Change of Visa Status
A change of status visa application is required when an applicant changes his/her immigration status regardless the current work visa in Hong Kong is still valid or not.
A change of visa status might involve a dependant spouse divorcing and receiving a job offer or an employed person deciding to start his/her own business. In the first instance the applicant has to change from a dependant spouse visa for a work visa, and in the second, a work visa for an investment visa. However, the most common is changing from a visitor visa to a work visa.
Prism’s Visa Consultant Service Involves:
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Provide visa consultation service regarding to the documents required for the appropriate visa application;
Prepare a tailor-made document checklist for the applicant;
Complete all necessary Immigration forms;
Review and organize the collected documents in favor of immigration policy;
Suggest alternative documents if the applicant is not able to get the listed documents;
Submit the application to Immigration Department;
Reply on the applicant’s behalf to all enquiries and correspondence from Immigration Department;
Prepare and draft all letters required for submission to Immigration Department;
Monitor the application process;
Keep the applicant updated on the status of the application;
Accept the approval and have the visa endorsed onto the applicant's passport.
Application Procedure:
- 1. Free consultation regarding to the change of status visa application;
2. Advise the applicant and the sponsoring company on their alternatives and the likelihood of success;
3. Obtain the applicant/sponsoring company’s signature on the letter of engagement;
4. Obtain deposit payment;
5. Prepare a tailor-made document checklist for the application;
6. Complete immigration forms, drafts and letters;
7. Review the collected documents to ensure they are correctly presented;
8. Draft all letters required for submission to Immigration Department;
9. Ongoing liaison with Immigration Department;
10. Reply Immigration Department’s enquiries on the applicant’s behalf;
11. Accept the visa approval and have the visa label endorsed onto the applicant's passport.
Documents Required:
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A Change of Status Visa application form ID(E) 91/990A/999A with the applicant’s signatures;
A Change of Status Visa application form ID(E) 990B/999B with the sponsor's signatures;
Copy of the applicant’s passport;
Copy of the documents which fit to the change of visa status’ application.
Processing Time:
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The visa application process normally takes 4 to 6 weeks from the date of submission.
Remarks:
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At the discretion of Immigration Department, the visa is valid for 1 or 2 years.
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No new visa label will be issued if the current visa label is valid for more than 9 months.
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A change in status visa category does not alter the status of the applicant's Hong Kong Identity Card.