Work Visa transfer

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    Work Visa transfer

    I am currently on a 6 months assignment in Hong Kong with 6 months work Visa. Current visa is expiring on 18th March and I have found another job in Hong Kong with HSBC bank. They have submitted my visa extension and sponsorship change application to immigration Dept yesterday.
    1)How many days it may take to approve this request?
    2)If ImmD wont approve my visa transfer before 18th March, should I leave HK and re-enter after getting approval from Immd?
    3)Should I resign my current job(I need to serve a month notice) after getting the sponsorship change or now itself?

    Last edited by rzhyd; 17-02-2011 at 11:29 PM. Reason: mistake

  2. #2

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    1) Normally less than 4 weeks if transferring to a company known to ImmD (as HSBC obviously are).
    2) You could, but better would be to go to ImmD and ask for an extension of your existing visa. If you exit and re-enter as a tourist then that will probably reset the 7-year clock to zero (if Permanent Residence is important to you)
    3) Ah - so you mean that you have an open-ended job based somewhere else, not that your contract ends on 18th March? In that case I think ImmD may well ask for proof of termination of employment with your existing sponsor before they grant the transfer.

    Best thing to do is to ask ImmD, either in person at Immigration Tower, or by email: [email protected]


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    PDLM, thanks for quick response.
    Yes, it is a open enden employment with indian entity and came here on inter-company transfer for 6 months. I wanted to resign current job only when my visa sponsorship change approved by ImmD, is that a good idea? What are the chances of rejecting such sponsorship change request; consider, i am a comp programmer with post graduate degree with total 7 yrs of experience, working for a large US bank and looking to join HSBC.


  4. #4

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    The problem, as far as I understand it, is that you can only hold one visa and you can only work for the company that sponsors that visa. I don't think the application would be rejected, you just need to sort out the mechanics of the timing. If HSBC HR department can't advise you then, again, I suggest you talk directly to ImmD.


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Aug 2010
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    Your chance of being rejected is very low. For a large employer like HSBC, they are very used to dealing with IMMD and vice versa--in your case it would be about as close to a formality as it gets.

    After all you have considerable work experience AND a postgraduate degree. Better than me (degree but no work experience in my case), and I got a visa!

    If you're worried, just ask your HR department about the proportion of successful visa applications for cases like yours. They will tell you. Of course it will come with boilerplate that IMMD has the discretion to do what it wants but once you assure them you're not looking for a legal guarantee they should be very forthcoming about your chances and their past experience with the process.

    As for resigning--did you sign the contract with HSBC yet? If you've agreed your start date with HSBC then yes, you should give notice to your current employer.

    If you're on sufficiently good terms with your supervisor, just talk to him/her about the situation. For instance my supervisor has been known to accept back-dated resignation letters. If it's not TOO back-dated, he can just say he got behind on his paperwork and HR will never know.


  6. #6

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    I seem to remember that the immd want to see that you have a fixed ending date with your old employer. HSBC's HR department should be one of the best groups to sort out your transfer in HK.