Can we open sole proprietorship co having a GEP visa

[Niharika]

Hello friends,

So my husband has now been terminated as the co is being laid down..his sponsorship from his current employer has been cancelled and he still has an employment visa until Sep 2018...

He is a dance teacher and has quite a few of his own clients.....He is now thinking of opening a sole proprietorship co in his name and start working legally....would like to know if that is possible and what happens to his GEP visa when he opens a sole proprietorship co in his own name....

Has anyone ever opened a sole proprietorship co here...what I see and understand from the website is that it is very easy and cheap way to open a co....My husband has a HKID and I have a dependent visa and we have been living here in HK for almost 6yrs now very close to our PR

All ur advice and suggestions are appreciated

Thanking u all in advance

[DirtyHairy]

It seems he'll have competition! I answered this same question a few days ago for another member!

I am a 'sole proprietor' and it is probably the best arrangement for small service providers with few, if any, liabilities.

We pay $2*** per year for the business licence...some years they waive the fee. Never needed an accountant...it's all very easy to manage.

Make sure you have a look on the HKGOV website I've posted below as there are a few regulations for your type of business...needless to say, it is probably far less regulated than wherever you've come from!!

Public liability insurance seems difficult in HK...I got mine through Kwiksure years ago but others have said they couldn't arrange it with them...I pay 3k per year for that and it covers me and my employees wherever we are...I'm an English teacher, not a dance teacher.

My kids do Latin Dance and we're asked to sign a waiver...you might look into that.

Good luck!

https://geoexpat.com/forum/145/threa...ml#post3484263

[DirtyHairy]

Lol,

Just realised you're the same person...okay, your first question I don't know the answer to...

Nothing to stop you from starting a business and employing him...that I do know. Presumably it's a 'specialised' style of dance that locals can't teach?

Out of curiosity, can you tell us a little more about the dancing, what the idea is?

[vmlinuz]

To answer the question that was actually asked... no, AIUI your husband cannot operate your own sole-proprietor business if he's here on a standard work visa, whether he's still working for his sponsor or not. As a dependent, you can do it, but he technically can't work for you, for pay or not.

[DirtyHairy]

To answer the question that was actually asked... no, AIUI your husband cannot operate your own sole-proprietor business if he's here on a standard work visa, whether he's still working for his sponsor or not. As a dependent, you can do it, but he technically can't work for you, for pay or not.

Why can't he work for her? I thought I'd heard of people switching employers on work visas.

*edit* Looking back through threads...she could start the business and then apply to immigration to sponsor him...it would be a new application...seems messy.

Probably a lot easier to find another job?

[vmlinuz]

Why can't he work for her? I thought I'd heard of people switching employers on work visas.

*edit* Looking back through threads...she could start the business and then apply to immigration to sponsor him...it would be a new application...seems messy.

Probably a lot easier to find another job?

I didn't think sole-props could employ anyone at all, regardless of visa status...

[DirtyHairy]

I didn't think sole-props could employ anyone at all, regardless of visa status...

Of course they can...we do! Even people can employ people...you don't have to be a registered business to employ people.

[Niharika]

Hi DirtyHairy thank u for ur info.....however it's not me who wants to start a co it's my husband.....I do have a dependent visa on which I'm working as an assistant teacher and do not want to change that.....

However would like my husband to start up his own sole co and work legally....the dance styles that he is trained is in Indian folk and semi classical and can also do 16 diff dance forms like jazz,hip hop, modern,ballroom to name a few.....

My only concern is does his Employment visa which is valid until Sep 2018 allows him to start up a sole proprietorship co and start taking dance classes as he already has his clients....

[DirtyHairy]

My only concern is does his Employment visa which is valid until Sep 2018 allows him to start up a sole proprietorship co and start taking dance classes as he already has his clients....

No. But you can...you're on a Dependant Visa so you're free to do as you please...you registering a business will have zero impact on your p/t job...do you get PR before his visa expires?

[DirtyHairy]

To be honest with you, I think immigration would be sympathetic...

Another idea...would your employer sponsor you? That way he could be your dependant...thinking about it, Hong Kong is crazy.