Hong Kong dependant visa: who qualifies and how to apply

A Hong Kong dependant visa lets close family live here with a sponsor. The usual applicants are a spouse or recognised partner and unmarried dependent children under 18. A Hong Kong permanent resident can also sponsor parents aged 60 or above. The Immigration Department (ImmD) decides each application. It normally takes six weeks once ImmD has every document and the fee, and whether the dependant may work depends on who the sponsor is.

Who can come as a dependant

ImmD’s dependants page covers:

• a spouse
• the other party to a same-sex civil partnership, same-sex civil union, same-sex marriage, opposite-sex civil partnership or opposite-sex civil union
• unmarried dependent children under 18
• parents aged 60 or above of a Hong Kong permanent resident sponsor.

ImmD says this arrangement does not apply to Chinese residents of the Mainland, except where the sponsor has been admitted for employment under particular schemes. The dependants page lists them, so check it before you apply.

Who can sponsor, and whether the dependant can work

No dependant needs prior permission to study. TechTAS is a good example of the employment group: ImmD’s TechTAS page says dependants stay on time limitation only, without other conditions, are not prohibited from working or studying, and normally have their stay linked to the sponsor’s.

What ImmD looks for

ImmD says it may consider an application favourably if:

• there is reasonable proof of a genuine relationship between the applicant and the sponsor
• there is no known record to the detriment of the applicant
• the sponsor can support the dependant at a standard well above subsistence level
• the sponsor can provide suitable accommodation in Hong Kong.

How to apply, step by step

1. Check the sponsor’s status against the table above, and whether any nationality or Mainland rule applies.
2. Complete form ID 997, Application for Entry for Residence as Dependants in Hong Kong. ImmD says it is submitted through its online application system with all supporting documents.
3. Add the declarations: ID 481A, Declaration of Sponsor, and ID 481B, Declaration of Dependant Applicant.
4. Upload evidence of the relationship, the sponsor’s finances and accommodation, and the applicant’s travel document. ImmD’s dependants guidebook, ID(E) 998, lists what to send.
5. Pay the application fee and wait. ImmD normally takes six weeks once it has all the required documents and the fee.

If the sponsor is applying under a talent scheme such as TTPS or TechTAS, dependants can apply together with the main application online. The TTPS guidebook, for example, allows up to eight accompanying dependants in one online application. It asks for each dependant’s recent photograph, valid travel document and evidence of the relationship, such as a marriage or birth certificate, and the form for a dependant under 16 must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.

Staying on: extensions

ImmD’s extension of stay page says everyone on dependant status must apply online and upload supporting documents. A dependant may apply within four weeks before the limit of stay expires. For applications reaching ImmD on or after 1 January 2024, you must be in Hong Kong when you apply and when you pay for and collect the e-Visa. Our extension of stay guide covers the process.

Common mistakes and getting help

• Assuming every dependant can work. Dependants of students need prior permission first.
• Applying for parents without checking the sponsor’s status. ImmD lists parents aged 60 or above under Hong Kong permanent resident sponsors.
• Sending thin relationship evidence. ImmD wants reasonable proof the relationship is genuine.
• Filing an extension on paper or from abroad. Dependant extensions are online, and you must be in Hong Kong.
• Forgetting that a dependant’s stay is tied to the sponsor. ImmD’s scheme pages, such as TechTAS, normally link the length of the two stays.

ImmD decides every dependant application, and Hong Kong has no immigration consultant licence. If you want a firm to prepare the file, compare the visa firms on our list. Dependants who later reach seven years of residence should read our right of abode guide.