BLK BlackRock Inc

By Natasha Khan 

HONG KONG -- The government of Hong Kong agreed to grant dependency visas to foreigners in same-sex unions, in a step toward greater recognition of gay rights that was long sought by multinational companies operating in the Chinese financial center.

The government made the change, which takes effect on Wednesday, after the city's highest court ruled in July that immigration officials were wrong to deny a dependency visa to a British lesbian whose partner was offered work in the city. More than a dozen banks and law firms -- including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and BlackRock Inc. -- publicly backed the woman's yearslong legal battle with the city's immigration department.

The government's announcement on Tuesday is the latest sign of gradually shifting attitudes to same-sex couples in traditionally conservative Asia. Australia and New Zealand are among the few places in the region that recognize same-sex marriages. This month, India's top court ruled that gay sex wasn't a crime, while Taiwan's top court ruled last year that a law defining marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman was unconstitutional.

Gay-rights advocates in Hong Kong welcomed the government's announcement as a step toward greater recognition for same-sex rights, but said they were disappointed that officials clearly stated the decision wouldn't alter the definition of marriage in Hong Kong as exclusively heterosexual.

"We're happy to see the government implement the ruling into policy," said Raymond Chan, an openly gay member of the city's legislature. "But of course it's not ideal that they clarified it wouldn't apply to the local population."

The government said Hong Kong people with foreign same-sex spouses could now apply for dependent visas for them. No other government policies would be affected by the decision, it said.

The decision puts the city at the forefront of policy on the issue across most of the region. Refusing dependency visas to same-sex partners wasn't in line with the city's goal to attract talent, Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal said in its landmark ruling in July.

"Hong Kong now has the opportunity to be at the forefront of attracting top talent to its shores, no matter what their sexual orientation," said Matthew Bennett, managing director for recruitment firm Robert Walters in Greater China. "It's a step in the right direction for Hong Kong to be seen as an economy that treats people equally."

Write to Natasha Khan at natasha.khan@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 18, 2018 15:32 ET (19:32 GMT)

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