What the Hong Kong Immigration Department Looks for in a Character Reference Letter for a Visa Case

The Hong Kong Immigration Department received over 75,000 applications for visas and entry permits in the first half of 2025, according to the department’s latest statistics released in July 2025. That figure represents a 14% increase over the same period in 2024, driven largely by the expansion of the Top Talent Pass Scheme and the revised Capital Investment Entrant Scheme. As case volumes rise, the department has tightened its documentary requirements, and one document that now receives far more scrutiny than in previous years is the character reference letter. A poorly drafted reference — one that is vague, self-serving, or lacking in specific, verifiable detail — is one of the fastest ways to trigger a request for further information or, in some cases, a straight refusal under section 11(1) of the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115). This article sets out exactly what the Immigration Department expects to see in a character reference letter, what it will disregard, and how to ensure the letter supports rather than undermines the application.

What the Immigration Department Expects from the Referee

The Referee Must Be a Credible, Independent Third Party

The legislation provides that the Director of Immigration may require any information or document that the Director considers relevant to an application. In practice, the department treats a character reference as an attestation of the applicant’s good character, reputation, and integrity. The referee must therefore be someone whose own standing gives weight to that attestation.

The department expects the referee to be a professional who has known the applicant for a sustained period — typically three years or more — in a context that allows direct observation of the applicant’s conduct. Suitable referees include solicitors or barristers admitted to practice in Hong Kong under the Legal Practitioners Ordinance (Cap. 159), certified public accountants registered under the Professional Accountants Ordinance (Cap. 50), medical practitioners listed on the Medical Council of Hong Kong’s register, senior executives at a regulated financial institution, or a recognised academic at a Hong Kong university.

The department will give little weight to a reference from a family member, a close personal friend who cannot demonstrate professional standing, or a colleague at the same junior level as the applicant. The referee must also be contactable by the department. A referee who has left Hong Kong permanently or who cannot be reached at the contact details provided will cause the letter to be disregarded entirely.

The Referee Must Have Direct Knowledge of the Applicant’s Character

A character reference that reads like a generic template — “I have known the applicant for X years and I believe they are of good character” — will not satisfy the department’s standard. The referee must state the specific basis of their knowledge. This means describing the professional or social context in which the referee came to know the applicant, the frequency and duration of their interactions, and specific observations of the applicant’s honesty, reliability, and law-abiding behaviour.

For example, a solicitor who has acted for the applicant in a commercial transaction over three years should describe the nature of that transaction, the applicant’s conduct during negotiations, and any instances where the applicant demonstrated integrity under pressure. A bank compliance officer who supervised the applicant for two years should describe the applicant’s adherence to anti-money laundering protocols and internal code of conduct.

The department will cross-check the referee’s claims against the applicant’s own declared employment history, residential addresses, and travel record. Discrepancies between the reference letter and the application form — such as the referee claiming to have known the applicant for five years when the applicant’s declared residential history shows they were living overseas for three of those years — will invite a request for explanation at best, and an adverse inference at worst.

What the Letter Must Contain

The Letter Must Be on Letterhead and Signed in Ink

The Immigration Department’s internal guidelines, as disclosed in past Access to Information requests, make clear that electronic signatures or unsigned PDF attachments are not accepted for character references. The letter must be printed on the referee’s official letterhead — whether that is a law firm, accounting firm, bank, or university — and signed in ink by the referee. A scanned copy of the signed original is acceptable for initial submission, but the department may request the original for verification.

The letter must be dated within three months of the application date. A reference letter that is six months old or older will be treated as stale and the department may request a fresh one. The letter should be addressed to “The Director of Immigration, Immigration Department, 7/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong” — not to “To Whom It May Concern” or to a specific visa officer by name.

The Letter Must Address the Specific Visa Category

The department expects the referee to demonstrate awareness of the visa category under which the applicant is applying. A reference written for a Top Talent Pass Scheme application should reference the applicant’s professional achievements and the referee’s confidence that the applicant will contribute to Hong Kong’s economy. A reference for a Capital Investment Entrant Scheme application should reference the applicant’s financial probity and compliance with Hong Kong’s securities laws and regulations.

A generic letter that could be used for any visa application — or worse, that appears to have been adapted from a letter written for a different jurisdiction — will be treated as a low-quality submission. The department’s case officers are trained to spot boilerplate language. Phrases such as “I recommend this individual without reservation” or “I have always found the applicant to be honest and trustworthy” without any supporting detail will be given minimal weight.

The Letter Must Include Specific, Verifiable Facts

The most effective character references include specific facts that the department can verify independently. These include:

• The applicant’s full name and Hong Kong Identity Card number or passport number.
• The period over which the referee has known the applicant, with specific start and end dates.
• The nature of the relationship — professional, social, or academic — with enough detail to allow the department to assess the referee’s vantage point.
• At least one concrete example of the applicant’s good character. For a professional reference, this might be the applicant’s handling of a difficult compliance issue. For an academic reference, it might be the applicant’s adherence to research ethics.
• A statement that the referee is not aware of any criminal convictions, pending charges, or investigations involving the applicant in any jurisdiction.
• The referee’s contact details, including a direct telephone number and email address, and a statement that the referee is willing to be contacted by the department for verification.

The department will not contact every referee. But the knowledge that the department may call creates a powerful incentive for the referee to be truthful. A referee who is unwilling to provide direct contact details should not be used.

What the Department Will Disregard

Vague Statements of General Good Character

The Immigration Department has stated in its published guidance notes for visa applicants that character references should be “specific and substantive.” Statements such as “the applicant is a person of high moral character” or “I have no reason to doubt the applicant’s integrity” are treated as opinions, not facts. The department will disregard them unless they are supported by the specific observations described in the previous section.

References That Contradict the Applicant’s Own Declarations

If the applicant declares in the application form that they have never been arrested or charged with any offence, but the character reference states that the referee understands the applicant has “no criminal record to the best of my knowledge,” the department will note the discrepancy. The referee should either affirm that they have conducted a check — such as a review of the applicant’s criminal record certificate — or state clearly that their knowledge is limited to their personal observation.

References from Individuals Who Are Not Hong Kong Residents

The department places greater weight on references from individuals who are ordinarily resident in Hong Kong. A referee who lives in mainland China, the United Kingdom, or Canada may still provide a valid reference, but the department will treat it as less authoritative because the referee cannot be expected to have direct knowledge of the applicant’s conduct in Hong Kong. For applicants who have lived in Hong Kong for several years, the department expects at least one referee to be a Hong Kong resident.

Timing and Submission

Submit the Letter with the Initial Application

The department’s practice is to consider only the documents submitted with the initial application when making a first-instance decision. While the department may request additional documents after submission, doing so introduces delay and suggests that the initial submission was incomplete. The character reference should be included in the application package at the time of filing.

The letter should be placed in a sealed envelope with the referee’s signature across the seal, or submitted as a scanned copy of the signed original through the department’s online application portal. If submitting through the portal, the PDF file name should include the applicant’s name and the document type — for example, “Chan_Siu_Ming_Character_Reference.pdf” — to avoid confusion with other documents.

The Department May Request a Supplementary Reference

In cases where the initial reference is deemed insufficient, the department may issue a letter under section 11(1) of the Immigration Ordinance requesting a supplementary reference. This letter will specify what additional information is required. The applicant should comply strictly with the request. A supplementary reference that repeats the same vague statements as the original will likely result in a refusal.

The department’s target processing time for straightforward visa applications is four to six weeks as of 2025. A request for a supplementary reference typically adds two to three weeks to that timeline.

Actionable Takeaways

• Choose a referee who is a Hong Kong-based professional — a solicitor, accountant, or bank executive — who has known you for at least three years in a professional capacity.
• Ensure the letter is on the referee’s official letterhead, signed in ink, and dated within three months of your application date.
• Ask the referee to include at least one specific, verifiable example of your good character — a concrete fact, not a general opinion.
• Submit the character reference with your initial application, not after a request from the department.
• Cross-check every fact in the reference letter against your own application forms; any discrepancy will be treated as an inconsistency.

This does not constitute legal advice. Consult a solicitor for your specific case.