On March 18, 2025, the government launched the Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Invited Persons to provide more convenient immigration arrangements for invited persons from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, in order to promote economic and trade exchanges and cultural co-operation between Hong Kong and ASEAN.
Currently, frequent travelers to Hong Kong can apply for self-service immigration clearance. Among the 10 ASEAN countries, visitors from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam need a visa for visiting Hong Kong.
What to Expect
- Under the Scheme, relevant policy bureau/departments will actively invite ASEAN nationals who are able to make considerable contributions to Hong Kong’s economic development or who have been invited to attend important events in Hong Kong to enjoy the facilitation.
- The Immigration Department (ImmD) will provide one-stop processing of relevant applications from invited persons through an electronic platform, relax the application criteria for self-service immigration clearance, and simplify the information required for visa applications.
- The period of stay for nationals of Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, and Singapore, who are currently enjoying a visa-free period of 90 days on each visit, will remain unchanged.
Details of the new facilitations are shown in the below table from the Immigration Department website:
| Facilitation | Details |
| Multiple-journey visit visa with an extended period of stay per visit (2 months) under relaxed application requirements |
Extended period of stay per visit Invited persons will enjoy an extended period of stay (i.e., 2 months) per visit on the strength of a multiple-journey visit visa.
Relaxed application requirements |
| Using the e-Channel under relaxed enrolment requirements | Relaxed criteria for using the e-Channel Under normal circumstances, only persons meeting certain requirements (e.g. being a frequent visitor to Hong Kong) can apply for using the e-Channel at control points in Hong Kong. The concerned criteria have been waived for invited persons so that they are eligible to enroll for the e-Channel service (subject to holding a passport valid for at least 6 months). |
| Status valid for 3 years | “Invited Person Status” valid for 3 years Apart from the multiple-journey visit visa, invited persons will be issued with an “e-Card” for enjoying facilitation during immigration clearance at control points of Hong Kong (i.e. using the courtesy channels and enrolling for the e-Channel service). Both the “e-Visa” and the “e-Card” will be valid for 3 years. |
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.