Getting Hong Kong Permanent Residency - the process
I have recently successfully applied for permanent residency in Hong Kong as a non-Chinese citizen based on residency, and thought it would be useful to go over the process I experienced.
I'm not going to discuss in any great details the eligibly criteria, its all set out in detail here: Who is eligible?, apart to say you basically need to prove that you have resided in Hong Kong for the past seven years and that Hong Kong is your permanent home.
The application process is a quite straightforward, if not slightly bureaucratic.
Verification of Eligibility of a Permanent Identity Card
The first thing you need to do is submit an application for the verification of eligibility of a permanent identity card (yes, quite a long winded title).
In my case I had to complete two forms: ROP145 and ROP146.
The ROP145 is the main application form and self explanatory (although there a explanatory notes in ROP145A). The ROP146 is your declaration that you have made Hong Kong your permanent residence. Both forms can be completed on your computer as a fillable pdf form and then printed out for you to sign.
Supporting documents
With your application you also need to provide copies of certain supporting documents. The documents will vary depending on your eligibility criteria but at a minimum you will need to provide a copy of your present HKID and passport showing your photo page and the page showing your present conditions of stay (i.e. the page where your most recent Hong Kong visa is stamped).
In my case, that is all I provided (I should add I also provided a copy of my old passport picture page and the page when I first entered Hong Kong). My situation is that I entered Hong Kong on a work visa, then, about four years ago changed by visa status to dependant.
For people on a working visa, you will also need to provide proof of "7 years of continuous residence" such as "school documents, employment proof, official receipts, bank statements or income tax receipts". Hong Kong immigration do reserve the right to request for further information. From speaking to others who have applied for permanent residency (especially on a work visa) they normally submit pay receipts, tax receipts and rental agreements as well.
Application timing
According to the Hong Kong government the "continuous period of seven years ordinary residence must be immediately before the date when the person applies to the Director of Immigration for the status of a permanent resident of the HKSAR", so technically you can only apply for permanent residency only after you hit the seven year mark.
However, in reality, it seems it is acceptable to put in your application around a month before you meet the seven year requirement.
Submitting the application
The application for verification can be either submitted online, posted or dropped in to the immigration department in Wanchai.
I chose to submit my application online. The process while simple is fraught with a few issues. Firstly the government website is very picky in terms of what web browser you can use. I basically could not get the application process working with my preferred browser (Firefox) or my backup (Chrome) and had to resort to Internet Explorer. Full system requirements are listed in the FAQ, but even though my preferred browsers met the requirements, only IE worked.
As this is an online application all the documents had to be uploaded. Again, here, there are some issues. One would have expected the Hong Kong government to accept pdf uploads, however they only accept JPEG or TIF (CCITT-G4) with and image resolution or 200dpi or above and a file size of 1Mbytes or below for each file. I had fun and games with my work scanner to meet these requirements, but eventually I was able to upload the necessary files
The waiting game
A few days after submitting my application I received a letter confirming receipt of the application, then a day before I hit the seven year mark I received a second letter asking me to attend Immigration Tower for an interview to verify certain listed original documents. The only document listed was my HKID. The date set for this interview was for a week later, however I was able to go online and change the booking of interview to the following Monday (received the letter on a Friday). Note, you also have to select a time.
I always under the impression Hong Kong Immigration would only process the application only after the seven years passed, but according to the letter I received, this was not the case.
The "interview"
I turn up to Immigration Tower, 25th floor (for the right of abode section) on the Monday just before the allotted time and go to the reception booth. The lady checks my letter and HKID and gives me a ticket. I wait about 10 minutes and my number is called, where I proceed to be "interviewed" by an immigration officer. This consists of the immigration officer reviewing my documents he has on file and my HKID. He also asks for my passport. Although my passport was not one of the documents I was required to bring in, I had it with me just in case (along with my signed ROP145 and ROP146 forms).
After HKID and passport is verified, the immigration officer highlights me to a piece of paper which states that I will loose my right of abode if I "have been absent from Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than 36 months since you ceased to have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong" and asks me to confirm I understand this restriction.
After that he gives me a letter which confirms that I have successfully been approved for permanent residency in Hong Kong and that I can now apply for a Permanent HKID.
The ID Card process
I then head down to the 8th floor of Immigration Tower to deal with applying for my PHKID.
The process for applying for the ID card is pretty much the same as for when you first arrive to Hong Kong (which I bet most people have forgotten in any case!)
As I had not booked an appointment online (in retrospect might have been a good idea), I go to the walk in line, which luckily is reasonably short. It seems for walk in ID applications has a quota of about 720 people a day. I was doing this at about 11.45 in the morning and didn't have a problem in coming within the quota, but this may not be the case later in the day.
The lady at the counter reviews my application and gives me a further form, which needs to be filed out, and a number. While I am waiting I complete the form. When my number is called up I proceed to the photo taking area, where the lady reviews my forms and proceeds to take my thumb prints and my photo.
I then am asked to wait again for my number to be called. When my number is called again the gentleman again reviews all my documents, take my thumb prints again and I have to surrender my existing HKID. I am issued with my "Acknowledgement of Application for a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card" which shows my picture and other information (basically it acts as my temporary form of ID) and am asked to return in two weeks to pick up my ID card.
Take away points
- The application is straightforward, however the process can sometimes be a bit confusing. I wasn't exactly clear what the process of obtaining my ID card would be after the "interview".
- It seems the clock actually starts ticking for PR application a month before you hit your seven year mark, and you can actually be approved for permanent residency pretty much straight after you hit your seven year mark (as opposed to the application process commences on your seven year mark).
- Try and get a morning "interview" appointment, that way you can proceed to apply for your ID card via the walk in quota system, or else apply for the ID card online beforehand.
- The whole procedure from "interview" to getting the acknowledgement took about an hour, but involved me seeing about six people and visiting two different floors.
I'm not going to discuss in any great details the eligibly criteria, its all set out in detail here: Who is eligible?, apart to say you basically need to prove that you have resided in Hong Kong for the past seven years and that Hong Kong is your permanent home.
The application process is a quite straightforward, if not slightly bureaucratic.
Verification of Eligibility of a Permanent Identity Card
The first thing you need to do is submit an application for the verification of eligibility of a permanent identity card (yes, quite a long winded title).
In my case I had to complete two forms: ROP145 and ROP146.
The ROP145 is the main application form and self explanatory (although there a explanatory notes in ROP145A). The ROP146 is your declaration that you have made Hong Kong your permanent residence. Both forms can be completed on your computer as a fillable pdf form and then printed out for you to sign.
Supporting documents
With your application you also need to provide copies of certain supporting documents. The documents will vary depending on your eligibility criteria but at a minimum you will need to provide a copy of your present HKID and passport showing your photo page and the page showing your present conditions of stay (i.e. the page where your most recent Hong Kong visa is stamped).
In my case, that is all I provided (I should add I also provided a copy of my old passport picture page and the page when I first entered Hong Kong). My situation is that I entered Hong Kong on a work visa, then, about four years ago changed by visa status to dependant.
For people on a working visa, you will also need to provide proof of "7 years of continuous residence" such as "school documents, employment proof, official receipts, bank statements or income tax receipts". Hong Kong immigration do reserve the right to request for further information. From speaking to others who have applied for permanent residency (especially on a work visa) they normally submit pay receipts, tax receipts and rental agreements as well.
Application timing
According to the Hong Kong government the "continuous period of seven years ordinary residence must be immediately before the date when the person applies to the Director of Immigration for the status of a permanent resident of the HKSAR", so technically you can only apply for permanent residency only after you hit the seven year mark.
However, in reality, it seems it is acceptable to put in your application around a month before you meet the seven year requirement.
Submitting the application
The application for verification can be either submitted online, posted or dropped in to the immigration department in Wanchai.
I chose to submit my application online. The process while simple is fraught with a few issues. Firstly the government website is very picky in terms of what web browser you can use. I basically could not get the application process working with my preferred browser (Firefox) or my backup (Chrome) and had to resort to Internet Explorer. Full system requirements are listed in the FAQ, but even though my preferred browsers met the requirements, only IE worked.
As this is an online application all the documents had to be uploaded. Again, here, there are some issues. One would have expected the Hong Kong government to accept pdf uploads, however they only accept JPEG or TIF (CCITT-G4) with and image resolution or 200dpi or above and a file size of 1Mbytes or below for each file. I had fun and games with my work scanner to meet these requirements, but eventually I was able to upload the necessary files
The waiting game
A few days after submitting my application I received a letter confirming receipt of the application, then a day before I hit the seven year mark I received a second letter asking me to attend Immigration Tower for an interview to verify certain listed original documents. The only document listed was my HKID. The date set for this interview was for a week later, however I was able to go online and change the booking of interview to the following Monday (received the letter on a Friday). Note, you also have to select a time.
I always under the impression Hong Kong Immigration would only process the application only after the seven years passed, but according to the letter I received, this was not the case.
The "interview"
I turn up to Immigration Tower, 25th floor (for the right of abode section) on the Monday just before the allotted time and go to the reception booth. The lady checks my letter and HKID and gives me a ticket. I wait about 10 minutes and my number is called, where I proceed to be "interviewed" by an immigration officer. This consists of the immigration officer reviewing my documents he has on file and my HKID. He also asks for my passport. Although my passport was not one of the documents I was required to bring in, I had it with me just in case (along with my signed ROP145 and ROP146 forms).
After HKID and passport is verified, the immigration officer highlights me to a piece of paper which states that I will loose my right of abode if I "have been absent from Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than 36 months since you ceased to have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong" and asks me to confirm I understand this restriction.
After that he gives me a letter which confirms that I have successfully been approved for permanent residency in Hong Kong and that I can now apply for a Permanent HKID.
The ID Card process
I then head down to the 8th floor of Immigration Tower to deal with applying for my PHKID.
The process for applying for the ID card is pretty much the same as for when you first arrive to Hong Kong (which I bet most people have forgotten in any case!)
As I had not booked an appointment online (in retrospect might have been a good idea), I go to the walk in line, which luckily is reasonably short. It seems for walk in ID applications has a quota of about 720 people a day. I was doing this at about 11.45 in the morning and didn't have a problem in coming within the quota, but this may not be the case later in the day.
The lady at the counter reviews my application and gives me a further form, which needs to be filed out, and a number. While I am waiting I complete the form. When my number is called up I proceed to the photo taking area, where the lady reviews my forms and proceeds to take my thumb prints and my photo.
I then am asked to wait again for my number to be called. When my number is called again the gentleman again reviews all my documents, take my thumb prints again and I have to surrender my existing HKID. I am issued with my "Acknowledgement of Application for a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card" which shows my picture and other information (basically it acts as my temporary form of ID) and am asked to return in two weeks to pick up my ID card.
Take away points
- The application is straightforward, however the process can sometimes be a bit confusing. I wasn't exactly clear what the process of obtaining my ID card would be after the "interview".
- It seems the clock actually starts ticking for PR application a month before you hit your seven year mark, and you can actually be approved for permanent residency pretty much straight after you hit your seven year mark (as opposed to the application process commences on your seven year mark).
- Try and get a morning "interview" appointment, that way you can proceed to apply for your ID card via the walk in quota system, or else apply for the ID card online beforehand.
- The whole procedure from "interview" to getting the acknowledgement took about an hour, but involved me seeing about six people and visiting two different floors.
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