Hong Kong’s new Extension of Stay policy from Abroad

On 7 April 2022, the Immigration Department announced that, in view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Hong Kong Immigration Department can now accept online applications for an extension of stay from outside Hong Kong. Until now, non-permanent residents of Hong Kong were required to apply for a visa extension in-person.

The Immigration Department has confirmed that non-permanent residents admitted into Hong Kong under the following immigration policies/schemes will be eligible:

  • General Employment Policy (including both employment and investment as entrepreneurs);
  • Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals;
  • Quality Migrant Admission Scheme;
  • Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates;
  • Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents;
  • Technology Talent Admission Scheme;
  • Capital Investment Entrant Scheme;
  • Residence as dependents; and
  • Students enrolled in full-time study programmes.

Applications can be submitted four weeks before the expiry date of their current visa. Different documents are required, depending on the visa type.

For example, if your visa is issued under the General Employment Policy, you need to have soft copies of the following documents to process the online application:

  • Hong Kong Identity Card
  • Travel documents (pages showing personal information, latest condition, limited stay, and amendments, if any)
  • A supporting letter from your employer in a company/employment contract with your position, remuneration, and the duration of your employment*
  • Other supporting documents, such as: Proof of the employer’s financial position* and residential address* (if there are any changes in the information since the last employment contract)

*Documents issued by an employer need to have the company’s chop

There is a section to input personal information. Therefore, Application Form (ID91) is not required for the online application. However, it is vital to have all the information required for ID91 in order to fill-in this section.

This flexibility is intended to help reduce the difficulty of extending visas and smooth the process. However, it is possible that this could be terminated based on the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it is necessary to check the latest information four weeks before your visa expires.

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