Start with the sponsor's residence status and the applicant's nationality and usual residence. A family-visit endorsement, dependant residence and One-way Permit settlement serve different purposes.
What to have ready
Before you start
Eligible employment, talent and specified full-time degree-student sponsors can generally bring a spouse or officially recognised qualifying partner and unmarried dependent children under eighteen. Permanent residents and residents without a stay limit have an additional category for parents aged sixty or above. Mainland Chinese residents face sponsor-specific exceptions, so marriage to a Hong Kong permanent resident does not itself establish eligibility under this channel. Certain former Mainland residents in Macao and nationalities also face restrictions.
What to do, step by step
- Write a one-page profile of both parties' status, residence, relationship and sponsor scheme. Compare it with current dependant eligibility. Where a Mainland family member falls outside the exceptions, investigate the appropriate settlement or family-visit route instead.
- Collect marriage or birth certificates, relationship evidence and required certified translations. Match names with travel documents and explain previous marriages or guardianship accurately. Photographs complement documentary records rather than replacing the legal relationship evidence.
- The sponsor prepares identity, current e-Visa, income or bank records and accommodation evidence. Organise an application and applicable fees for each family member, keeping uploaded versions, receipts and supplementary-document requests together for later follow-up.
- After approval, check the e-Visa's entry validity and conditions. A successful Mainland applicant also needs the Exit-entry Permit and appropriate Mainland endorsement. On admission, record the actual permitted stay rather than assuming the approval letter's entry window is the residence expiry.
Costs, timing, and things to check
Dependants of student sponsors need prior Immigration permission to work. Employment treatment differs for other qualifying sponsor categories. Read the actual grant and relevant policy before accepting a job, rather than borrowing a friend's interpretation of their permission.
The sponsor must remain a genuine Hong Kong resident and meet support and accommodation requirements. Changes to marriage or sponsorship can affect renewal. Explain changes promptly and keep sufficient time to address any new immigration arrangements.
A practical example
A Shenzhen spouse joining a Hong Kong permanent resident checks whether a dependant exception applies before paying an agent. Another spouse has a TTPS sponsor and uses that sponsor category's checklist. Similar family relationships can lead to different application routes.
Choose the correct sponsor and applicant route before assembling genuine relationship, support and housing evidence.
Official information and enquiries
These are the reference and service entry points for this guide. Check current fees, eligibility, and schedules with the authority. The preparation date is not each source's official update date.