Application for Entry Permit for Residence as Dependants in Hong Kong

Applicable to Chinese residents of the Mainland of China applying for entry for residence in Hong Kong as dependants.

• For a sponsor who has been admitted into the HKSAR to take up employment (as a professional, for investment to establish/join in business, or for training) or studies (in a full-time undergraduate or post-graduate local programme in a local degree-awarding institution ^{Note 1}), or who is permitted to remain in the HKSAR as an entrant under the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme ^{Note 2}, the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents or the Top Talent Pass Scheme, the following dependants may apply to join him/her for residence in the HKSAR:
  • (i) his/her spouse; or
    (ii) the other party to a same-sex civil partnership, same-sex civil union, “same-sex marriage”, opposite-sex civil partnership or opposite-sex civil union entered into by him/her in accordance with the local law in force of the place of celebration and with such status being legally and officially recognised by the local authorities of the place of celebration ^{Note 3}; and
  • his/her unmarried dependent child under the age of 18;
• An application for admission of a dependant may be favourably considered if:
  • there is reasonable proof of a genuine relationship between the applicant and the sponsor;
  • there is no known record to the detriment of the applicant; and
  • the sponsor is able to support the dependant's living at a standard well above the subsistence level and provide him/her with suitable accommodation in the HKSAR.

Note 1: Local programmes refer to programmes leading to degrees awarded by local degree-awarding institutions whereas non-local programmes refer to programmes leading to degrees awarded solely by non-local institutions, irrespective of whether the programmes are jointly run by local and non-local institutions.

Note 2: With effect from 15 January 2015, the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme has been suspended until further notice.

Note 3: For the avoidance of doubt, the terms “civil partnership” and “civil union” above mean a legal institution of a nature which is akin to spousal relationship in a marriage. The same-sex civil partnership, same-sex civil union, “same-sex marriage”, opposite-sex civil partnership and opposite-sex civil union entered into in accordance with laws outside Hong Kong are limited to only relationships which are legally and officially recognised in the places of celebration. Such relationships normally have the following features: (a) the entering into and dissolution of the relationship are governed by legislation of the place where it is entered into; (b) the relationship requires registration by the competent authority specified by the legislation of the place where it is entered into; (c) the registration is evidenced in a written instrument issued by the competent authority; and (d) parties to the relationship have a mutual commitment to a shared life akin to spouses to the exclusion of others on a permanent basis. Such relationships do not include de facto spouse, partners in cohabitation, fiancé/fiancée, etc.