Family Inclusion

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Under the terms of the CIES, investors are entitled to sponsor immediate family members for residency alongside their own application. This includes:

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• A legally married spouse, regardless of nationality or domicile.
  
• Unmarried dependent children under 18 years of age, including biological and legally adopted children.

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The current regulations do not allow for the inclusion of adult children over 18, nor do they accommodate dependent parents or in-laws under the main application. However, once residency is granted, separate dependent visas may be applied for on a discretionary basis.

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Applicants must provide notarized and apostilled documentation to prove family relationships. Marriage certificates and birth certificates must be translated into English or Chinese if issued in another language. For adopted children, legal proof of adoption recognized under the laws of the issuing jurisdiction must be presented.

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A strategic decision often faced by family offices is whether to include younger children immediately or defer until closer to university age. Including children in the original filing can simplify tuition, university admission, and healthcare access, particularly given the quality of Hong Kong’s international schools and proximity to elite institutions in Asia.

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