Student Visa for Education in Hong Kong

Who Has to Apply for a Student Visa?

BEFORE coming to Hong Kong, you MUST obtain a student visa from the Immigration Department (of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) if

• you wish to enter Hong Kong for education; and

• you do not have the right of abode or right to land in Hong Kong

You should make sure that you are eligible to apply for a proper student visa to study in Hong Kong. The University is not responsible for obtaining visas for non-local students but will render all necessary support to admitted students.

 

Application Procedures

Step 1
To apply for such a visa, you should complete the application form ID(E)936 (Parts “A”, “E”, "K" and "L" only) in BLOCK (CAPITAL) LETTERS with

• your photograph affixed on it;

• photocopies of your travel document containing your personal particulars, its issuance and expiry dates and details of any re-entry visa held (if applicable); and

• evidence of your financial standing as stated in Part "K".

 

For Mainland students, please click here to download the form.

 

Your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond the intended stay in Hong Kong. 

The completed application form should be returned TOGETHER with your Lingnan Application for Admission to us. 

Do NOT submit your visa application directly to the Hong Kong Immigration Department as that will slow down the process.

 

Step 2
As your sponsor, the University will complete Part “B” of the visa application form. The whole set of documents will then be submitted to the Hong Kong Immigration Department on your behalf.

It normally takes four to six weeks for the Immigration Department to process a visa application.

 

Step 3
If your application is successful, a student visa/ entry permit label will be issued to you. The University will collect the visa for you, and will mail it to you.

 

Step 4
When you receive the visa/entry permit label, please attach it to a blank page in your passport before your arrival. Be sure that the immigration officer sees the visa and enters you into Hong Kong on the student status. Otherwise, the officer may issue you a tourist visa which will not allow you to begin studies in Hong Kong. Do draw attention to the visa; sometimes the immigration officer might overlook it.

 

Fee

You will need to pay an amount of HK$360, covering

• the non-refundable fee for student visa application charged by the Immigration Department(HK$160); and

• the postage (HK$200)

The above payment can be settled either by

• sending us a bank draft; or

• providing the credit card details on the Credit Card Payment Authorization Form.

 

Failure to do so will incur a late fee upon arrival. Lingnan University will submit the visa application to the Immigration Department of Hong Kong as a sponsor. Once the approval is granted, the University will collect it from the same Department and send it to you through international courier.

Please be reminded that we have to contact you immediately if there are any follow-up questions regarding your visa application, so please complete the application form with special care.

 

Conditions for a Person holding Student Visa Status

It is clearly stipulated by the Immigration Department that any person entering Hong Kong as a student shall be subject to the following conditions of stay that:

(a) he/she shall become a student only at a specified school, university or other educational institution and undertake such course of study as may be approved by the Director of Immigration; and

(b) he/she shall not (i) take any employment, whether paid or unpaid; or (ii) establish or join in any business.

All general enquiries can be made to the Immigration Department Telephone Enquiry Number at 2824-6111 or use fax-line 2877-7711 or through e-mail at enquiry@immd.gov.hk

For details, please visit the Homepage of Hong Kong Immigration Department at http://www.immd.gov.hk/index.html

 

Forms for Download

Please click here to download the application form and the guidelines.