![\"\"](\"https:\/\/qcyboss.oss-cn-shenzhen.aliyuncs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260326140153248.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nI. From Hong Kong Identity to Hong Kong Permanent Residence: The Three Stages to Go Through<\/h4>\n\n\n\n01. Phase I: Getting the ticket<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
According to your academic qualifications, work background and other conditions, choose the appropriate channel (Premium\/Professional\/Student\/Higher Talent Pass, etc.) to submit your application. Upon approval, you will be granted Hong Kong status and enjoy the right to live, work, study and do business in Hong Kong. A period of stay of 2-3 years is usually granted upon first approval under various talent schemes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hong Kong High Achievers Programme<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Applicants are categorized into three groups, namely, A, B and C, with different eligibility criteria. Applicants are not required to secure an offer of employment upon their first entry into Hong Kong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udfe3 Category A<\/strong>: Annual income \u2265 HK$2.5 million (or equivalent in foreign currency) in the year prior to application, including salary, bonus, profits from shareholding companies, etc. (except investment income), with no restriction on academic qualifications. \ud83d\udfe2 Category B<\/strong>: Bachelor's degree from one of the world's 200 eligible universities (including 23 in the Mainland, e.g. Tsinghua University, Peking University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, etc.) with at least 3 years of cumulative work experience in the past 5 years; Master's\/Doctoral degrees will not be recognized in lieu of Bachelor's degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udfe1 Category C<\/strong>: Graduated from an eligible university within the past 5 years but with less than 3 years of working experience (annual quota of 10,000 on a first-come-first-served basis), Bachelor's Degree only, no part-time qualifications such as post-secondary\/self-learning, etc. are accepted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hong Kong Talents Scheme<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udcda basic qualification<\/strong>: Applicants are required to meet four basic qualifications (18 years of age or older, a bachelor's degree or higher, financial independence, and a clean criminal record) and choose either the Achievement Points System or the Comprehensive Points System for assessment:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2705 Points for Achievement System (PAS)<\/strong>: Only for a very small number of applicants who have won international awards (e.g. Olympic medals, Nobel Prize) or top industry achievements (e.g. major scientific breakthroughs), and will be approved if they meet the criteria, otherwise they will be rejected outright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2705 General Points System (GPS)<\/strong>: For the core pathway, applicants are required to meet at least 6 specific criteria (e.g. Master's degree in STEM majors, executive experience in prestigious companies, annual income exceeding HK$1 million, annual profit of shareholding companies exceeding HK$5 million, etc.) under 12 assessment criteria in 6 dimensions: age, academic qualifications, language proficiency, work experience, annual income, business ownership, etc. There is no quota restriction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Study in Hong Kong Continuing Education Program<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply put, it means studying in Hong Kong, including associate degree, undergraduate degree, master degree and doctorate degree. Usually after graduation, you can unconditionally apply for a 2-year IANG visa, which can be renewed for a full 7 years (the time spent studying is also included), and then you can apply for Hong Kong permanent resident status. Usually the most applied for is the 1-year taught master's degree, the actual study time is only about 9 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hong Kong Professionals Scheme<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udc68\u200d\ud83d\udcbc personal condition<\/strong>: Applicants should be at least 18 years old, possess a bachelor's degree or above (some shortage sectors may be relaxed to post-secondary + professional skills), and have been employed by a local Hong Kong company in a position commensurate with their academic qualifications\/experience and with a salary up to the market level;<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83c\udfd8 Employer Requirements<\/strong>: Employers should have been established for more than 12 months, have a fixed office address (\u2265300 sq. ft.) and demonstrate that it is difficult to recruit suitable candidates for the position in Hong Kong (e.g. there is a lack of local talents with the relevant skills).<\/p>\n\n\n\n New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2705 Age requirements<\/strong>: Be at least 18 years of age with no upper age limit. Before the expiration of your initial visa, you need to submit an application to the Immigration Department for an extension of your stay visa, which is often referred to as a renewal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is a special reminder: Starting from March 1, 2026, the window period for visa renewal applications has been extended from 28 days in advance to 3 months in advance for all persons coming to Hong Kong through the QMAS and their dependants. We suggest you set up a calendar reminder so that you don't get stuck at the last minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n hint<\/strong>: The preparation of renewal documents is complicated, especially when it comes to proof of the company's operation (e.g. audit reports, MPF records, etc.).Enterprise Finance Group<\/strong>We provide one-stop corporate services such as annual audit of Hong Kong companies, bookkeeping and tax reporting, tax compliance, etc. We can assist you in organizing standardized renewal materials to ensure smooth passing of the review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through one or more successful renewals, you can ensure that your Hong Kong status will be valid for a cumulative total of seven years. As long as the seven-year \u201ccontinuous ordinary residence\u201d requirement is met, the application for verification of permanent identity card can be formally submitted to the Immigration Department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the core of the whole application for permanent residence and also the one that people have the most questions about. For those who came to Hong Kong through the channels of talents\/senior talents\/specialists\/students, the criterion of \u201cordinarily resident\u201d is really crucial when applying for permanent residence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, according to the cases we have come into contact with over the years, the ImmD does not require the applicants to stay in Hong Kong throughout the seven years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier on, the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr. TSANG Kwok-wai, gave an explanation from his personal experience at a press conference on the Legislative Council general election. He mentioned that during the years when he worked in the Beijing Office, he actually lived in Beijing most of the time, but this did not affect the fact that he was regarded as \u201cordinarily resident\u201d in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are two layers of information that can be read from this example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1\ufe0f\u20e3 Absence of person from Hong Kong does not mean that the ordinary residence requirement is not satisfied<\/strong>(b) \u201cOrdinarily resident\u201d status: Even prolonged absence from Hong Kong may be recognized as \"ordinarily resident\" as long as it can be proved that the person maintains close ties with Hong Kong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2\ufe0f\u20e3 The Immigration Department will take into account a number of dimensions<\/strong>According to section 2(6) of the Hong Kong Immigration Ordinance, \u201cordinary residence\u201d is examined in the following aspects: 3\ufe0f\u20e3 Persons who commute between the Mainland and Hong Kong for a prolonged period of time are still \u201cordinarily resident\u201d in Hong Kong.<\/strong>: For those who commute between the Mainland and Hong Kong for a long period of time for work and living, they can still be regarded as \u201cordinarily resident\u201d in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although there is no explicit provision on the specific number of days, the industry generally advises that a single departure from Hong Kong should not exceed 180 days in any one year. If this time limit is exceeded, it is recommended that adequate explanatory notes and relevant supporting materials be prepared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The following documents may be required, but are not limited to, when applying for permanent residence:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2460 Proof of address (utility bills, rental contracts, etc.); For those who renewed their visas by starting a self-employed business<\/strong>It is recommended to prepare in advance company audit reports, profits tax returns, employee MPF records, etc., which are the key evidence to prove \u201ceconomic contribution\u201d and \u201cresidential connection\u201d.Enterprise Finance Group<\/strong>Experienced in Hong Kong company registration, bookkeeping and tax preparation, auditing, etc., we can provide you with professional support to help you build a complete chain of evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can submit your application half a month before you complete 7 years. The Immigration Department's system will start processing it only after you have completed 7 years, so don't worry that it will be returned if you submit it early. If it has been more than 7 years, you can submit it anytime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2460 Existing Hong Kong Identity Card (non-permanent resident); \u2460 Enter the official website<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Open the Online Application for Verification of Eligibility for Permanent Resident Identity Card page:
If the application is based on business profits, the business owner must have held \u226550% in the previous full tax year and the company's profits are calculated on a pro-rata basis to meet HK$2.5 million (for 60%, the company's profits must reach HK$4.17 million).<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/qcyboss.oss-cn-shenzhen.aliyuncs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260326140103354.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\u2705 Status requirements<\/strong>: Foreign nationals (except Afghanistan, Cuba and North Korea), Chinese nationals who have obtained permanent resident status in a foreign country, residents of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), and Chinese nationals of Taiwan, and mainland residents who need to obtain permanent residency in a third country (e.g., a green card such as those of Vanuatu and Guinea-Bissau) before they can apply.
\u2705 Asset requirements<\/strong>: Continuous absolute beneficial ownership of net assets of not less than HK$30 million (or its equivalent in foreign currencies) throughout the 6-month period prior to the submission of the application.
\u2705 investment requirement<\/strong>: Upon approval in principle, a permissible investment allocation of not less than HK$30 million must be completed within six months, and mainland residents are required to replace their assets with offshore assets in order to make the investment.
\u2705 conduct requirements<\/strong>: Applicants are required to have a clean criminal record and no adverse immigration record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n02. Phase II: stabilization of status (renewal session)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
03. Stage 3: Sprinting for Permanent Residence<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nII. Regarding \u201cseven years of continuous ordinary residence\u201d, what exactly does the Immigration Department check?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat exactly is meant by \u201dordinarily resident\"?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\u2460 Reasons for absence, duration and frequency of absence from Hong Kong
\u2461 Have a habitual residence in Hong Kong
\u2462 Whether family members (spouse and minor children) are ordinarily resident in Hong Kong
\u2463 Whether employed by a local Hong Kong company
\u2464 Whether he\/she has a stable income to support himself\/herself and his\/her family in Hong Kong.
(vi) Whether tax returns are filed and paid legally and on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\nInvisible red lines on departure times<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
What proof of residency do I need to prepare in advance?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\u2461 Proof of employment (employment contract, pay stubs, MPF records);
\u2462 Proof that the child is studying in Hong Kong;
\u2463 Tax returns and bank statements;
\u2464 Immigration records;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIII. Application for Hong Kong Permanent Resident Identity Card: Online + Offline Full Process<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udcd1 Organize the following materials in advance:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\u2461 Hong Kong and Macau Travel Permit\/Passport;
\u2462 Visa tags\/e-visas for previous years;
\u2463 Proof of academic qualifications (diploma, degree);
\u2464 Work-related documents (contracts, MPF records, etc.);
\u2465 Immigration records (can be checked at the kiosk or APP at the Immigration Department);<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to submit an application online<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
https:\/\/www.gov.hk\/tc\/residents\/immigration\/idcard\/verifypic.htm<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/qcyboss.oss-cn-shenzhen.aliyuncs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260326152046647-769x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"