[HKETO] INFORMATION ON HONG KONG'S VISA FACILITATION

Greetings from Hong Kong Trade and Economic Office in Singapore!

After our Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung,'s official visit to Vietnam in late August, we would like to share more information on Hong Kong's visa facilitation to Vietnamese community as follows:

1. Entry arrangements for Vietnamese nationals

a) Second Generation of Chinese HKPR

In our visa regime for employment/study, Vietnamese nationals are already eligible for the “Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents” (ASSG). In gist, persons who are the second generation of emigrated Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents from overseas may apply to return to Hong Kong under ASSG. They do not need to have secured an employment before applying for ASSG. More details are available on the Immigration Department’s website (https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/secondgenerationhkpr.html).

b) Students

We welcome Vietnamese students to take up studies in Hong Kong in full-time locally accredited local programmes at undergraduate or above level offered by the University Grants Committee-funded institutions (excluding (i) self-financing programmes and (ii) the continuing and professional education arms of the relevant institutions). Subsequent to their graduation from the studies so covered, these Vietnamese graduates can stay in Hong Kong under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (“IANG”). Recent graduates (i.e. non-local graduates who submit applications for IANG to the Immigration Department within six months after the date of their graduation) do not need to have secured an employment before applying for IANG. The Immigration Department’s website (https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/study.html) & (https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/IANG.html) provides more information.

2. Electronic services for visa application

To further facilitate visitors, including Vietnamese visitors, the Immigration Department introduced the electronic services for visa application and "e-Visa" arrangement, allowing applicants to complete the entire process of visa application, including application submission, payment and "e-Visa" collection, online without having to attend an Immigration office in person. More details are available on the Immigration Department’s website (https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/e-visa.html).

3. Pilot Scheme on Immigration Facilitation for Visitors Participating in Short-term Activities in Designated Sectors (“pilot STV scheme”)

We launched the captioned pilot scheme in 2022. Under the pilot STV scheme, host organisations authorised by the relevant HKSAR government bureaux/departments can issue invitation letters to relevant non-local talents in their sectors. Invited persons, including Vietnamese nationals, may come to Hong Kong to participate in specified short-term activities as visitors, without the need to apply for employment visas (nationals requiring a visit visa (including Vietnamese) still need to apply for a visit visa). Invitees under the pilot scheme may participate in the specified short-term activities for up to 14 days upon each arrival, and receive remuneration for the specified activities concerned. STV currently covers 12 sectors (e.g. innovation and technology) with a total of some 400 authorised host organisations. More details are available on the Immigration Department’s website (https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/stv.html).

4. Pilot Scheme on Facilitation for Persons Participating in Arbitral Proceedings in Hong Kong

Similar to the pilot STV scheme, the Department of Justice is running another pilot scheme specifically for the arbitration sector (“arbitration pilot scheme”). Eligible persons are permitted to stay in Hong Kong for participating in arbitral proceedings for a period not exceeding the period for which they are permitted to remain in Hong Kong as a visitor, without the need to apply for employment visas (nationals requiring a visit visa (including Vietnamese) still need to apply for a visit visa). There will be no cap on the number of days that an eligible person may participate in arbitral proceedings during each entry into Hong Kong. More details are available on the Immigration Department’s website (https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/arbitrator.html).

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Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Singapore
Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
9 Temasek Boulevard #34-01, Suntec Tower Two,
Singapore 038989