Working Visa in HK Paranoia

Closed Thread
  1. #1

    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Tel Aviv, Israel
    Posts
    7

    Working Visa in HK Paranoia

    Hey everyone,

    I would really appreciate if you could give me some advice on the following:

    I'm a Canadian citizen with an Economics B.S. moving to Hong Kong out of personal reasons. I've been trying to find a job there online but it's been really difficult so far. How hard is to find jobs once you're in Hong Kong? And also, how difficult is it to get hired if you are not a resident and do not have a working permit? Is this something that happens often or not at all?

    I'm wondering if the whole move is worth the risk so whatever information you can give me, I would really be forever grateful.

    Thanks,
    T.T.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    23,205

    Firstly, you can't "move" and take up residence without a visa of some sort.

    Secondly, with no significant experience or unusual skills it will be very hard to find an employee who thinks you will have any chance of getting an Employment Visa so you will have difficulty even getting them to interview you.

    If the "personal reasons" involve someone whom you could marry then this would get you a Dependant Visa which would then enable you to work without restriction which in turn would mean that at least you should be able to get some sort of work (even if only waiting on tables).

    (Oh, by the way, this isn't "paranoia", it is perhaps "uncertainty" or "fear".)

    Last edited by PDLM; 25-09-2008 at 03:45 PM.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Tel Aviv, Israel
    Posts
    7

    Working visa HK

    Thanks for the information. As a Canadian, I'm permitted to stay in HK for up to three months so I'm not worried about that. And, unfortunately I'm not in a position to apply for a Dependant Visa.

    But, I'm still trying to be optimistic about finding a job over there. I heard that if you knock on enough doors, you can find something (entry, middle level position). Have you heard of ANY people in my situation that DO get hired or is it just plain out impossible?

    Also, my boyfriend (who is Israeli) is looking to get into e-commerce since he has computer businesss and marketing experience. What's your take on that? Is the field in HK foreigner-friendly?

    Thanks allot!

    ps. "paranoia" was just an exaggeration.


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    23,205

    You may come to HK for 3 months purely as a visitor. You may not reside here, and you may not, in principle, come here for the purposes of looking for a job. The immigration rules are quite clear on this.

    It is really quite hard to get an Employment Visa here unless you have specific skills or experience that are not available locally. The two most common ways for foreigners to move here are to come on an internal company transfer or to be hired as English teachers.

    Obviously a few people do just roll up and somehow find a company that will sponsor them in a job for which Immigration will grant an Employment Visa, but my guess from postings here is that the success rate for people attempting that is less than 20%. The chances of both of you achieving it (which is, presumably, a condition of you staying here) would therefore be less than 5%.

    One other option would be to apply for the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme which is allegedly getting easier to be accepted for, although we haven't heard of any first hand examples on this board as far as I know. However, since I surmise that you are running away from something (military service for your boyfriend?) rather than having any specific reason to come to Hong Kong you may find that difficult as well.


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Sarcasm - because beating the crap out of people is illegal
    Posts
    14,622

    The Immigration Dept. may not issue an employment visa for an entry-level position as these visas are supposed to people who are filling jobs for which local candidates cannot be found (and entry-level positions may not pay enough for you live on).

    For someone with the right experience and qualifications, jobs and visas are available. But you do have to be a darn good fit.

    Last edited by Claire ex-ax; 26-09-2008 at 03:30 PM.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Posts
    1,419

    You are permitted to stay for three months as a visitor, but not to take up employment or residence. Having said that, many people do come here on a vistor visa to look for work. Whether you can find an employer willing to sponsor the Employment Visa you will need in order to work depends on whether or not you can bring something 'special' to the table that a local person can't in terms of skills, expertise, or possibly language proficiency (are you fluent in French for example? bilingual? that might help). Otherwise, unless you are interested in English teaching, I would rate your chances as slim.


  7. #7

    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    147

    My friends came on a tourist visa and tried to find a job here. Tried.....the man used to work in finance, but it is very hard to find a job now at a bank. The woman (they are married) found a job but only temporarily. She had a very good job in her homecountry and earned a lot of money, but here she couldn't be that picky and agreed to do internship for very little money. That company said it is because she doesn't speak Cantonese or Mandarin. It took 7 months for her to find this company to do this internship. For them it is still very stressful, as first 7 months they had to survive without any salary, they lived from their savings and now the future is uncertain. They said if they had known it was so though they had tried to find a job in their homecountry and from there sent out abroad.
    But of course it depends on your education and experience in other jobs. Learn as soon as possible Chinese if you really want to do this


  8. #8

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    8
    Quote Originally Posted by PDLM:
    However, since I surmise that you are running away from something (military service for your boyfriend?)
    haha man you`re good... i wonder what`s your job about
    anyway, 20% sounds like a cool challenge!