With the VABL number you first check progress on the HK website to see if you have been approved on the HK side:
https://www.gov.hk/en/residents/immi...pstatusenq.htm
Once you are approved (it will say "application accepted" on the link above, or something to that effect), you will receive a letter with a 6 digit number that you can use to check the countries that have approved you, here:
https://www.abtc-aps.org/abtc-core/status/check.html
It took me 6 weeks from application to get the 6 digit number. A colleague of mine who applied a bit before me (same passport, same eveything really), took him 3 weeks to get the number. So it varies.