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Overstayed Visitor Visa (d'oh!) Part Two

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  1. #1

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    Overstayed Visitor Visa (d'oh!) Part Two

    I removed the previous thread but, in case anyone is interested, here is the result of my visit to ID this morning.

    Visa/permit overstay of 28 days. 10-day extension added to passport. Fee $160. Leave HK within those 10 days. Can return whenever. Suggested I go to Canada to reconfirm my Canadian resident status upon my return. Preferable to a visa run to Macau. It was commented upon that, based on the stamps in my passport, I've been basically living here for two years. His only comment on that was for my daughter to apply for dependent visa for me when she gets permanent resident status in November. He provided the forms to be used for that application.

    No hassle, no fuss, friendly, polite, helpful, quick service. Welcome to Hong Kong.

    papaya, TheBrit, carang and 9 others like this.

  2. #2

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    Glad it all went well! Still think it would probably have been more of a problem if you weren't white...


  3. #3

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    Thank you so much, DeletedUser and vmlinuz, and I very much appreciated your helpful comments in the previous thread. I stopped reading the doomsayers as I didn't need so much negativity the night before I headed to Immigration, and there were a number of erroneous assumptions made about me and what was happening. I saw no point in refuting them. I spoke with 3 or 4 different people at ID, and I'm pretty sure they didn't ALL make mistakes.

    Last edited by KateInHongKong; 05-08-2013 at 03:52 PM.
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  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by vmlinuz:
    Glad it all went well! Still think it would probably have been more of a problem if you weren't white...
    She would have been posting from a small room in a deportation centre if she wasn't white...

    Congratulations kate, glad it worked out, must have been a stressful night last night.
    KateInHongKong likes this.

  5. #5

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    Stressful night is right! It all worked out very well, thank you, userhername. what a relief!


  6. #6

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    " It was commented upon that, based on the stamps in my passport, I've been basically living here for two years". Who made this comment, may i ask? Someone at the Border Patrol station or someone in the Immig tower, or someone here, on the internet?
    I agree with you about the self-righteous and moralistic comments from many posters here. So smug they are and so often wrong.

    KateInHongKong and shri like this.

  7. #7

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    Glad all went well.

    I know of one Brit living here whom hasn't bothered to get a work visa, works here, apartment and girlfriend. Been here for 7 years, had various interviews by Immigration etc. But he is still here.

    Now we know that Immigration doesn't really care about whities overstaying we can start advising people that it's OK to do so.

    Last edited by virago; 05-08-2013 at 04:39 PM.

  8. #8

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    jobin, commented on by the person at Immigration Dept. He was just checking the facts, he didn't seem bothered at all. He seemed more interested in helping me find a way out of the pesky visa runs. So whoever on this forum said it was "illegal" and "you're setting a terrible example for your daughter/granddaughter with these illegal activities", etc., to misquote but somewhat in the ballpark, is sadly misinformed.

    TheBrit likes this.

  9. #9

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    OK, I'll rephrase. It would be illegal if you're weren't white or holding a "developed country" passport.

    Sadly, the Governemnt wrote a specific clause in the Race Discrimination ordinance that exempted itself from its provisions.

    Just a check - you are over 60? Otherwise you can't be sponsored by your daughter even if she is a PR.


  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by KateInHongKong:
    jobin, commented on by the person at Immigration Dept. He was just checking the facts, he didn't seem bothered at all. He seemed more interested in helping me find a way out of the pesky visa runs. So whoever on this forum said it was "illegal" and "you're setting a terrible example for your daughter/granddaughter with these illegal activities", etc., to misquote but somewhat in the ballpark, is sadly misinformed.
    I am glad that it went well, but you must have had a very nice Immigration officer. I stupidly overstayed an employment visa a year or so ago and did not experience any of the helpfulness at Immigration that you describe. I was fine in the end, but Immigration made sure that I knew it was a very serious mistake and that I would not be treated so well if it happened again. Definitely would not encourage people to go this route. And for the record, it is illegal to overstay a visa, regardless of whether Immigration choses to treat certain offenses lightly.

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