How to apply for permanent residence in Hong Kong with an American passport?

If you work in Hong Kong and a company helps you apply for a work visa, you can get a Hong Kong identity card immediately. But this is not a permanent resident. You need to stay in Hong Kong for seven years to become a permanent resident.

If you are an investment immigrant from Hong Kong, you can get a resident ID card as long as you invest HK$ 7 million in Hong Kong (house, stock and deposit are ok), but you have to wait seven years to become a permanent resident.

It doesn't make much difference whether you have an American passport or not. If you only enter the country with an American passport, you can only stay in Hong Kong 1 month. Of course, you can leave Hong Kong and come back immediately. You can get a visa for another month, but you will never become a Hong Kong resident.