MEAO > International/Non-local Student

take up full-time studies in study programmes at degree or above level;
attend full-time exchange study programmes for not more than one year at degree or above level;
take up full-time studies at degree or above level on a short-term basis (excluding the University’s continuing and professional education arms) with cumulative duration not exceeding 180 days within any 12-month period in the University; or
take up part-time studies in taught postgraduate programmes.

Students are advised to apply well in advance as obtaining a student visa/entry permit may take as long as 6 weeks.

For details, please refer to the website of the Hong Kong Immigration Department.

vStudent Visa/Entry Permit Application Process Demonstrationv

Original application form ID995A "Application for Entry for Study in Hong Kong", with all relevant parts duly completed and signed [Before filling in the application form, please read the "Guidebook for Entry for Study in Hong Kong" carefully.]
Photocopies of the following:
- Photocopies of the travel document or identity card containing the applicant's personal particulars
- Photocopy of the letter of admission issued by the University (keep the original copy and bring it with you when entering Hong Kong as you may need to present the letter for inspection at the immigration checkpoint)
- Photocopy of the applicant's reply of acceptance of the admission offer, if applicable
- Photocopies of financial supporting documents of the applicant, e.g. bank statements, savings account passbook, scholarship award documents, etc. If the applicant is financially sponsored by another person, provide photocopies of the sponsor’s financial documents, e.g. proof of deposit, proof of income, tax receipts, etc. and a declaration from the financial sponsor identifying his/her relationship with the applicant and undertaking that he/she will financially support the applicant’s study and living in Hong Kong (do not send the original bank documents to the University as you may need them to facilitate money transaction in future)
- Photocopy of the applicant's Macao identity card (for Macao residents)
- Photocopy of the page with personal particulars in 《因私/因公往來港澳通行證》, if applicable (for Mainland residents only)
- Photocopy of the applicant's household registration in Taiwan (戶籍謄本) and Taiwan identity card (for Taiwan residents)
- Photocopies of expired entry permit labels issued by the Immigration Department (for current DBA students only)
Applicant's recent photograph (affix to page 2 of the application form ID995A)
A letter of consent duly signed by the applicant's parent and a local guardian on authorization of non-parental guardianship if the applicant is under the age of 18. The applicant's parents may authorize a relative or friend in Hong Kong at or above 18 years old, or the local sponsor for student visa/entry permit as non-parental guardian of the applicant
The completed and signed "Request for Visa Sponsorship and Student's Agreement"
A payment of HK$ 360 (non-refundable and non-transferable) via credit card or in the form of a bank draft for visa and mailing fees (HK$160 visa fee charged by the HKSAR Government and HK$200 for the courier cost). Please complete the payment section of the "Request for Visa Sponsorship and Student's Agreement" form to authorize credit card payment or enclose a bank draft made payable to "City University of Hong Kong"

After receiving all the documents and payment, the University will issue the form ID995B, i.e. "Application for Entry for Study (Sponsor) in Hong Kong" and forward your student visa/entry permit application to the Hong Kong Immigration Department for processing.

Important Notes:

The University will process the student visa/entry permit application only if all the required documents and payment are received.
The Hong Kong Immigration Department may request for additional information/documents while processing your student visa/entry permit application whenever necessary.
Hong Kong student visa/entry permit holders shall be subject to the following conditions of stay:

he/she shall become a student only at a specified educational institution and undertake a specific programme or course of study as may be approved by the Director of the Hong Kong Immigration Department; and
he/she shall not (i) take up any employment, whether paid or unpaid; or (ii) establish or join in any business.

It is the student's sole responsibility to:

obtain a valid student visa/entry permit before entering Hong Kong;
maintain a valid travel document and a valid student visa/entry permit;
meet the general and/or specific immigration requirements and regulations; and
comply with the terms and conditions of the student visa/entry permit throughout his/her study period at the University.

City University of Hong Kong reserves the rights to withdraw its sponsorship and report to the Hong Kong Immigration Department if there is any change of study or enrolment status of the student at the University.

Non-local students enrolling in a full-time, locally accredited programme at degree level or above with study period not less than one academic year (EXCLUDING Foundation Year Students, Exchange Students and Visiting Students studying on a short-term basis) may take up internship subject to the following conditions:

the internship must be study/curriculumrelated and is pre-arranged/pre-endorsed by the University at the time of admission, or when the student applies for extension of visa/entry permit in order to continue with the relevant full-time academic programme;
the duration of the internship is up to one academic year, or one-third of the normal duration of the relevant full-time academic programme, whichever is the shorter; and
the internship cannot take place before the student is officially registered with the institution and begins attending any scheduled classes of his/her registered programme in Hong Kong, or when the student has fulfilled all the course/credit requirements for graduation, e.g. a student who has just finished his/her final year of study is not allowed to take up internship.

These students (EXCLUDING Foundation Year Students, Exchange Students and Visiting Students studying on a short-term basis) may also take up:

part-time on-campus employment for undergraduate students through the University’s On-campus Service-learning Scheme (OSS), or via the Human Resources Office for postgraduate/research students, with City University of Hong Kong as the employer;
summer employment on and/or off campus (June, July, and August only).

No Objection Letter (NOL)

To facilitate lawful employment of non-local students in the form of study/curriculum-related internship, on-campus part-time job and/or summer employment, the Hong Kong Immigration Department will issue a customized "No Objection Letter" (NOL) to eligible students upon approval of entry and every time when the visa/entry permit is renewed. The NOL will spell out the types and conditions of employment which the student may take up.

Students must possess and present the NOL when applying for internship, part-time and/or summer employment.

For details, please visit the website of the Hong Kong Immigration Department.

Student visa/entry permit holders who wish to stay in Hong Kong to continue the approved programme of study should apply for extension of stay within 4 weeks before the student visa/entry permit expires. According to the Hong Kong Immigration Department, such applications will be considered only when the applicants continue to meet the eligibility criteria for entry for study. Extension of stay, if approved, will normally be on a yearly basis or in accordance with the duration of their studies (whichever is shorter). It is required by law that non-local students shall possess a valid student visa/entry permit throughout the entire period of their studies in Hong Kong.

Depending on your student status, the following documents are normally required for application for extension of stay:

Applicant's travel documents
Applicant's Hong Kong Identity Card
Completed application form ID91
Document certifying that the applicant will continue to study at the University. Students in their foundation year or undergraduate studies may contact the Academic Regulations and Records Office to apply for the letter of certification. For postgraduate students, contact the Chow Yei Ching School of Graduate Studies

Please note that the applicant must be in Hong Kong at the time of application and when the new student visa/entry permit label is ready for collection.

Non-local graduates who submit applications for IANG to the Immigration Department within six months after the date of their graduation (i.e. the date shown on their graduation certificates) are classified as non-local fresh graduates. They may apply to stay and work in the HKSAR without having secured an offer of employment upon application. Non-local fresh graduates may be granted 12 months' stay on time limitation without other conditions of stay provided that normal immigration requirements are met. Those who intend to apply to stay and work in the HKSAR but have not yet secured the graduation result may apply for extension of stay to wait for the promulgation of results. Similarly, if you have not yet obtained the graduation certificate, you may apply to stay and work by producing a proof from the University confirming that you have graduated. Please contact ARRO (undergraduate students) or SGS (postgraduate students) for application for the proof.

For non-local graduates who submit their applications beyond six months of the date of their graduation are classified as returning non-local graduates. Returning non-local graduates who wish to return to work in the HKSAR are required to secure an offer of employment upon application. The applications will be favourably considered so long as the job is at a level commonly taken up by degree holders and the remuneration package is set at market level. Similarly, 12 months' stay on time limitation without other conditions of stay may be granted provided that normal immigration requirements are met.