Hong Kong New CIES 2026: Renewal and Extension of Stay Requirements

Every extension of stay under Hong Kong’s New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES) runs through two offices rather than one: Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) first certifies that you remain compliant with the Portfolio Maintenance Requirements, and the Immigration Department (ImmD) then decides whether to grant further stay, normally for not more than three years. This walkthrough tracks the Immigration Department’s New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme Frequently Asked Questions page as of October 2026.

That split explains almost every rule that follows. Immigration status depends on an investment-compliance certificate issued by a different body, which is why the renewal timeline is built around a certificate that has to be requested, validated, and filed.

What has to be verified before your extension is granted?

Before you file anything with ImmD, you must approach InvestHK so it can verify your continuous compliance with the Portfolio Maintenance Requirements. On completion of that check, InvestHK issues a Certifying Proof for Fulfillment of Portfolio Maintenance Requirements, and ImmD resumes its own assessment of whether you and any dependants still meet the New CIES eligibility criteria from immigration perspectives.

The detailed content of those maintenance requirements is not set out in the Immigration Department’s FAQ. It sits in the Rules for the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, and InvestHK is the office responsible for verifying fulfilment of them.

How long is each stage of the cycle?

The following table collects the maximum lengths published for each stage, along with which body acts first.

Stage	Published maximum	Verified by	Granted by
First permission to stay after formal approval	Not more than 24 months, on time limitation only	InvestHK (Net Asset and Investment Requirements)	ImmD
Each extension of stay	Not more than three years	InvestHK (Portfolio Maintenance Requirements)	ImmD
Unconditional stay	No conditions of stay and no limit of stay	InvestHK (seven years’ continuous compliance)	ImmD

Two details sit behind those figures. Before formal approval, an applicant travels on visitor status for not more than 180 days in order to make the committed investment. And the extension cycle repeats: after any further covered extensions beyond three years, applicants follow the same procedures again.

When can you approach InvestHK about portfolio maintenance?

The window opens three months before your limit expires. You may not file this request earlier than three months before the expiry date, and the length of the limit you are extending matters: the first permission runs for up to 24 months, while each extension runs for up to 36 months. So second and subsequent renewals begin their countdown from a three-year limit, not a two-year one.

Assume an applicant whose current limit expires on a date in June. The earliest point to approach InvestHK is three months before that June date, and the extension application itself must reach ImmD before the June expiry — even if InvestHK’s certificate is still pending. The practical advice follows from the sequencing rather than from any single deadline: start the InvestHK check early in the three-month window, then file with ImmD well before the expiry date.

What if the certifying proof has not arrived before your limit expires?

File anyway. You and your dependants are required to submit the extension application to ImmD before the expiry of your limit of stay, notwithstanding that the relevant certifying proof may not yet have been secured from InvestHK.

ImmD then makes its decision depending on whether the certifying proof is subsequently submitted. The requirement to file on time and the requirement to hold a valid certificate are separate: missing the filing deadline is not cured by later receiving the certificate.

Do you have to be in Hong Kong to renew?

Yes, at two specific moments. You must be physically present in Hong Kong at the time you apply for the extension of stay, and after the extension is approved you must be physically present in Hong Kong again at the time of payment and collection of the “e-Visa”.

Dependants file as part of the same process. Their permitted length of stay normally tracks that of their sponsor, and later extensions are considered only if they continue to meet the dependant eligibility criteria — including that the sponsor remains a bona fide Hong Kong resident living in Hong Kong.

How does this presence rule compare with other golden visa renewals?

The distinction is structural. Some residence-by-investment programmes express presence as an annual day count that feeds into settlement; the published New CIES renewal requirements do not. Instead, presence attaches to two procedural moments — filing the extension application, and paying for and collecting the e-Visa — while the substantive test is whether InvestHK certifies continued portfolio compliance.

That is why seven years under the scheme does not settle your long-term position by itself. Habitual residence for permanent residence purposes remains a separate statutory test under the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115), which ImmD assesses only if you submit an application for verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card.

What happens after seven years — permanent residence or unconditional stay?

Seven years of meeting the financial requirements does not make you a Hong Kong permanent resident. ImmD states plainly that even continuous compliance and repeated extensions over not less than seven years carry no implication that you satisfy the ordinary residence requirement or any other requirement under the Immigration Ordinance for the right of abode.

Unconditional stay is the separate outcome the scheme offers. Once you have been approved to stay under the New CIES for at least seven years, and InvestHK has verified seven years of continuous compliance with the Portfolio Maintenance Requirements, you may apply for unconditional stay at the end of the seventh year. InvestHK informs ImmD of the verification result, and you and your dependants file with ImmD within the validity period of that certificate. Unconditional stay permits entry to and stay in Hong Kong without any conditions or limit of stay, and after obtaining it you are free to dispose of your permissible investment assets, subject to the terms of the underlying investments.

The same wording covers the other end point: if an entrant has become a permanent resident, they are free to dispose of the permissible investment assets subject to those same underlying terms. What this article describes is published scheme material for general reference and is not legal advice about any individual case; official Immigration Department and InvestHK publications, together with qualified professional advice, should govern your own decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is each extension of stay under the New CIES?

An extension of stay is normally granted for not more than three years. Further applications for extensions of not more than three years follow the same procedures.

When can I ask InvestHK to verify my portfolio maintenance?

Not earlier than three months before your current limit of stay expires. This applies whether the limit you hold was granted for 24 months on first permission or 36 months after an earlier extension.

Can I apply to ImmD before InvestHK issues its certificate?

Yes. You and your dependants must submit the extension application before your limit of stay expires, even if the certifying proof has not yet been secured. ImmD then decides the application depending on whether the certificate is subsequently submitted.

Do I need to be in Hong Kong for the renewal?

Yes. You must be physically present in Hong Kong when you submit the extension application, and again after approval, at the time of payment and collection of the “e-Visa”.

Do seven years under the New CIES give me permanent residence?

No. Continuous compliance with the financial requirements and repeated extensions over at least seven years do not by themselves satisfy the ordinary residence requirement under the Immigration Ordinance. Anyone claiming permanent resident status must apply separately for verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card.

What is unconditional stay?

Unconditional stay permits entry to and stay in Hong Kong without any conditions or limit of stay. Approval requires at least seven years of permission to stay under the New CIES plus InvestHK’s verification of seven years of continuous compliance with the Portfolio Maintenance Requirements.

Can I apply for an extension or unconditional stay after my limit of stay expires?

For unconditional stay, no: you must hold valid residence status under the New CIES on the date of application. Extension applications, by contrast, have to be submitted before the expiry of your limit of stay.