I'm sure this has been discussed before, but with the crazy travel situation this year I just wanted to ask to see if anyone had any recent experience with this. I'm in HK on a GEP employment visa that is due to expire on January 2nd 2021. I'm continuing with the same employer and will have all the relevant paperwork in order, so in principle extending the visa should be no problem.

However, I was planning to travel to the US to visit my partner over Christmas and New Year (5th December - 10th January); I've been looking forward to this a lot, as I haven't been able to see her all year (or leave Hong Kong at all) due to my employer's Covid travel rules. This is now my first realistic window to travel and see her.

Long-story-short, I thought I could renew my visa before I left, but I've now just realised that the earliest in-person appointment at ImmD that I can get will be on 5th December, which was when I was planning to leave. What's more is that the website says that it will take 2-3 weeks to get a renewal. This means that I would not be able to get my renewal before I left.

Does anyone know if it is possible to get an early visa extension, before the four-week extension window? If not, would it be possible for me to get a same-day extension if I go in to the Wan Chai immigration office on 5th December? I have no problem changing my flights to leave a day or two (or three) later if necessary, but it would pretty much torpedo my Christmas plans if I didn't get the extension for another two or three weeks after that.

Thanks in advance for any advice or insights!