration for them to be eligible for an extension or renewal of a Hong Kong dependent visa. This requirement applies to those requesting an extension or a renewal of their dependent visa.

The following section pertains to dependent spouses who reside in Mainland China:

Hong Kong residents with spouses from Mainland China

A Mainland resident who wishes to settle in Hong Kong must submit an application for an Exit-entry Permit for Traveling to and from Hong Kong and Macao (also known as a “One-way Permit”) to the Exit-entry Administration of the Public Security Bureau, where their household registration is kept in China. The Public Security Bureau administers the process and issuance of One-way Permits in compliance with Mainland Chinese laws, policies, and regulations.

Therefore, if a spouse from the Mainland desires to visit Hong Kong for a family reunion, they must apply for a “One-way Permit” from the public security office in the city where their household is registered in China. The spouse from the mainland may also apply to bring their minor children (those under 18 years of age) from the mainland to Hong Kong.

Foreigners or mainland residents working/studying in Hong Kong with spouses from overseas (including Mainland China)

For foreigners or mainland residents who are:

  • working in Hong Kong (as a professional, to develop or join a business, or for training);
  • or studying in a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate local program in a local degree-awarding institution; 
  • or permitted to remain in the HKSAR as an entrant under the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme or the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, etc.

Their spouses and unmarried children under 18 may apply to join them in Hong Kong.

The following conditions must be met for a Hong Kong dependent visa application to be approved:

  • Reasonable evidence of a genuine relationship between the applicant (the “dependant”) and the spouse residing in Hong Kong (the “Sponsor”); 
  • the applicant must have a clean criminal record and pose no security or criminal concerns to the HKSAR; 
  • and the sponsor must be able to support the dependant substantially and provide suitable housing during their stay in Hong Kong.

Upon approval of a Hong Kong dependent visa application, spouses and children of sponsors who have been accepted for work (as professionals, investors, or trainees); and entrants under the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme or the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme; are eligible to work in the HKSAR.

However, dependents of sponsors who have been granted permission to study are not permitted to acquire employment without prior clearance from the Director of Immigration.