Rexford,
I was also assured recently by the Hong Kong Tourist Board that they are willing with
enough notice to help troubleshoot any problems with Immigration. Kevin's advice
below is very accurate about the process. Do let me know if you continue to have problems
and perhaps we can get the Board to help. But the process below has to be be accomplished
first.
Also if you need a letter, please contact me.
Ellie
Ellie Young
Conference Coordinator
Wikimedia Foundation
p. 415 839 6885 x6862
c. 510 701 8649
On May 21, 2013, at 9:33 PM, Doraemon <ka360(a)live.hk> wrote:
Dear Rexford,
I experienced many times of HK visa application. I suggest you to try apply the visa
from Hong Kong Immigration Department directly instead of Chinese embassy. I think HK
Immigration Department does not require such documents.
You have to mail (or let someone in Hong Kong to submit ) the application form with
necessary documents to the Immigration Department at following:
Receipt and Despatch Unit
Hong Kong Immigration Department
2/F, Immigration Tower
7 Gloucester Road
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Refer:
http://www.immd.gov.hk/en/services/hk-visas/visit-transit/guidebook.html
The necessary documents are listed on Section VI.
Note:
1. If possible, I suggest to have someone who living in Hong Kong (must actually living
in HK now) to be your sponsor, let him/her to submit the documents, pick up the visa and
pay the fee at the counter in Wan Chai.
2. If no one in Hong Kong can help you to submit and pay, a HK$160 cheque from HK bank
may be necessary for payment. You have to put the cheque into the envilope with your
documents.
3. The application takes 4-6 weeks. If urgent, fax the document to +852 2824 1133 prior
to you mail it.
If you have any questions, you can ask me at ka360(a)live.hk
Kevin
On 2013/05/22 0:27, Nkansah Rexford wrote:
Hi, I'm from Ghana. I'm rexford. I'm
sorry this comes off lengthy, but its something i've faced before so wanna bring it
up.
Bank Statements
To enter many countries ( I don't know yet for Hong Kong), the embassy requires the
bank statement of the inviting organization or the organization funding the scholarship
awardee aside the awardee's personal bank statement.
The bank statement is basically required so the embassy knows that the organization
taking you out of your base country is worthy of caring for you during the timespan of
your stay in the new country of stay. Irrespective of how big or small the inviting
organization is, the bank statement is really essential for the consulars
Last year, I that wasn't available for me from WMDC for 2012 Wikimania.
I want to learn if WMHK has any arrangement for releasing banks statements - if not their
global bank statement - at least with respect to the awardee, indicating specifics (eg,
allocated funds for the person with respect to accommodation food, transport,
sightseeing(if any) etc)
Some countries are very critical about that (UK, US and other developed countries (I
presume Hong Kong is similar) - Though they won't tell you directly that's why you
were not accepted for Visa, in their eyes, it counts a lot.
Invitation Letter
I'm sure WMHK will send to the scholarship winners who wish for visa application
assistance some letter(s). Seriously, such letters in certain parts of the globe, like my
country, hardly counts. I will emphasize that, consulars in certain parts of Africa,
including Ghana don't take letters seriously, after all, letters are today writable
and signable by anyone anytime from anywhere. To that effect, such types of letters
sometimes loose their weight and intent though they might be/or are legitimate. Its is
very critical because of the number of fraudulent cases reported at such embassies.
I ask, is there no other authoritative means whereby the WMF or WMHK can directly
correspond with the local embassy from where the awardee is coming from other than just a
sheet of white paper with black ink? Their corresponding with the local embassy is NOT to
decide for them as to allowing their invitee to come around, but rather, to re-emphasize
the fact that its true the invitee is really invited by an organization for blah blah
blah.
I believe that will rather be a practical visa assistance, if one will wanna call it
that.
Many organizations intercede for their invitees when they lose acquisition of a visa to
travel. Their follow ups aren't meant to challenge with the local embassy, rather to
impress on them and try to explain in clear and direct means what their inviting the
person all has to do.
It happened to me last year, thus my concerns. I couldn't attend WMDC 2012
I wish to be enlightened more.
Thanks.
rexford
--
+Rexford | +Blender Academy | +233 266 811 165 l BFCT
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