The indiscretions of youth can come back and haunt you in later years and in this question, a conviction for shoplifting quite some time ago is on the mind of an intending foreign national resident of Hong Kong…
QUESTION
I am very keen in settling down in Hong Kong in the long-term future. And I hope to start off by studying as a student in Hong Kong, then applying for work under the ‘Immigration Arrangement for Non-local Graduates‘ (IANG scheme).
However, I have a problem. I have a conviction for shoplifting, committed around 6 years ago.
I hope to find out from you, if that would be a bar to obtaining a work visa under the ‘IANG’ scheme?
Even if I am allowed to come to HK under a study visa, I am concerned that the Hong Kong Immigration Dept would conduct a background check on me from my home country – will they do that? (My criminal conviction back home has since been rendered spent as I have not committed any more offences).
And will they request a Police Clearance Certificate from my home country for a work visa, like they require of applicants under the ‘Quality Migrant Admission Scheme‘?
Lastly, I hope to be able to gain the right of abode after being in residence in Hong Kong for 7 years. At that point of applying for ‘right of abode’, do I have to disclose this past conviction – because I noticed that the application form for ‘right of abode’ does not question about past convictions?
And when applying for the ‘right of abode’, do I have to produce a certificate of police clearance from my home country too?
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