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  • 1 Post By Cornmeal
  • 1 Post By chingleutsch
  • 1 Post By MABinPengChau

Does Immigration Keep Your Passport While Processing Extension of Stay?

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jan 2018
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    Taiwan and HK
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    Does Immigration Keep Your Passport While Processing Extension of Stay?

    I went to Immigration this morning and needed a new letter from my employer (didn't like the wording and wanted a chop). So I am bringing the new letter back this afternoon. The officer kept my passport- will that be until approval or can I get it back this afternoon? I need to travel next week. If they need to keep it, can I just withdraw the application and file it after I travel? That would be close, submitting on 27 December for renewal needed by 10 January...

    I didn't recall that they needed the passport the last time I extended...

    Thanks!


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Aug 2017
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    2,481

    My extension was processed same day and got everything back before close of office.

    MABinPengChau likes this.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jan 2018
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    Oh, SUPER! Maybe he is planning to do that...

    Because the extension is only for 8 months as my passport is expiring in August- I was planning to get my new passport after renewing the visa, as I knew I needed my passport for that.

    Guess I forgot (DOH!) that they won't renew past the expiration date.

    So I will be doing this again in July, with my new passport. Going to renew the passport in January.


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Nov 2009
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    Tuen Mun
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    2,072

    My experience (before PR) were always the same as Cornmeal's - same day service for a simple extension.

    MABinPengChau likes this.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jan 2018
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    Indeed I am now sitting here waiting to collect and pay. The last time I did this was 2011 and I think my employer sent someone to do it which is why I have no memory of this. So next time I will sign up for the first appointment of the day and be in and out faster. Next letter will be chopped...
    Thanks for the help !


  6. #6

    Join Date
    Jan 2018
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    They are only keeping it while I wait so just a couple of hours. It says 2 to 3 weeks online so was worried that they would hang on to it for that long. Coming from the US, the idea that anything would be processed the same day is completely unthinkable.


  7. #7

    Join Date
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    Yes, they only kept it while processing it while I waited. Just wish the website had been more clear (I did make copies of the various relevant pages of the passport, so was surprised when they took the passport itself, the original visa I stuck it in myself).

    chingleutsch likes this.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Nov 2005
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    Cramped island
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    5,575

    Yes, as posted in another thread, the website citing the 'time taken to extend visa' is grossly incomplete and conflicting and misleading..

    End of the day, most people with completed documents get the VISA on the day the appointment/application is made.
    the 2-3 weeks refer to instances where documents are incomplete or otherwise...

    It's conflicting because there it says, you CAN apply for a VISA extension between 24 working days (including saturday) till your VISA expires, but it also says it takes 2~3 week to process the VISA. So if you apply 1 day before expiry, then what do you do during the 2~3 weeks period before the VISA is completed.