HK Visa renewal under the QMAS

[amoyyao]

My wife obtained her HK visa through me and I currently hold the visa under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme. Both of us now reside in the United States and do not intend to come back to Hong Kong for purpose other than renewing our visas. However, both of us would like to keep our Hong Kong visa status for personal reasons.

Now, my visa will expire sometime next year and I intend to go back for the renewal. My wife's visa will expire in a month--however since she is not pregnant, it will be very inconvenient for her to travel back to HK. The hotline answer I received from the IMMD is that we cannot renew the visa without being personally there--if my wife cannot travel back, her visa will expire.

We really do not want this to happen but have not been able to find a solution.

Any suggestions? Thank you so much!

[PDLM]

QMAS is not designed to be a vanity product, so whatever you do is going to involve lying to the bureaucracy here (that would be a criminal offence, and might, for example, complicate your residence in the US if you are not citizens there).

If your reason for wanting to keep it is to get PR after 7 years then you should be aware that this isn't going to work. When applying for PR the onus is on you to prove to ImmD's satisfaction that you have resided continuously in HK for the seven years - doing this involves showing property leases, tax returns, utility bills and so on to cover the seven year period. Since you live in the US you won't have any of that, and the chances of you being able to fool ImmD several times to get visa renewals and then again to get PR are negligible.

[amoyyao]

"QMAS is not designed to be a vanity product, so whatever you do is going to involve lying to the bureaucracy here (that would be a criminal offence, and might, for example, complicate your residence in the US if you are not citizens there)."

You really reminded me of some pompous guy with lots of imaginations. I guess you really enjoy your masturbation. But I suggest you get a life instead of being a prick here.

[jimbo]

PDLM is totally correct though in this instance, Just because you don't like the answer he gave you it doesn't mean you need to attack him in that way.

You are now based in the USA and in your words have no intention of coming to HK unless to renew your Visa. So why would you want to keep your HK status intact for then?

Hmmmmm

[Claire ex-ax]

From the ImmD website:

To obtain an extension of stay at the end of the first 12-month period, a person admitted through the General Points Test under the Scheme is required to provide evidence demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Immigration Department that he/she has taken steps to settle in Hong Kong by taking up residence here, e.g. by securing a gainful employment or establishing a business.

To be eligible for further extension of stay, a person admitted through the General Points Test under the Scheme is required to provide evidence demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Immigration Department that:

i. he/she has settled in Hong Kong; and

ii. he/she has made contribution to Hong Kong, such as engaging in a graduate, specialist or senior level gainful employment or establishing a business of a reasonable size in Hong Kong.

It is quite likely you will not get an extension yourself. Either move here and settle quickly or say goodbye to your QMAS. What a waste of time and paperwork considering you never intended to settle here.

And I don't understand why not being pregnant stops your wife from travelling. Is she undergoing treatment?

[Skyhook]

People like Amoy do not deserve this visa, if they never planned on settling in HK. Be honourable and hand your visa in, there are many people out there that are deserving of sharing their talent with Hong Kong, instead of being blatantly selfish like this.

I vote that Amoy hands in their visa or stays away and has it cancelled anyway. The right thing to do imho.

[rapid_jap]

And I don't understand why not being pregnant stops your wife from travelling. Is she undergoing treatment?

Claire, I think he meant 'now' pregnant, not 'not' pregnant

[keungjai]

+1 to blueseawater's comment, PDLM has been very helpful as i can see through my own questions as well as others through searching other threads

he gave you advice and you didn't like what you heard, so that gives you the right to be an ass about it?

without digging into "personal reasons", i cannot understand why you would want to extend the visa yet not intend to live there - sounds fishy although i won't make any judgement

[orangepineapple]

jerks like him does not deserve anyone to help!!! I feel sorry for PDLM