In order for a business to succeed, it must recruit the best individuals. However, in many circumstances these individuals can only be recruited from abroad. While identifying these individuals is not the only challenging part of this process, successfully obtaining a Hong Kong working visa for them is. Those who are looking to obtain a Hong Kong working visa often don’t know where to start. In this article, we look to outline what Forms ID990A and Form ID990B are, how they relate to the working visa application process, and what you need to consider when submitting these forms.

What You Need to Know About Hong Kong’s Working Visa Form ID990A and Form ID990B
What You Will Learn
  • What is each form for?
  • Where should the forms be submitted to?
  • Important pieces of information to include in the form
  • Other considerations
  • What visa schemes are these forms applicable to?
What is Each Form For?

Applicants who possess special skills, knowledge or experience that is not readily available in Hong Kong can apply to work in the city under the General Employment Policy (“GEP”)

Individual applicants who are applying on their own behalf should complete application form ID990A.

ID990A

Alternatively, employing companies who are obtaining a work visa on behalf of their employee should complete application form ID990B

ID990B
Where to get the Application Forms?
These forms can be obtained free of charge from the following offices:
  1. Immigration Department Headquarters;
  2. Immigration Branch offices;
  3. Overseas Chinese Diplomatic and Consular Missions; and
  4. HKSAR Government offices outside of Hong Kong

Via the Immigration Department’s website

Where should the forms be submitted to?

One you have completed wither your Form ID990A or Form ID990B, you can submit your application through the following methods:

By post directly or through a local sponsor in Hong Kong to:

Receipt and Despatch Sub-Unit

Hong Kong Immigration Department

2/F, Immigration Tower,

7 Glouchester Road

Wanchai, Hong Kong

Applicants who are residing overseas may submit their application forms together with the relevant supporting documents and their valid travel documents in person to the nearest Chinese diplomatic and consular mission in their place of domicile

Important Pieces of Information

The Hong Kong Immigration Department will scrutinize various parts of Forms ID990A and ID990B once they are submitted. Most notably, they will closely examine the following:

Compensation

The Immigration Department will seek to understand how the employee is to be compensated. To supplement your application, it is best to attach a contract of employment or letter of engagement

Job responsibilities

In the section seeking a description of job duties, we recommend that applicants simply attach an accompanying letter that provides a more detailed explanation of the specific job responsibilities the applicant will engage in. Doing so will ensure that you have provided sufficient explanation on what the job detail entails, and does not leave room for any further questioning from the Hong Kong immigration authorities.

Financial Standing of Sponsor

When the form is looking for information on the financial standing of the sponsor, it’s important to include the headline data as far as you possibly can but ensure this is augmented by the detailed financial information to be included as part of the application bundle.

If the company is a public company, the financial issues could easily be dealt with by including a copy of the latest annual report to shareholders

When informing the Immigration Department of the current staffing position of the sponsor, the headline data should be provided in this section of the form ID990B but the data should record exactly with further information being supplied as part of a wider application bundle.

Other Considerations

There are two discrete sections on form ID990A and ID990B which deal with declarations. The first is included at the bottom of each page and speaks to the truthfulness, correctness and completeness of the information provided in the forms. The second declaration is exclusive to Form ID990B and is at the end of the form – it outlines where the sponsor agrees to assume responsibility for the cost of repatriating or removing the applicant from Hong Kong if the resident goes awry for any reason.

What happens once I submit my application?

Once you have successfully submitted your ID990A form or ID990B form, the Hong Kong Immigration Department will revert with an answer within approximately 4 to 8 weeks from the date of submission.

If an application is successful, you will be issued a visa / entry permit label. This should be collected by the sponsor from the Immigration Department for onward transmission to the applicant. This visa / entry permit label should be affixed onto a blank visa page of the applicant’s travel document for presentation to an immigration officer upon arrival into Hong Kong.

What Visa Schemes are these Forms Applicable to?

Forms ID990A and ID990B are used in the following Hong Kong working visa schemes:

  1. Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG)
  2. General Employment Program (GEP)
  3. Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP)
Conclusion

Applicants will often submit a working visa Hong Kong application without having a clear understanding of what the Hong Kong Immgiration Department requires and will fail to gather the necessary supporting documentation to aid their application. Moreover, the Immigration Department will only give 2-3 weeks to submit the outstanding documents and information once an application has been filed. If an applicant has missed this deadline, the Immigration Department will close the case and the applicant will have to file a new application.

The FastLane Group is well experienced in directly dealing with the Hong Kong Immigration Department. Our team of qualified professionals are well-versed in Hong Kong’s various visa requirements and can not only advise on how to approach your working visa Hong Kong application, but will also manage subsequent actions such as liaising with authorities and handling any subsequent submissions!