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40 guides · Page 3, with practical steps, FAQs and verifiable sources.
QMAS top-tier extensions: status, assessable income and the five-year stay
Do not let similar names confuse the QMAS top-tier category with TTPS. Check your QMAS status and tax records, the previous year’s assessable income, the route for an early application and when the five years begin.
- This arrangement applies to people admitted under the QMAS General Points Test who meet the specified conditions.
- The measure is salaries-tax assessable income in the previous tax year, not company turnover, savings or an arbitrary total of worldwide receipts.
- Official FAQs allow qualifying applicants to apply before existing permission expires; approval generally grants five years from the approval date.
Reading a residential tenancy: term, repairs, deposits and notice
Check the parties, payments and early termination alongside handover and deposit return, using a practical agreement review list.
- A provisional tenancy can be binding: read key terms before signing or paying.
- A fixed term, a break period and notice are separate issues governed by the actual wording.
- Stamping, Form CR109 and contract terms serve different purposes and do not replace one another.
Rental handover and move-in: inspections, readings and address changes
Check equipment, utility readings, account transfers and keys before furniture arrives, keeping clear evidence for the eventual end of the tenancy.
- Receiving keys does not settle every delivery issue; check against the tenancy inventory.
- Photograph meter readings, existing damage and the agreed handover record on move-in day.
- Handle utilities, internet, bank and government address changes separately.
Replying to a QMAS document request and checking progress
Identify what the notice is asking and which records answer it. Keep track of your response, and distinguish evidence of existing facts from asking to be assessed on new circumstances.
- Follow the department’s requested questions, channel and deadline. There is no universal supplementary-document pack required in every case.
- Substantiating previously existing facts differs from seeking assessment based on changed circumstances after submission.
- Official online and telephone status services are available after acknowledgement, but “being processed” does not establish an approval date.
Settling into a neighbourhood: public services and everyday routines
Start by finding the places you need each day, then look into libraries, recreation and family support. Getting to know local routes and building rules makes everyday arrangements easier.
- A district name cannot replace checking the street and building in daylight, evening and rain.
- Use libraries, recreation venues and district services to build regular activities.
- Services have their own eligibility and bookings; check official channels before preparing documents.
SIM real-name registration: documents, activation and fraud prevention
Check official registration channels, identity requirements and number management before buying prepaid or monthly service, especially for bank and government accounts.
- Local Hong Kong SIM services require completed real-name registration before activation.
- Use the operator's official process and do not give identity documents to unverified intermediaries.
- A long-term number connects to banks and verification codes: remove those links before cancellation or replacement.
Stamping a tenancy: the 30-day deadline and electronic process
Check the signing date, amount, application information and stamp certificate, without treating stamping as certification of ownership or contract terms.
- Stamp within 30 days of signing, using the signature date rather than only the move-in date.
- Agree clearly who submits the application and how the parties share payment.
- Keep the stamp certificate with the signed tenancy and payment records.
Starting work: contracts, hours, wages and leaving a job
Check permission and employment terms before signing, understand the revised continuous-contract test and keep records of pay, rosters and leave.
- Confirm your immigration conditions permit the work; an HKID is not permission for every activity.
- New continuous-contract hours requirements apply from 18 January 2026, so the old 418 test alone is outdated.
- Separate legal entitlements from extra company benefits; a contract cannot reduce applicable statutory protection.
Transferring into a Hong Kong school: places, documents and offers
A transfer involves coordinating the school place, year level and arrival date. Follow the steps for contacting schools, preparing documents, finding placement support and checking how your child settles in.
- Children arriving during the school year can contact schools directly or seek help from a Regional Education Office.
- A previous year-level name may not correspond directly to a Hong Kong class; assess curriculum and language readiness.
- Confirm the admission date and formal offer before finalising withdrawal and relocation.
Typhoons, heavy rain and emergencies: a family safety plan
Know which notices to check, how to arrange school and work, and what to prepare at home. Agree the practical details beforehand so there is less to work out when the weather turns.
- Cyclone, rainstorm and local flood warnings address different risks; check them together.
- Confirm school closure and employer arrangements separately rather than inferring both from one signal.
- Prepare contacts, essential medication and backup power before warnings escalate.
Utilities and broadband: accounts, bills and move-out settlement
Distinguish an existing-supply transfer from reconnection, recording start dates, meter readings, deposits and bills to separate successive occupants' costs.
- The tenancy's cost allocation and the supplier's registered account are related but separate.
- Record meter numbers, readings and move-in dates, then check the first bill.
- Water, electricity, gas and broadband each require their own opening and departure steps.
When renewal evidence is still outstanding and expiry is approaching
A document deadline and the end of permitted stay may be different dates. Track the response, missing records and existing permission separately, and identify the arrangements that need confirmation from Immigration.
- A request means more information is needed. It establishes neither refusal nor guaranteed approval.
- The response deadline and your existing permission expiry are different dates. Track both.
- Unless special approval is granted, a pending extension does not remove the requirement to leave before existing permission expires.