should we apply for dependent visa extension OR change to work visa

[1sttimemom]

hoping to get some thoughts on the following. thanks in advance!

my husband holds a chinese passport and has a dependent visa. i am his sponsor, holding *** HKID. he came to hk in march 2005 so is eligible for hksar passport and *** in march 2012.

in feb 2010, he was sent to work in beijing with his hk employer still technically based in hk (paid in hkd). i followed in oct 2010 after having our baby. we return to hk often, longest time away being the recent 6 mths.

now the issue: his dependent visa expires end oct 2011. i do not work anymore so wonder if i could even be a sponsor?! he is thus thinking of getting his employer to change to a work visa. downside: he can only work for that employer.

we can only apply for visa extension 4 wks before expiry, and if he is rejected for extension, we're afraid it'll leave a gap in his residency requirement...

suggestions? should we try to extend anyway? or definitely go for work visa?

i am counting the days for his hksar passport application. i cannot apply for any more travel visas!! such a pain!!!

THANKS!

[MovingIn07]

You don't need to be working to sponsor someone if you have PR yourself - just show you have the financial means to do so (which is quite small, I believe) - like having somewhere to live and some savings. It's probably faster to just extend what you already have for a few more months to be honest.

[PDLM]

The residency requirement for PR is not that you have held visas for 7 years, but that you can prove that you actually ordinarily resided continuously in Hong Kong for 7 years. Since you have more or less stated that he currently resides in Beijing that appears to be something of a problem! You have to prove the continuous residence with property leases, utility bills and so on. If you don't currently have a property available for your use in HK then I would expect that he residence clock for PR has already been reset to zero.

[1sttimemom]

Thanks for your replies.

We actually own a property in HK which we've left empty since our move to BJ. Honestly, I have every intention of returning to HK once his contract is over. He is employed by the HK branch of his company and is paid in HKD as well.

Good to hear sponsor does not have to have a job. I have a good chunk of savings, so hoping that will work.

Our time outside of HK, will that affect his 7 years of continuous residence?

[PDLM]

You'll need to justify the any absence of more than 6 months, and it's all at the discretion of the officer processing the case.