Student Visa Application

Important Notes

All students without the right of abode/right to land in Hong Kong must apply for a student visa for the purpose of education, regardless of the length of your study, from the Hong Kong Immigration Department (ImmD).
Student visa applicants are required to have a local sponsor. While admitting to HKU, you are required to nominate Academic Liaison Section (ALO) of the Registry to be your local sponsor.
Students are reminded to pay attention to any special arrangements due to COVID.
You are strongly advised to submit the online visa application as soon as you receive a Notice of Admission from HKU, since the processing time for application of a student visa requires approximately 10-12 weeks.
Upon successful application, a visa/entry permit will be granted by ImmD, which will be collected by AAL for onward transmission to the applicant.
One entry permit is applicable for one programme only, and the cumulative duration of a short-term study should not exceed 180 days within any 12-month period according to the Immigration guidelines.
For students currently staying in Hong Kong holding a valid student visa (NOT a dependent visa), please read the guidelines for taking up a HKU summer/short-term programme.
It is the responsibility of individual students to make appropriate visa arrangement before they come to Hong Kong.

Steps for getting a Student visa

Step 1: Applicant receives an offer of admission

Step 2: Applicant prepares the required documents and proceed with the online visa application

Step 3: Applicant uploads all the required documents and settles an application fee

Step 4: AAL checks the documents

Step 5: Applicant uploads revised or outstanding document(s) (if required)

Step 6: AAL confirms the documents

Step 7: Applicant sends the complete set of application documents to AAL by courier/registered mail

Step 8: AAL submits the application to ImmD

Step 9: ImmD processes the application in 8-10 weeks and releases results

Step 10: Applicant may need to upload additional document(s) during the process

Step 11: Applicant confirms address for delivery of the visa label/entry permit

Step 12: AAL sends the visa label/entry permit by courier

Online system links

To submit the online visa application, applicants should register a new account and must fulfil the application requirements as set out. You are able to check your application progress in the online application system.

Base on the travelling passport / Exit-Entry Permit you are holding for entry into Hong Kong, please select the follows to start the online visa application:

Mainland China Macao / Taiwan Overseas

*Chinese nationals (holding a Chinese passport) who currently reside in an overseas country with a permanent residency, and intend to enter Hong Kong from such country (other than mainland China) for study , may choose to apply the student visa via the Overseas route, and use the Chinese passport instead of the Exit-entry Permit (港澳通行證) for travelling to Hong Kong. However, they may be required to submit more application documents for assessment, such as current student card and student visa copy, academic transcript copy, or flight itinerary, subject to the request from the ImmD officer.

Items	Note
Processing time	10-12 weeks (student visa application) The applicant is strongly advised to submit the application as soon as he/she has received the Notice of Admission from HKU.
Duration of Stay	Strictly adhere to the period granted by ImmD as printed on the visa/entry permit label. You are suggested to arrive Hong Kong not earlier than the day required by your programme organiser. Please contact your programme organiser if you have any concern on your arrival and departure date.
Application fee	HKD 990 (non-refundable, including the sponsorship of HKU) An applicant can only settle the fee by using the online credit card payment platform (Visa, MasterCard or China UnionPay).

List of Document Required

*If you are a student from the Mainland China and will enter Hong Kong directly from the Mainland for taking up short-term programme(s) in HKU, please visit here for further details.

New Visa Application

- 1. Application for Entry for Study in Hong Kong Form (ID 995A)(Download Here) (Sample Form);
    - Print page 1 – 4 on one side A4 white paper. Ensure the barcode is clearly shown at the bottom of each page.
    - Complete and submit all column on page 1 – 4 only (except part 3 on Page 2).
    - Sign on every page as required on the bottom right corner. Please note that digital signature and electronic typing are not allowed on the signature space.
    - Affix one recent original photo according to the instruction shown on page 2. Printed photo is not acceptable.
    - AAL will not process and sponsor dependent visa application. Applicant may arrange visa(s) for his/her accompanying dependant(s) separately. For details, please refer to the Application for Residence as Dependants and Guidebook on ImmD website(Click Here)

- 1. Student Visa Sponsorship Form – For Application for Entry for Study in Hong Kong (Download Here) ;

*For summer/short-term programme applicants, you DO NOT need to complete page 5-6 of the sponsorship form.

- 1. Letter of Guardian Nomination(If the applicant is under the age of 18) (Download Here) ;

- The authorized guardian in Hong Kong must obtain a valid Hong Kong Identity Card and living in Hong Kong currently. Otherwise, please nominate the representative of HKU. Please upload the Letter of Guardian Nomination with attached photocopy of the Hong Kong Identity Card of the authorized guardian if applicable.

Birth Certificate copy (if you are under the age of 18)
A photocopy of the Notice of Admission and your acceptance to the offer;
A photocopy of Passport containing your personal particulars
A photocopy of financial proof;
ImmD is strict about the financial documents. Applicant must show to have an ability to afford the costs of education and living expenses in Hong Kong. To establish the evidence of financial resources, applicant or the financial sponsor should submit one of, or a combination of the following:
1. 1. Financial proof
    (a) Proof of liquid assets;
    1. Up-to-date bank records issued within 3 months (bank statements or passbook or bankbook), and/or a personal certificate of saving/fixed deposit of your own/financial sponsor with a bank stamp.
    2. Please note the wealth management products are not acceptable.
    3. ImmD will not accept any on-line/website printed version of banking statement as the financial proof.

(b) Tax receipts and salary slips, employment letters;

According to experience, applicant should possess around USD2,000 for a 4-week short-term programme to support a living in Hong Kong. However, this amount is for reference only. The final approval should be made by ImmD.

Additional documents which required applicants from below countries to submit for application as below:

Taiwan	A photocopy of Household Registration in Taiwan 戶籍謄本 A photocopy of Taiwan Identity Card A self-explanatory statements, with reasons and need to attend HKU programme and the immediate plan after study
Macao	A photocopy of Macao Identity Card A photocopy of Visit Permit for Residents of Macao SAR to Hong Kong SAR 澳門特別行政區居民往來香港特別行政區旅遊證
Afghanistan, Cambodia, Cuba, Laos, Korea (Democratic Peoples’ Republic of ), Nepal, Poland, Russia and Vietnam	A photocopy of your study proof (school report, student identity card or transcripts) A self explanatory statements, with reasons and need to attend HKU programme and the immediate plan after study

External Links and Information

For enquiries, please contact the follows:

Mainland Chinese students: Click Here

Macao/ Taiwan students: Click Here

Overseas students: Click Here

Disclaimer:

AAL will not be responsible for any delay/cancellation/failure in your student visa application.
The visa fees paid are non-refundable under any circumstances
All content in the website may be updated at any time without prior notice.

Last update: April, 2020