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Successful QMAS application - background info for QMAS applicants

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    500

    Successful QMAS application - background info for QMAS applicants

    Just got definitive approval of my QMAS application today. For other applicants, here's how my application went:

    - Mid May - submitted application - 115 points claimed

    - End May - received acknowledgement of receipt of application from IMMD and ref number

    - June - received request for further docs (declaration because I'm already based in HK, plus request for more background on my current employer) to be submitted by 2 August

    - July - submitted the additional docs and called to make sure that they were received. Told that I would go into the August selection and would be informed of the outcome by end Sept at the latest

    - End Sept - no word from IMMD. No results published online

    - Oct - ditto

    - Around end Oct / early Nov - found out via this forum that results were on line, checked and found that my app no was listed as one of those approved in principle

    - Early Nov - called and emailed IMMD to ask what was happening with my app.

    - Mid Nov - finally received the approval in principal letter from IMMD. Now able to apply for the local police record check (letter is needed to take to HK police). This letter also listed all the original docs to take to IMMD for the document check.

    - End Nov - applied for police record check. Told it would be sent direct to IMMD and I would not be informed of the outcome

    - End Nov - called IMMD to ask how I would know when they got the police record check. They said they would call me.

    - last week (mid dec) called IMMD to see if they had received the police record check. They had, but hadn't called me. Arranged interview for 21 Dec.

    - 21 Dec (today). Presented my docs to IMMD. They took them away "to study". Then told me the visa was approved. I was in IMMD for just under an hour.

    So for me the process took about 7 months start to finish. It would have been quicker if they had sent out the approval in principal at end Sept in line with the initial indication they gave. Seems the timetable they had set themselves slipped for some reason.

    Interestingly they did not ask for the originals of the financial docs I had presented, though I think this was just an oversight on their part. I was not asked at any point for further evidence of finances - with my initial papers I sent evidence of around $300K to support myself and husband.

    If you can get someone on the phone, they are quite helpful but most of the time the number they give rings out - no voicemail. Just keep trying every 30 mins or so and eventually someone picks up.

    elquant, PDLM, star-anise and 3 others like this.

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    HK
    Posts
    62

    LOL yeah gotta love their phone service. I spent hours trying to get through and when I did the person was like, "Whats your case #?", then they check it on the same online service that's publicly available and tell me what I already know, "It's processing". They give me an email address to contact. Two months later no response.


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    23

    just to add my experience:
    applied early feb
    received acknowledgement in march
    received request for more paperwork in april
    received provisional acceptance in june
    got my final US criminal record paperwork in oct
    got my visa in early oct.

    total time was 8 months...would have been shorter if i had been more on the ball with US crim record paperwork...FBI takes a full 12 weeks for that.

    also, had 85 points.


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    3
    Quote Originally Posted by AIP:

    - June - received request for further docs (declaration because I'm already based in HK, plus request for more background on my current employer) to be submitted by 2 August

    What type of background did they want from your employer?

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    500

    They wanted more information on "business scope and nature" of my employer. I just sent them the mission statement from the website - that seemed to do the trick. Strange question, because I work for a well known multi national. It seemed like a box ticking exercise.

    arl likes this.

  6. #6

    Thumbs down Finally i have submitted the documents its been more than 2months

    Hi guys

    I finally submitted my documents, on 23 feb 2011 but till now i didnt recv any acknoledement from these guys,though i have sent loads of email to them to enq also to QMAS mail address, but till date no responce what is the process to know atleast if they recvd or not boz they wil not even respond to the phone calls .....................


  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    290
    Quote Originally Posted by artofliving97:
    Hi guys

    I finally submitted my documents, on 23 feb 2011 but till now i didnt recv any acknoledement from these guys,though i have sent loads of email to them to enq also to QMAS mail address, but till date no responce what is the process to know atleast if they recvd or not boz they wil not even respond to the phone calls .....................
    From IMMD's website:
    "For more information about the Scheme, please contact the Immigration Enquiries Hotline at (852)2824 6111 (phone) and (852)2877 7711 (fax) or the Quality Migrants and Mainland Residents Section of the Immigration Department at (852)2829 3383 (phone)."

    Try this number. I have called the IMMD twice and this phone number seems to work fine.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    290

    I have just returned from HK and I thought I should share my experience of the QMAS scheme.

    Late Oct 2010 - handed in my QMAS application at IMMD office at Wanchai. I just happened to stop by at HK on my way back from the Shanghai EXPO.

    Mid Nov 2010 - received the confirmation letter from the IMMD stating that they have received my application.

    Early JAN 2011 - received a letter asking for further info. on various topic, particularly role of my job. Deadline for submission early Feb.

    Early APR 2011 - received a call from the case officer asking if I can use other source of funds as prove that I can support the family for 12 months in HK. The IMMD does not accept term deposit under my wife's name only in our overseas account. it must be in joint names. It was tricky for me to add my name in the account as it requires physical presence in that country where the account is held. So I opted to use our unmortgaged portion of our house in Australia. The case officer accepted it straight away and told me that my case would make it into the upcoming selection exercise (19th).

    May 2011 - a call to the case officer and he told me he has everything he needed from me and told me to wait for the results. No indication of whether it is successful or not.

    Jun 2011 - my number appeared in the 19th selection exercise result and received approve in principle letter late June.

    July 2011 - discussed my personal circumstance with my case officer that I cannot turn up to HK for the interview in 3 months' time. Case officer is happy and we both agreed on a time line around early Nov.

    Sep 2011 - touched base with case officer and agreed to have the interview on 3 Nov.

    Nov 2011 - visa granted after 2 hours of wait at IMMD office, after they have studied my documents that I was told to bring with me.

    Feb 2012 - visa activation (planned).

    That's all folks, took a bit more than a year due to personal circumstance.

    imshah and yasirawan800 like this.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    May 2012
    Posts
    3

    Rights Under QMAS

    Hello Ansie,

    It seems you have been helping quite a lot of people here regarding QMAS. My application is still in process and thats a long story. The question here is, If I am accepted, I travel with my son and Husband to HK (who are already in the application ofcourse). What rights do I get before I actually get the residence ship out there. Am I eligible for having free health care and schooling for my child?

    Knowing this is really important. so please do respond. Thanks.


  10. #10

    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    290

    Hi Nazish, if you have obtained the QMAS visa which entitles you an HKID card, my understanding is that you are eligible for public health care and your kids public schooling (a sundries fees is usually involved and not totally free as such). It also depends on individual schools and the level of funding/ subsidies they received from the HK government. These are available to all HK residents as far as I know. The only concern is that with the public health system is that there is usually a waitlist involved and can be quite long pending demand (2 years wait?). Normally companies are willing enough to pay for private health cover and reliance on private health care is actually much better for medical needs which requires urgent attention.

    Secondly, I am not sure where you are from, but the bulk majority of public schools in HK is using Chinese (specifically the Cantonese dialect and with a small amount of schools taught in Mandarin) as medium of instruction (95% of the schools). Schools that are taught in English are rare and one might have difficulties in securing places, unless you are willing to send them to private/ international schools. International and private schools can be very expensive. Expect them to be as expensive as those in the West.

    Must make a point about tertiary education in HK. Certain courses which are qualified for government subsidies (known as CEF), are only available for applicants with Hong Kong permanent residence status (people who have right of abode, which normally requires 7 months of continuous residency). If you take courses without the assistance of the CEF, it can be quite costly.

    The above is as much as my understanding goes, perhaps someone can verify or correct me if I am wrong. Cheers.

    Last edited by star-anise; 09-05-2012 at 11:07 AM.
    ClueMinus likes this.

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