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Right of Abode in the Hong Kong SAR

Hong KongLong-term residence

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Hong Kong Read the five questions ↓

What exact status does accumulated residence lead to?

A non-Chinese national may qualify for permanent-resident status where they entered Hong Kong with a valid travel document, ordinarily resided there continuously for at least seven years and took Hong Kong as their permanent residence.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The capture lists six categories and transitional arrangements; this is one category, not a universal rule.

What qualifying residence period is required and when does the period begin?

A person not of Chinese nationality qualifies after entering Hong Kong with a valid travel document, ordinarily residing in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years and taking Hong Kong as their place of permanent residence, before or after the establishment of the HKSAR. The seven-year period must be immediately before the application to the Director of Immigration for permanent-resident status.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • This bounded answer preserves a supported page statement; a full independent clause review is pending.
  • Captured official page; selected text for residence_based_status_seo.r2
    A person not of Chinese nationality who has entered Hong Kong with a valid travel document, has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years and has taken Hong Kong as his/her place of permanent residence before or after the establishment of the HKSAR.
  • Right of Abode — timing
    The continuous period of seven years ordinary residence must be immediately before the date when the person applies

Which types of residence count fully, partially or not at all where the official rules specify this?

For a person not of Chinese nationality, ordinary residence in Hong Kong counts towards the continuous period of not less than seven years. The official source does not state which types of residence count fully, partially or not at all.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The capture does not determine an individual’s ordinary-residence record.
  • Right of Abode — timing
    The continuous period of seven years ordinary residence must be immediately before the date when the person applies

What absence/continuity rules affect accumulation of the qualifying residence period?

The seven years of ordinary residence must be a continuous period immediately before the date of application. The official source does not state how absences affect that continuity.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • This bounded answer preserves a supported page statement; a full independent clause review is pending.
  • Captured official page; selected text for residence_based_status_seo.r4
    The information may include whether he/she has habitual residence in Hong Kong, whether the principal members of the person’s family (spouse and minor children) are in Hong Kong, whether the person has a reasonable means of income to support himself/herself and his/her family and whether he/she has paid taxes in accordance with the law.

What other major conditions apply, how is the status obtained, and what renewal, document-validity, retention or loss rules matter?

The information considered may include whether the person has habitual residence in Hong Kong, whether their spouse and minor children are in Hong Kong, whether they have a reasonable means of income to support themselves and their family and whether they have paid taxes in accordance with the law. A person under 21 born in Hong Kong to a qualifying permanent-resident parent may have permanent-resident status under that category, and category-specific information and declarations may be required in other cases. The official source does not state renewal, retention or loss rules.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The capture does not establish a universal right of abode for every person born in Hong Kong.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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