Meet Sean

Helping a young teenager get a legal identity

Sean’s young life had been full of things he did not have: a home, a legal identity and present/capable parents. With no legal identity, he fell outside the public healthcare, education, and other state welfare support systems. Through no fault of his own, Sean had been, since birth, an illegal immigrant here. His parents had neglected to register his birth. And he was in great trouble because of that.

To address his immediate humanitarian needs, we referred Sean to NGO partners to secure accommodation, food, wellbeing and welfare support. We then got down to formalising his legal identity and Hong Kong immigration status. After many intervention letters from us, Sean regularised his identity and now even has a passport! Next, we helped him apply for exceptional permission to remain in Hong Kong since this was, and remains, the only home Sean has ever known. The Immigration Department accepted Sean's application, granting him a visa to remain.

With an identity and a visa, Sean - now a young adult - can finally access Hong Kong's education, employment and other essential welfare support systems.

*Sean is a pseudonym.