work visa with no degree

Closed Thread
  1. #1

    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Posts
    3

    Question work visa with no degree

    Hi!

    I got a job offer recently, and was wondering is it possible to get work visa if i don't have degree (Uni dropout) and my work experience is slightly unrelated to say least - media/AD production while my offer is marketing.

    But i am native speaker of language that was required for the job (not canto/mandarin, and obv. not english), and that language isn't very popular among local learners as far as i know.

    Is being native speaker enough to qualify for work visa?

    Thanks for any answers.
    Don't want to get high hopes while undergoing long approval process


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    2,495

    The employer needs to demonstrate they couldn't find someone suitable for the job who already has the right to work here. Language could be enough. I know people without degrees with work visas (thought they had directly relevant experience).


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Posts
    3

    is it really important to have 100% relevant experience?

    I was editor for fashion magazine for most of my working experience, then photo/video/web producer for advertising agency and fashion photo shoots. And marketing would be targeted mostly to my home country, it's fashion/luxury goods. So i know enough of that market at my home, and my knowledge from my working experience does matter here.


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    4,821

    I think you should be fine, but your sponsor (employer) should take some care with their statement justifying why they need you, and that no local would do. Remember that "local" in this context means "permanent resident", so if there are a significant number of your compatriots here then they may need to demonstrate that they have actually attempted to recruit from that community and failed.


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Posts
    626

    Is local actually defined as someone with permanent residency ?


  6. #6

    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Sai Kung
    Posts
    4,151
    Quote Originally Posted by HKHK154:
    Is local actually defined as someone with permanent residency ?
    In this context pretty much anyone with a right to work here which would include most, but not all, dependant visa holders.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Posts
    3
    Quote Originally Posted by Gruntfuttock:
    I think you should be fine, but your sponsor (employer) should take some care with their statement justifying why they need you, and that no local would do. Remember that "local" in this context means "permanent resident", so if there are a significant number of your compatriots here then they may need to demonstrate that they have actually attempted to recruit from that community and failed.
    Thank you for information. I will talk with HR about statement, but i think they should know that already if they are professional with expat hiring experience.

    And i doubt there is a lot of unemployed compatriots in hong kong, maybe few wife/husbands.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Posts
    76

    I went through this. I didnt even finish high school. Something which my prospective employer didnt actually realise until the last minute, after relocating me all way from London. I think there was quite a bit of negotiation behind the scenes as a result, but I got my visa eventually.

    I would say your language skills alone would be enough to convince the immigration people that they couldnt find someone with the relevant skills locally.

    In my case they justified it by saying they couldnt find a graphic designer who understood finance and was a native english speaker. Best of luck - have they employed a law firm to sort it out?


  9. #9

    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Posts
    38

    How did your application turn out?

    On the same boat – uni dropout with 3 years of directly relevant work experience. HR just got in touch with me that ImmD is asking why I didn't finish my degree and if I have plans of finishing it. I have not encountered a similar case in any forum on being asked about plans to finish the degree.

    Is there any chance that my work visa will get approved?


    Sent from my iPhone using GeoClicks