Need advice on Dependants visa

[etisme]

I, a 3 star HK permanent resident, would like to apply for dependants visa for my fiance (we are going to marry in Oct in Congo).

1. He wants to come to HK together with me after we finish the wedding and then apply for the dependants visa. Will it be more difficult than doing in while he is still in Congo?

2. My salary in HK is about 25k but I have very limited savings (but got two investment funds), and my fiance has limited savings too (combined net worth below 20k). Is our financial standard good enough for him to get the visa?

3. Or, if our finance is not good enough, do you think I should borrow some money from my family to show the immigration that I am more financially sound?

Looking forward to your valuable replies and advices!

[limepickle]

My understanding is that once you're married your partner gets a dependent visa automatically (or should I say, automatically qualifies).

I, a 3 star HK permanent resident, would like to apply for dependants visa for my fiance (we are going to marry in Oct in Congo).

1. He wants to come to HK together with me after we finish the wedding and then apply for the dependants visa. Will it be more difficult than doing in while he is still in Congo?

2. My salary in HK is about 25k but I have very limited savings (but got two investment funds), and my fiance has limited savings too (combined net worth below 20k). Is our financial standard good enough for him to get the visa?

3. Or, if our finance is not good enough, do you think I should borrow some money from my family to show the immigration that I am more financially sound?

Looking forward to your valuable replies and advices!

[ycchai]

My understanding is that once you're married your partner gets a dependent visa automatically (or should I say, automatically qualifies).

If it automatically qualifies, then why is the immigration still asking for the sponsor's financial information? And does this mean that I can start one of those "get your visa by marrying someone in HK" business?

[lulumay]

you can broke and homeless and HK immigration won't care. you should check if HK immigration accepts a Congo marriage certificate. HK immigration accepted our canadian provincial license even though it looked like a home made job printed a 40lb paper with a dot-matrix printer.

apply for the visa after you get married. hand in your paper work and just go and pick it up in about a month. make a quicky trip to macau and he's done.

[limepickle]

That is how most immigration departments operate isn’t it? And given that the OP's salary is significantly higher than the national average, any financial concerns should be allayed if it does come into the equation .

If it automatically qualifies, then why is the immigration still asking for the sponsor's financial information? And does this mean that I can start one of those "get your visa by marrying someone in HK" business?

[HKLozzo]

apply for the visa after you get married. hand in your paper work and just go and pick it up in about a month. make a quicky trip to macau and he's done.

I'm not sure its true about a quicky trip to Macau? When i got my dependent visa in 2005, I was never asked to leave HK and come back. And i've known a few more couples who got dependent visas in the last year or so and they never left either?!? Maybe its a myth!

[jaykay]

With dependant visa you needed to activate it within 3 months of getting it. The visa will state something like good for a single journey and will have a 3 month period. It will be stamped "Journey Complete". I believe you can now activate by visiting immigration.

[lulumay]

I'm not sure its true about a quicky trip to Macau? When i got my dependent visa in 2005, I was never asked to leave HK and come back. And i've known a few more couples who got dependent visas in the last year or so and they never left either?!? Maybe its a myth!

This is a minor issue for etisme. Technically, i suppose i could've had leave hong kong at immigration, go downstairs, and get my new stamp. I am pretty sure the only way to "activate" the visa was by entering hong kong. we did it in november 2005.

[carang]

it might be better for you to marry here instead of there... i woudl go with the other's advice about checking to see if a congolese marriage cert would be acceptable here or not. if not, then have him come here, get married and then apply for the visa.

if you can prove that you have the intention to marry within a certain timeframe then they will grant him an extended visitor's visa until the marriage. the day after the marriage, head to immig and apply for the dependent visa.

good luck and congratulations!

[HKLozzo]

With dependant visa you needed to activate it within 3 months of getting it. The visa will state something like good for a single journey and will have a 3 month period. It will be stamped "Journey Complete". I believe you can now activate by visiting immigration.

Hmm. this is odd. I can tell you that after i got my dependent visa issued in 2005, the sticker in my passport didn't say any of the above. It just said something like 'permitted to remain until xx.xxxx.2006". I never left HK for the next year and then had my visa extended for another 2 years in 2006. I'm presuming that IF not exiting HK had been any kind of issue, the immigration dept would have picked up on it at my visa extension? I can therefore only conclude that a) leaving HK & returning is not an issue anymore b) It has become a requirement since 2005 or c) one of us doesn't have a dependent visa..ha ha.