Immigration support for hiring expats in Hong Kong via PEO

Global expansion is often linked with foreign hiring. This may require knowing the labor code of a foreign country, in-country incorporation peculiarities or immigration procedure in case of expats hiring.
If you are already hiring or planning to onboard expatriates for your international projects in Hong Kong, there is a range of things that you need to consider:

• HR compliance
• How to get a work permit or visa so that foreigners are eligible to work in Hong Kong
• Timelines to get a permit or visa
• How to payroll expats after the permits have been received
• Whether it makes sense to open and keep your own business entity to employ expats directly

A global PEO or Employer of Record solution with immigration support might be a viable alternative to direct hiring of expats on your own company in Hong Kong. This solution gives companies freedom from the need to keep the entity in the country while employing expats in full compliance with Hong Kong labor legislation. Immigration support is part of a PEO service that precedes the employment. As a PEO service provider, Acumen International can sponsor a work permit and then employ an expat in Hong Kong on the client’s behalf.

Note: having one provider that sponsors a work permit or visa on your behalf and then employs expats in Hong Kong, minimizes risks of visa rejection and takes the hassle associated with immigration procedure off your head.

Attention: we are not an immigration service! We do not provide a work permit and immigration support as a standalone solution to individuals willing to work overseas.

Our ‘work permit and hiring expats through a Global PEO’ solution is designed for employer companies that want to transfer selected expats to Hong Kong or individuals whose employers are ready to finance their immigration and foreign employment in the country. The service is mainly used by companies hiring highly skilled personnel and willing to retain them by offering employee status and providing employee benefits.

Unlike other global Professional Employer Organizations, Acumen International can provide extra benefits in addition to work permit and employment of expats in Hong Kong. This includes medical insurance, housing, office rent, mobile phone and car provision to meet-and-greet, dependents relocation, etc.

Focus on your primary business goals and let us take care of the work permit and immigration in Hong Kong for you. Use our all-in-one solution:

1. For long-term assignments in Hong Kong, allowing to payroll and manage expats with full legal compliance without a legal entity
2. As an interim solution before incorporating in the country

Solution for global mobility of expats in Hong Kong

Acumen International will guide you through a grueling immigration procedure and will help you immediately onboard and payroll expats after they have received a work permit or visa. Use our global mobility and PEO solution to staff any international assignments in Hong Kong without the pitfalls and financial risks associated with hiring expatriate personnel there.

With our expertise in expats immigration and employment, we offer a comprehensive solution to ensure that your international employees get their work permits within the standard duration of the immigration service in Hong Kong. Learn more about the timelines requirements for getting a work permit in Hong Kong below.

Estimated time for work permit issuance

Typically, the procedure of employment visa issuance in Hong Kong may take around 4-8 weeks with possible further delays.

Major steps to get a work permit in Hong Kong

1. Submit all required documents to the Hong Kong Immigration Department.
2. If the visa has been approved it must be collected from the local Hong Kong consulate in-person.
3. The work visa is valid for 1 year and may be renewed continuously as long as the employee continues to work for the company.
4. If the employee has been working and residing in Hong Kong for 7 years he becomes qualified to apply for permanent residency.

Documents for work permit in Hong Kong, main applicant

If you need to have your expat personnel legally work for you in Hong Kong without having to set up your own business entity for that, trust us to assist you with work permit and immigration support, and then employ your expats locally on your behalf.

Contact our team to let us take up your foreign employees’ immigration matters and relieve you of the responsibility of getting work permit by working with our local partners to organize and obtain all the necessary permits, as well as provide you with a detailed update on the progress of the process.

Contact us for more details about how you can get a work permit for your expatriate staff and employ them through Acumen International in Hong Kong.