Latest news with #visaextension


South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong top talent scheme's 54% visa extension rate ‘ideal', labour chief says
More than half of the professionals admitted to Hong Kong under a top talent scheme launched two years ago have applied to extend their stay, a rate that the city's labour chief has hailed as 'ideal'. Reviewing the Top Talent Pass Scheme, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han also revealed on Friday that the median monthly salary of those who had successfully extended their visas was HK$40,000 (US$5,128), while a quarter earned HK$80,000. Sun also dismissed concerns that the new arrivals had consumed Hong Kong resources, noting that half of those who succeeded in extending their stay were aged 40 or below, while saying that small details in the scheme could be enhanced. The scheme, under which a two-year visa is usually issued to successful applicants, was launched by the government in December 2022 to counter a brain drain during the Covid-19 pandemic. In a closed-door media briefing on Friday, Sun revealed that the visas of 13,678 individuals had expired as of July 31, with 7,394 or 54 per cent submitting applications for an extension. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun. Photo: Sun Yeung Including 2,305 people whose visas had not expired before July 31 but who had already applied for extensions, the Immigration Department had received 9,699 applications in total.


Arabian Business
27-06-2025
- Arabian Business
Saudi Arabia announces major visa update
Saudi Arabia has announced a major visa extension for visitors in the Kingdom. The General Directorate of Passports announced the launch of an initiative to extend all types and categories of expired visit visas for the purpose of final exit, effective from Muharram 1, 1447 AH (corresponding with June 26, 2025). The initiative provides a 30-day window for extension, contingent upon the payment of prescribed fees and penalties in accordance with regulations. Saudi visa extension The directorate stated that applicants may submit requests through the 'Tawasul Service' on the Ministry of Interior's Absher electronic platform during the specified period. The directorate also urged all eligible individuals to benefit from the initiative before the deadline.