Adivce needed. Need to pay for course, but need my visa for it!

[Lisaishere]

Hello,
So I'm in a bit of a predicament and would greatly appreciate some advice.
So I have a British passport and am going to do an English TESOL course in Hong Kong over the summer. Obviously I need a visa to do this course. I gave the company all the information for a visa well over 2 months ago. Visas are suppose to take 6-8 weeks but it's still being processed. The course has stated that they wanted a full payment by the 20th June (course starts July) and I told them I didn't want to pay them until I got my visa.
They quote "If there are any delays/problems with the visa you will still be able to complete the course." So should am I just worrying over nothing and should just pay the rest of the course fee (already paid like £500 deposit -_-)? Or is it dodgy to start a course without having an official visa (I thought that was illegal)?

I know I might enter Hong Kong soon just as a tourist if my visa is late, I'm okay with that (originally I had planned to be a tourist all summer anyway).

The company seems very professional, nice website, I had an interview, recived a work-book and course timetable, course hand book and have kept up correspondence with them... I'm didn't go to some dodgy place lol.

[er2]

Just call ImmD and ask about the status of your visa application. It should be your application that the school just submitted on your behalf (at least that was the case with my application when I started studying here some years ago). If the company is legit, then ImmD should be able to tell you when it will be ready. If it indeed was submitted over 2 month ago then they'll probably speed up a bit if you explain them your situation.

Doing something that _obviously_ violates your conditions of stay is a really bad idea....

[Lisaishere]

So starting a course before I get my visa is illegal? As long as that's a fact I'll email the course and tell them my concerns about that.

I'm just annoyed the course stated several times that they would sort the visa all out and I didn't have to do anything at all. I'm trying to get this situation sorted now. Someone else called on my behalf I think and I thought they could only tell you if it was being processed. I don't know how to do visa stuff, what information I need to have ready to give them, or how much my phoneline will charge me for calling abroad (a lot -_-) .. but I'm checking the ImmD website now...
thanks. i hate visas..