When you are to relocate and work in Hong Kong after receiving a job offer from a local company, you will still be required to apply for a Hong Kong work visa. But if you are simply visiting HK for short term business purpose, you can always make use of the Travel Pass Scheme.
What is Travel Pass Scheme?
Some visitors may have to frequently visit Hong Kong, but their each visit may be short due to their business purposes. The one main objective for the Travel Pass is to make it easy and enhance the mobility of all eligible business travelers when they are entering HK for business purposes.
- The Travel Pass is an official document.
- The Travel Pass is a document with 32 pages which is readable by machine.
- This document is valid for a total of three years.
- The document allows multiple entries to HK for a stay of two months per trip.
- When entering at the Hong Kong customs, the traveler (i.e. the document holder) can use the HK resident counters for simplifying immigration clearance procedures.
Who are usually considered eligible to apply for the Travel Pass?
So who is likely to fulfill one or all criteria of getting the Travel Pass?
- People who are eligible to enter HK without having to apply for a visa or entry permit.
- People who have previously visited HK in three separate occasions during the past 12 months.
- People whose proposed visit to HK may bring substantial benefits. This has to be judged case by case by the Director of Immigration.
What are the required supporting documents?
You should prepare the following documents when applying for the Travel Pass:
- Download, print and complete the ID888 form.
- Get a letter from your employer (or employing company) that supports the purpose of your application.
- Get a letter from your HK business contacts which supports the purpose of your application.
- Make a photocopy of your valid passport – It must show the personal particulars including the holder, nationality, re-entry visa to the country of residence, data of issue, date of expiry, and records of the last three visits to HK in the past twelve months.
- Prepare a photo that is identical to the one that shows in your valid passport.
Conclusion
Besides short term visits and/or long term employment visas, people are always entering Hong Kong for many other different reasons. You should contact and get help from a professional immigration consultant (who possesses at least some 10-20 years of immigration application experience), if you require any other matter regarding entering HK.