Publications and Press Releases

27 January 2023

A Mainland woman was charged at the Sha Tin Magistrates' Courts with six counts of making false representation to an Immigration Department (ImmD) staff member, and was sentenced to 26 weeks' imprisonment today (January 27).

The 53-year-old defendant arrived in Hong Kong as a visitor. During her stay, the defendant submitted applications for an extension of stay to the ImmD, and claimed her reason for the extension was visiting her husband in Hong Kong. The ImmD later found out that the defendant's husband was out of Hong Kong when the defendant submitted the applications and thus began an investigation against the defendant.

In the course of the investigation, the defendant admitted under caution that when submitting the extension applications, she declared to Immigration staff that she was to visit her husband in Hong Kong although she clearly knew that her husband was not in Hong Kong. The defendant was subsequently charged with the offence of making false representation to Immigration staff for the reason of extension. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 26 weeks' imprisonment by the Sha Tin Magistrates' Court today.

"Under the laws of Hong Kong, any person who makes false representation to an Immigration officer commits an offence. Offenders are liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, subject to the maximum penalty of a fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years," an ImmD spokesman said.