Dependent Visa

For the Hong Kong resident who is eligible for take up employment through employment visa scheme, he/she may also apply for the dependent visa to his/her spouse or unmarried dependent child under the age of 18.  For permanent residents (permanent HKID card holders), they can apply for their aged dependent parents over 60 years old to join them in Hong Kong.

Eligibility Criteria

To apply for a dependent visa, the following eligibility requirements need to be met:

For a sponsor who is a Hong Kong employment visa holder:

(1)   his/her spouse; or

(2)   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 entered into by him/her in accordance with the local law; and

(3)   his/her unmarried dependent child under the age of 18

An application for admission of a dependent may be favorably considered 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; and the sponsor is able to support the dependent's living at a standard well above the subsistence level and provide him/her with suitable accommodation in the HKSAR.

Procedures and Timeline

In general, the processing time of dependent visa application takes around 6-10 weeks after submitted the application document to the Hong Kong Immigration Department. The Hong Kong Immigration Department will verify the validity of the information submitted and may request additional evidence document that the application time shall be extended.

Validity of Dependent Visa

Most initial dependent visas issued are valid for 1 or 2 years (subject to sponsor's visa scheme) or in accordance with the Hong Kong visa of the sponsor.