Job Discussion Forums

Doyle · Joined: 05 Dec 2005 Posts: 14

I will marry a lovely Hong Kong girl in 2006 and I am wondering how this will affect my current resident status.

I currently am being sponsored by my company.

I assume I will just have to fill out a form at Immigration and the whole process should not be too much trouble. I looked around on the website but didn't see anything.

Thanks for any help

once again · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Posts: 815

Immigration questions are always difficult, so please take this advice with the proviso that it is only to the best of my knowledge and that it may well be wrong!

If you are to marry a local resident who has a permanent ID card, then you have two options. You can keep your sponsorship from your company, or you can apply for dependency status. That would mean that your wife would technically be responsible for your well being. You would be allowed to work for any company without restriction as long as your visa remained valid. In my experience, you may need to renew the visa, but this appeared to be a formality.

The laws may well have changed, but the situation was that after three years (I think) you could apply for unrestricted stay, (provided you had been married for that time) but had to wait seven years for permanent residence.

In essence, if the laws and their application are the same as they have been over the last ten years, you should have no problem. Although not quite as simple as filling out a form, it is not much more complicated than that.

Congratulations on your marriage. I wish you and your wife every happiness.

Doyle · Joined: 05 Dec 2005 Posts: 14

Thanks. That clears up quite a bit for me!

millie · Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Posts: 413 Location: HK

hmmm...not to suggest once again's advice is incorrect but.....

It would seem, by far, the wisest thing to do would be to ring the people who will make the decision, Immigration....

General Enquiries (852) 2824 6111
Right of Abode Enquiries (852) 2824 4055

Why wouldn't you do that first?