The IANG visa is Hong Kong’s quota-free route for qualifying non-local graduates. For a student who studied in Hong Kong, the exact award must come from a full-time, locally accredited programme at undergraduate level or above and fit the current authorised-institution framework. A university name alone isn’t enough. The Immigration Department publishes the core IANG rules.
The decisive timing rule is six months from the date on the graduation certificate. A recent non-local graduate applying within that period does not need a job offer. A non-recent graduate applying later does. Both categories are normally granted 24 months initially, subject to normal immigration requirements. The official IANG FAQ explains the split.
Does every Hong Kong degree qualify for IANG?
No. The Hong Kong study route requires the applicant to have entered as a non-local student and obtained a qualifying undergraduate or higher award. The programme must be full-time and locally accredited, and the awarding institution or course category must fit the current ID(E) 991 guidebook and Annex I. The guidebook defines the covered routes.
| Question | Official evidence | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
| Did the applicant enter as a non-local student? | Passport, student permission and status record | The immigration history behind the Hong Kong study route |
| Is the award undergraduate level or higher? | Certificate, transcript or registrar proof | The qualification level and completion |
| Was the programme full-time and locally accredited? | Programme source and Qualifications Register entry | Study mode, QF level, registration number and valid dates |
| Is the institution or course covered? | Current ID(E) 991 Annex I | The authorised institution or covered-course category |
| When was the certificate issued? | Date printed on the graduation certificate | Recent or non-recent IANG category |
The Qualifications Register should match the qualification title, operator, Qualifications Framework level, registration number, type and validity period. The student’s programme start date must sit within the registered period. An archived record can still matter when the student began while it was valid. The QR FAQ explains validity.
A non-local course registered or exempted by the Education Bureau isn’t automatically a locally accredited qualification. Registration permits the course to operate under the relevant rules, but does not establish academic standing or local equivalence. The Education Bureau states this limit.
What changes after the six-month IANG window?
| Question | Recent graduate | Non-recent graduate |
|---|---|---|
| Application timing | Within six months after the certificate date | More than six months after that date |
| Job offer | Not required | Required at a level normally taken by degree holders, with market-level pay |
| Core extra document | Proof of graduation | Employment contract or appointment letter with post, pay, benefits and period |
| Normal initial stay | 24 months | 24 months, including where the first contract is shorter under the FAQ |
| Normal processing target | Two weeks after a complete file and fee | Four weeks after a complete file and fee |
The clock uses the graduation-certificate date, not the last class, final examination or convocation date. A graduate can apply before the physical certificate arrives if the institution provides accepted proof that every graduation requirement is complete. Processing cannot finish until adequate proof is available. The FAQ describes completion letters and transcripts.
For an Indian student, this changes the order of preparation. Passport and Hong Kong status records can be organised while final results are pending. The registrar’s completion proof becomes the crucial university document once all degree requirements are met. An applicant who stays inside the recent-graduate period can file without waiting for an employer, while someone outside it needs the appointment letter or contract before filing. The contract must state the post, remuneration, benefits and employment period. This isn’t merely a document difference: it decides which application category the Immigration Department assesses and whether the case can move without a confirmed job.
If student permission is expiring while final results are pending, an interim extension may be possible on student conditions. That does not itself authorise full-time graduate employment. The graduate should not start work until IANG or another relevant work permission is approved. The Hong Kong student visa page covers the status held before graduation.
How is an IANG application filed?
The current IANG service is online through GovHK. A group application can contain the principal applicant and accompanying dependants, up to four applications in one group. Files may be JPEG, PDF, GIF, PNG or TIF, with a 5 MB maximum per file. The GovHK service gives the live upload rules.
| Document | Recent graduate | Non-recent graduate |
|---|---|---|
| Recent photograph | Required | Required |
| Passport identity page | Required | Required |
| Current Hong Kong status and HKID, if held | Required where applicable | Required where applicable |
| Graduation certificate, transcript or accepted completion proof | Required | Required |
| Employment contract or appointment letter | Not required for the initial recent route | Required, including post, salary, benefits and employment period |
| Certified Chinese or English translation | Required when an original document is in another language | |
The Immigration Department can request more documents. A non-recent applicant may also need qualification and relevant work evidence. Approval is discretionary, so an upload receipt or paid fee isn’t an approval notice.
How much does the IANG application cost?
The specified-schemes schedule charges HK$600 for each application, including each dependant. After approval, issue of a permission lasting more than 180 days costs HK$1,300. A normal 24-month principal application therefore needs HK$1,900 in government charges, calculated as HK$600 plus HK$1,300. The specified-schemes page and fee table publish the components.
The Immigration Department gives a normal processing target of two weeks for a recent graduate and four weeks for a non-recent graduate after all required documents and the application fee are received. June to August can take longer. Payment and processing time don’t guarantee approval.
What can an IANG holder do after approval?
An IANG holder can take employment and change jobs during the permitted stay without prior Immigration Department approval. If a job ends, the holder may remain in Hong Kong and look for another job until the current stay expires. Extension is different: it normally requires employment or established business evidence. The official FAQ covers job loss and job changes.
The arrangement is quota-free and non-sector specific. IANG entrants are free to take up and change employment during their permitted stay.
Study during IANG is possible, but the holder should ensure that the intended activity remains consistent with the conditions of stay. IANG is not a promise of permanent residence. Any future residence claim uses a separate legal test.
Can an IANG applicant bring family?
An IANG applicant may sponsor a spouse or qualifying partner and unmarried dependent children under 18, subject to the relationship, accommodation and support requirements. Their stay is normally linked to the principal applicant. Dependants admitted under the current policy may work or study without separate prior permission. The dependant policy gives the family rules.
Each dependant has a separate application and fee even when filed in one online group. The GovHK online service says a group can contain no more than four applications, so a larger family should use the live service guidance rather than infer how the extra application is linked.
When should an IANG extension be filed?
The online extension route normally opens within three months before the permitted stay expires. GovHK advises applying at least four weeks before expiry, while ID(E) 991 says applications should be made at least six weeks before expiry. The safer planning point is six weeks, after the holder has employment or business evidence ready. GovHK publishes the online extension service.
| Item | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Current travel document, HKID and e-Visa | Identity and current status |
| Employment contract or employer letter | Post, salary, benefits and employment period |
| Employer’s business registration evidence | Employer identity where requested |
| Tax and income evidence | Supports employment and any top-tier claim |
| Business documents, if self-employed | Shows an established and operating business |
How long is an ordinary IANG extension?
The current official sources conflict. The IANG main page and guidebook describe an ordinary three-year plus three-year pattern. FAQ question 27 says an employed extension is granted for not more than three years or until the employment contract expires, whichever is shorter. Both were current April 2026 sources, so neither should be hidden.
Extension of stay may follow a 3-3 year pattern, or until the expiry of the employment contract, whichever is the shorter.
The practical reading is conservative: an ordinary extension may be up to three years, but a shorter employment contract may shorten the grant. The actual e-Visa and live filing guidance control the holder’s stay. The two official sources should be checked again when the extension is filed.
The complete Hong Kong study route connects programme identity, admission, funding and student status before IANG. Students selecting a degree can use the Hong Kong programme identity guide. The direct admission pages for HKU, CUHK, HKUST and PolyU explain the study stage before IANG.
- IANG depends on the exact qualification, programme accreditation, study mode and institution category.
- The six-month clock starts from the graduation-certificate date.
- A recent graduate doesn’t need a job offer; a non-recent graduate does.
- Both categories normally receive 24 months initially.
- The online application fee is HK$600 and a normal 24-month issue costs another HK$1,300.
- An IANG holder can change jobs without prior approval during a valid stay.
- Dependants file separately and pay separate fees.
- Current official sources conflict on ordinary extension length when the employment contract is shorter.
Frequently asked questions
Does every Hong Kong degree qualify for IANG?
No. The Hong Kong study route requires a qualifying undergraduate or higher award from a full-time, locally accredited programme and a covered institution or course category. The exact Qualifications Register entry, programme validity and current ID(E) 991 Annex I matter more than the university brand alone.
When does the six-month IANG period begin?
It begins from the date shown on the graduation certificate. It is not counted from the final examination, course end or convocation. An application filed within six months of that certificate date uses the recent-graduate route and does not require a job offer.
Can I apply before receiving the graduation certificate?
Yes, if the institution provides accepted proof that all graduation requirements are complete, such as an endorsed completion letter, transcript or testimonial. The Immigration Department cannot complete the case without adequate graduation evidence, so the university’s document and the applicant’s timing must align.
Does a recent graduate need a job offer?
No. A recent non-local graduate applying within six months of the certificate date does not need an employment offer. A non-recent graduate does, and the job must normally be at a level taken by degree holders with remuneration at the prevailing market level.
How much does a normal IANG application cost?
The application fee is HK$600. After approval, a permission longer than 180 days costs HK$1,300 to issue. A normal 24-month principal grant therefore needs HK$1,900 in government charges. Each dependant has separate application and issue fees, and payment does not guarantee approval.
Can an IANG holder change employers?
Yes. During a valid IANG stay, the holder can take employment and change jobs without prior Immigration Department approval. If employment ends, the person may remain and seek another job until the current stay expires. Extension later requires suitable employment or established business evidence.
What happens if my job ends before IANG expires?
The current permission does not end automatically with the job. The holder may remain in Hong Kong and search for another employer until the permitted stay expires. A later extension still needs qualifying employment or business evidence, so the expiry date remains the practical deadline.
Is an IANG extension always three years?
No fixed promise is safe. The main IANG page describes a three-year plus three-year pattern, while the current FAQ caps an employed grant at three years or the employment-contract expiry, whichever is shorter. Applicants should use the live sources and actual e-Visa at filing.
Sources
- Hong Kong Immigration Department, IANG, IANG FAQ and guidebook ID(E) 991
- GovHK, online IANG application and extension of stay
- Hong Kong Qualifications Register, qualification search and validity FAQ
- Education Bureau, non-local course FAQ
- Immigration Department, specified scheme fees, fee tables and dependants
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