Eric graduated from Hong Kong Shue Yan College and he pursued further studies and in 2001 he obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree from Tsinghua University. He joined the Immigration Department in October 1982 as an Assistant Immigration Officer and was promoted to Immigration Officer in 1989, to Senior Immigration Officer in 1995, to Chief Immigration Officer in 2000, to Assistant Principal Immigration Officer in 2003 and to Principal Immigration Officer in 2004. He became Assistant Director of Immigration in 2007 and Deputy Director of Immigration in 2010 before being appointed as the Director of Immigration in March 2011.Eric was awarded the Hong Kong Immigration Service Long Service Medal in 2001 with first clasp in 2008, with second clasp in 2013, and received the Hong Kong Immigration Service Medal for Distinguished Service in 2009.
At his retirement, the Chief Executive of HKSAR spoke about Eric with high regards, that: “Since taking up the post as Director of Immigration in March 2011, Mr. Chan has made admirable efforts in ensuring effective entry-exit control and smooth passenger clearance, leading the Immigration Department to become a benchmark for its contemporaries around the globe.”