Regulation 2(1) of the Immigration Regulations (Chapter 115A), Laws of Hong Kong, stipulates that permission given to a person to land in Hong Kong as a visitor shall be subject to the following conditions of stay:
he shall not take any employment, whether paid or unpaid;
he shall not establish or join in any business; and
he shall not become a student at a school, university or other educational institution.
Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and to imprisonment for 2 years under section 41 of the Immigration Ordinance (Chapter 115), Laws of Hong Kong.
A person permitted to enter the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“HKSAR”) as a visitor may generally engage in the following business-related activities:
concluding contracts or submitting tenders;
examining or supervising the installation/packaging of goods or equipment;
participating in exhibitions or trade fairs (except selling goods or supplying services direct to the general public, or constructing exhibition booths);
settling compensation or other civil proceedings;
participating in product orientation; and
attending short-term seminars or other business meetings.
Speech(es) / presentation(s)
Besides, a person permitted to enter the HKSAR as a visitor may also attend event(s) to deliver speech(es)/presentation(s) subject to the following conditions being met:
he/she will not be remunerated for speaking/presenting at the event (other than provision of accommodation, passage, meals, etc. relating to the event, or the reimbursement of such expenses), unless he/she participates in sector-specific speaking engagements under the Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Visitors Participating in Short-term Activities in Designated Sectors where remuneration is allowed for individual sectors as recommended by the subject Government Bureaux / Departments; and
during each period of permitted stay, there is no maximum limit on the number of event(s), he/she can attend to deliver speech(es)/presentation(s) up to 14 consecutive calendar days, counting from the day when he/she starts to participate in such event(s).
“Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Visitors Participating in Short-term Activities in Designated Sectors”
The “Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Visitors Participating in Short-term Activities in Designated Sectors” (“the STV Scheme”), launched on 1 June 2024 (see here), aims to provide immigration facilitation to visitors invited/sponsored by authorised host organisations (“invitees”) for undertaking specified short-term activities in Hong Kong such that they will not need to apply for an employment visa / entry permit. For details of the STV Scheme, please see here.
“Pilot Scheme on Facilitation for Persons Participating in Arbitral Proceedings in Hong Kong”
The “Pilot Scheme on Facilitation for Persons Participating in Arbitral Proceedings in Hong Kong” (“the Pilot Scheme for Arbitral Proceedings”) (see here) aims at providing facilitation for eligible non-HKSAR residents to participate in arbitral proceedings in the HKSAR on a short-term basis as visitors. For details of the Pilot Scheme for Arbitral Proceedings, please see here.
