Hong Kong New CIES 2026: Extension of Stay Process and 3-Year Limit
If your limit of stay under Hong Kong's New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES) is running out, the extension runs through two agencies in a fixed order: Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) verifies your investment position first, and the Immigration Department (ImmD) grants the additional time. Under the Immigration Department's official "New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme" FAQ page as of October 2026, you cannot approach InvestHK more than three months before your limit of stay expires, you and any dependants must apply to ImmD before that limit expires, and ImmD normally grants an extension of not more than three years.
Seen as a residence question rather than an investment question, the scheme keeps you on a repeating cycle: each extension is a fresh confirmation that the portfolio is still being held as required and that you still meet the immigration criteria. Nothing carries over automatically from one period to the next.
When can you start, and which limit of stay are you extending?
The two limits that matter are set out in the same answer on the official page. A person admitted for residence under the scheme receives a limit of stay of 24 months on first entry, and 36 months when an extension is granted. The InvestHK verification step is tied to the expiry date of whichever limit you are currently on.
Assume an entrant whose current 36-month limit expires on 30 June. The InvestHK request cannot be made before the end of March, because the department only accepts it from three months before expiry. The ImmD application still has to be filed on or before 30 June.
That first 24-month period is not the starting point for most readers of this article, but it explains why the two numbers appear together in the official wording: the clock you are extending was itself granted as a time-limited permission, subject to the entrant continuing to satisfy the requirements of the scheme.
What does InvestHK verify before an extension?
InvestHK checks continuous compliance with the Portfolio Maintenance Requirements — that is, whether the investment position required by the scheme has been kept up across the period you have already been in Hong Kong. On verification, it issues a Certifying Proof for Fulfillment of Portfolio Maintenance Requirements.
The same department also handles the two earlier checks in the life of an application: the Net Asset Requirement and the Investment Requirements. That split is worth keeping straight, because the proof you receive at renewal time is specific to maintenance, not a re-run of the original net asset assessment.
The Immigration Department's FAQ page does not itemise the maintenance tests themselves. It refers readers to the Rules for the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme and to InvestHK for the detail on permissible investment assets and on what maintaining those investments requires, so the specific portfolio tests should be read from those sources as currently published.
Do you need InvestHK's proof before filing with ImmD?
No, and waiting for it is the mistake the official wording is written to prevent. You and your dependants must submit the extension application to ImmD before your limit of stay expires, even if the certifying proof has not yet been secured from InvestHK. ImmD then makes its decision depending on whether that proof is subsequently submitted.
In practice the sequencing risk is asymmetric. Filing on time without the proof leaves the application pending on a document that can follow; filing after expiry leaves you without valid residence status, and the official page states elsewhere that a person whose limit of stay has expired cannot apply for unconditional stay — valid residence status is required on the date of application.
How long is each extension, and how many can you get?
Each grant is normally for not more than three years, and further applications for extension of stay follow the same procedures. There is no separate, simplified route described for later renewals: the InvestHK verification, the ImmD application and the physical presence requirements reportedly apply again each time.
ImmD's side of the test is an immigration one. The extension follows once the department is satisfied from immigration perspectives that you and your dependants still meet the eligibility criteria under the New CIES.
Do you have to be in Hong Kong to apply and collect the e-Visa?
Yes, at two separate points. You should be physically present in Hong Kong at the time of application for extension of stay, and you must also be physically present in Hong Kong at the time of payment and collection of the "e-Visa" after approval.
The application itself is submitted online through the government's extension-of-stay service for persons admitted under the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme and their dependants. Physical presence is a condition attached to the online process, not a substitute for it.
What happens to dependants when you extend?
Dependants are included in the same application, and their length of stay is normally linked to that of the sponsor. A later extension for a dependant is considered only if the dependant continues to meet the eligibility criteria for residence as a dependant and the sponsor remains a bona fide Hong Kong resident living in Hong Kong — changes such as the end of a marriage relationship or the death of the sponsor affect sponsorship.
Dependants admitted under the scheme are not prohibited from taking up employment or study in Hong Kong under prevailing policy. Entrants themselves may also take up employment, hold office, be self-employed, or join or establish a business in Hong Kong.
Where does the cycle end: unconditional stay and permanent residence
Seven years of compliance with the financial requirements does not make anyone a permanent resident. The Immigration Department's position is explicit: even continuous satisfaction of the financial requirements and approved extensions for not less than seven years carries no implication that the ordinary residence requirement and other requirements under the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115) have been met. A person claiming permanent resident status has to apply separately for verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card.
What the scheme offers at that point is unconditional stay. Once InvestHK has verified continuous compliance with the Portfolio Maintenance Requirements for seven years, and the person has been approved for permission to stay under the scheme for at least seven years, an application for unconditional stay may be made at the end of the seventh year. InvestHK issues its certifying proof and informs ImmD of the result; the application must reach ImmD within the validity period of that proof, and the applicant must hold valid residence status under the scheme on the date of application. After unconditional stay is obtained, the permissible investment assets may be disposed of, subject to the terms and conditions of the underlying investments.
This article describes the published process as general information and is not legal, tax or investment advice for any individual case; your position depends on facts and on scheme rules as most recently published, so treat the latest official publications and advice from qualified professionals as controlling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early can I ask InvestHK to verify my portfolio maintenance?
No earlier than three months before your limit of stay expires. The official page sets the start of the window at three months out from expiry, whether your current limit is the 24 months granted on first entry or the 36 months granted on extension.
Can I submit my ImmD extension application before InvestHK issues its proof?
Yes, and in many cases you will have to. You and your dependants must apply before your limit of stay expires even if the certifying proof is still outstanding, and ImmD decides the application depending on whether the proof is subsequently submitted.
How many years does each New CIES extension add?
Not more than three years at a time. The first permission to stay after formal approval is for not more than 24 months, and each subsequent extension is normally three years, granted on the same two-step procedure each time.
Must I be in Hong Kong for the extension?
Yes, twice. You should be physically present in Hong Kong when you apply, and you must be physically present again when you pay for and collect the e-Visa after approval.
Does seven years under the New CIES make me a Hong Kong permanent resident?
No. Permanent residence depends on the ordinary residence requirement and other requirements under the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115), assessed through a separate application for verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card; scheme compliance is not treated as proof of it.
Can I apply for unconditional stay after my limit of stay has expired?
No. You must hold valid residence status under the New CIES on the date of application, so an expired limit has to be resolved through a timely extension first.
Do I need a re-entry visa while my residence is under the scheme?
Non-permanent residents of Hong Kong, including New CIES entrants and their dependants, do not require a re-entry visa or entry permit provided they return within the currency of their permitted limit of stay and the circumstances on which they acquired their residential status remain unchanged.