The student visa is issued by the Hong Kong Immigration Department, which will indicate the school you are attending in Hong Kong, the duration of your approved entry, and the visa fee, proving that you can stay in Hong Kong for a long time during your studies. Generally, students must arrive in Hong Kong within 3 months of the visa issuance date! If you do not enter within the specified time, the visa will be invalidated, and it will be difficult for the school to assist you again!

So, can international students affected by the pandemic smoothly obtain a 1-year IANG visa to stay in Hong Kong after graduation?

That is definitely not possible.

The Hong Kong IANG visa is essential for graduates to stay in Hong Kong. The materials required for applying for the IANG visa specify that you need to provide the original and copies of two white slips from your student visa, one from your first entry and one from your last entry! If you have never entered Hong Kong and activated your student visa, you will naturally lose the opportunity to stay in Hong Kong unconditionally for one year after graduation.

If you are a student who enrolled in the fall of 2020 and have not activated your student visa, then when you graduate this year, you will not be able to apply for the IANG visa and will not be able to continue living and working in Hong Kong.

Of course, you can graduate on time and obtain a Hong Kong degree. But your hope of obtaining a 1-year IANG visa for free will be dashed, and the application for permanent residency after seven years will also drift further away from you. (Unless you are willing to take another postgraduate course.)