Entry of Dependants of Non-local Students
Under the prevailing dependant policy, non-local students admitted for study in full-time undergraduate or post-graduate local programmes in local degree-awarding institutions may apply to bring in their spouse or the other party to a same-sex civil partnership, same-sex civil union, “same-sex marriage”, opposite-sex civil partnership or opposite-sex civil union entered into by him/her in accordance with the local law in force of the place of celebration and with such status being legally and officially recognised by the local authorities of the place of celebration[Note], and unmarried dependent children under the age of 18 to the HKSAR. Under the existing policy, while dependants whose sponsors have been admitted into the HKSAR for study may take up study in the HKSAR, they are prohibited from taking up employment in the HKSAR unless they have obtained prior permission from the Director of Immigration.
Of course, the non-local students and their dependants must fulfill all immigration requirements. If you wish to learn more about the policy, you can obtain information from the Immigration Department’s website.
For the avoidance of doubt, the terms “civil partnership” and “civil union” above mean a legal institution of a nature which is akin to spousal relationship in a marriage. The same-sex civil partnership, same-sex civil union, “same-sex marriage”, opposite-sex civil partnership and opposite-sex civil union entered into in accordance with laws outside Hong Kong are limited to only relationships which are legally and officially recognised in the places of celebration. Such relationships normally have the following features: (a) the entering into and dissolution of the relationship are governed by legislation of the place where it is entered into; (b) the relationship requires registration by the competent authority specified by the legislation of the place where it is entered into; (c) the registration is evidenced in a written instrument issued by the competent authority; and (d) parties to the relationship have a mutual commitment to a shared life akin to spouses to the exclusion of others on a permanent basis. Such relationships do not include de facto spouse, partners in cohabitation, fiancé/fiancée, etc.