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Who is leaving Hong Kong? - Anecdotal evidence

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  1. #11

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    Feb 2016
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    I only know a select few who went back home because of christmas but want to return. Funny enough, they are still in the UK cause it is hard to get back in!


  2. #12

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    Mar 2017
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    Hong Kong
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    Have a couple of family friends that have either already left for Canada or are planning to do so. One is even so keen to leave he's learning the plumbing trade as his current white collar job isn't in any kind of demand in rural Canada.

    I personally would love to go back to the US as I really don't think HK is a great place to bring up kids but alas the wife has the final say.

    Edit: On the other hand my company has hired a number of folks recently from overseas... US (mostly H1B related), UK, Mainland, etc so it seems that people still value the prospect of coming to HK for employment, low taxes, etc.

    Coolboy likes this.

  3. #13

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    Jan 2010
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    6,452

    Already bought my tickets. Just waiting to get my second jab and then I'm out.

    vmlinuz, seirin, Mcdavid and 4 others like this.

  4. #14

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    Dec 2003
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    3,772

    Seems the government is also already aware of many people leaving HK and is now making sure MPF cannot be taken out anymore when leaving, with HSBC already refusing the paperwork altogether:

    https://twitter.com/TedCrilly666/sta...70578733834241

    https://twitter.com/TedCrilly666/sta...70582659616769

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  5. #15

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    May 2020
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    183

    I don't know anyone in my friends circle (expat and local) that are leaving anytime soon, and they all have kids under 5 yrs old. The local families "thought" about it but no action on their part.

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  6. #16

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    Apr 2019
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    island east
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gatts:
    Seems the government is also already aware of many people leaving HK and is now making sure MPF cannot be taken out anymore when leaving, with HSBC already refusing the paperwork altogether:

    [...]


    Cant' you move your MPF to a different provider, then start the leaving paperwork?
    dossier likes this.

  7. #17

    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Hong Kong, from UK
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    I think I've made it clear elsewhere that I have decided to leave

    Regardless of any personal/political issues, I've got a combination of two practical things which are combining to push me out.

    • My landlord has told me that she intends to sell our flat, and while she initially said we wouldn't necessarily have to leave, after speaking to agents she came back and said apparently nobody buys flats with tenants in place, so we'll be getting break notice some time over the summer - lease hits 1 year at the end of this month. This will be the third time in 4 years that we've been kicked out of a flat by the landlord - 2 selling, one just didn't want to renew and didn't want to tell us why. Maybe I should have looked at buying a place when I came to HK 16 years ago, but the market seemed insane then and seems worse now...
    • My current work is on a fixed-term contract, which after being extended once will also finish at the end of this month. My manager desperately wants me to stay longer, but is fighting MNC politics and budgets to get approval, and I've told him honestly that unless he can get me something that will make it worth signing another minimum-1-year lease, I'm not going to be sticking around too much longer. I don't intend to look for any more work in Hong Kong - it's just the wrong place for me and my career, and I can only see it getting worse...


    As for other people, I know a few locals and (mostly long-term) expats who have left over the past couple of years, but I'm not seeing any exodus right now in my direct circle - it's possible people are being quiet about their plans though.
    seirin, shri, AsianXpat0 and 5 others like this.

  8. #18

    Join Date
    Dec 2003
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    3,772
    Quote Originally Posted by jimbo_jones:
    Cant' you move your MPF to a different provider, then start the leaving paperwork?
    Not only HSBC it seems from the anecdotal evidence so far.
    shri and Coolboy like this.

  9. #19

    Join Date
    Feb 2009
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    Hong Kong
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    2,495

    I think what people are forgetting is that things look pretty bleak elsewhere in the world right now. The UK post-Brexit in particular plus Covid is really suffering - the exodus of financial firms from the City and the fall in manufacturing exports has been huge. The political landscape is also pretty grim there with very little prospect of a change in government any time soon.

    Good job, low tax, a fairly Covid-free environment within HK and the likely stronger faster bounce back from Covid within the Asia region once there's been progress with vaccination. Versus poor job prospects, high tax and a genuine fear for your health in the UK. I think you'd need pretty strong family reasons to make a move from HK to the UK at the moment.


  10. #20

    Join Date
    Oct 2014
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    4,188

    I know four Australian families with PR that have left in the past 12 months to move back home. Kids ranging from toddler age to teens.

    bdw and Mrs. Jones like this.

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