1. Important Notes for Permanent Residency Application
In addition to the residency time requirement mentioned above, according to the regulations of the Hong Kong Immigration Department, applicants must be physically present in Hong Kong and legally staying (whether applying by mail, in person, or online) when submitting their permanent residency application. If the applicant is not in Hong Kong at the time of application submission, the application will be terminated and will not be processed.

2. Preparing Application Materials
Once you have confirmed that you will return to Hong Kong to submit your application, the first thing to do is to prepare the application materials, including:
1.Fill out the application form: ROP145 - "Application for Verification of Permanent Resident Identity Card Eligibility (Applicable to Other Applicants)";
2.A copy of your Hong Kong Identity Card (if any) and copies of entry permit labels for the past 7 years, as well as travel documents showing your current conditions of stay in Hong Kong;
3.Documents proving continuous residence in Hong Kong for seven years (school documents, employment proof, bank statements, etc.);

3. Submitting the Application
Once the application materials are ready, the next step is to submit the application. There are three ways to submit the application: by mail, in person, or online.
1.By mail: Submit to the Hong Kong Immigration Department, 25th Floor, Residency Rights Section;
2.In-person submission: Place the application materials in the drop box at the Immigration Department;
3.Online submission: Log in to the following website and upload the materials as required.

4. Receive Application Number Letter
Generally, after the application is submitted, the Immigration Department will send an application number letter to the applicant within one to two weeks. After receiving the application number letter, the Immigration Department usually requires four weeks to process the application. Of course, during this process, if the applicant's application materials are insufficient, the Immigration Department may send a supplementary information letter requesting the applicant to provide further information. If additional information is requested during this period, the Immigration Department will need more time to process the application.

5. Go to the Immigration Department to Verify Permanent Residency Procedures
If the application is approved, the Immigration Department will send an approval letter to the applicant and invite the applicant to go to the Immigration Department to verify the permanent residency procedures at the specified time. However, you do not need to worry as this is not a complicated matter; it is just to verify your identity documents and travel documents.

Additionally, if you are unable to go to the Immigration Department to verify the permanent residency procedures at the specified time, you can choose to log in to the following website to change the time: