Jobs that have the most expats/easiest to get work visa?

advbound · 05-09-2017, 11:36 AM

Hi! I am a Singaporean university student. I really want to move to HK to work but I know its really hard to get a work visa since the employer needs to prove that a local cannot fill the role. Hence I am curious as to what jobs or fields would allow me to move to HK most easily/quickly. I know the banking and finance and English teaching sectors are some examples but I am not interested in banking and although English is my first language, I think schools prefer a native speaker i.e. Caucasian. I am currently interested in actuarial science (insurance) and academia (biomedical-related), and I am wondering how the market is for foreigners in these fields? And also just in general, what other jobs will allow me to move to HK most easily (assuming I have the necessary qualification/experience)?

Any advice will be much appreciated. Thanks!

Trebor · 05-09-2017, 12:40 PM

I know a few foreigners in the actuarial field and insurance industry.

I'm assuming they all had relevant work experience prior to moving here though. Your best bet is to get a job in one of the multi nationals in Singapore for a couple of years and then seek a transfer to HK internally.

As a fresh grad you have zero chance of landing a job in HK ahead of HK fresh grads.

UK/HKboy · 05-09-2017, 12:47 PM

i think you already mention the key point "necessary qualification/experience"

Even in finance, I don't think it is as easy as you think to move to Hong Kong as an expat. Most would need to have gained experience elsewhere before companies would even consider sponsoring work visas.

The best option is to do what you enjoy, get qualified, experienced, be good at it. And moving to HK will come in time.

If your aim is simply to work in Hong Kong as an expat, it may actually be easier to aim for industry areas which locals do not tend to study and hence, you are more easily able to show locals cannot fill the role. Perhaps marine biology or something environment related (I remember reading an article where there are not enough tree specialists in HK), possibly fine arts?

madal1 · 05-09-2017, 01:14 PM

How about doing an exchange program at one of the HK universities for a semester and start networking, and see if you can land an internship to start?

Also, don't want to sound harsh, if you are looking to teach English, most language schools will prefer a Caucasian candidate as you pointed out. And regardless of skin color, none will want one with a Singaporean accent.

dentarthurdent · 05-09-2017, 01:43 PM

The obvious answer to the question as asked is easy: Foreign Domestic Helper. They are by far the biggest part of the expat community here, and getting a visa is trivial for many nationalities. Not sure about Singaporean though.

jgl · 05-09-2017, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by advbound:

Hi! I am a Singaporean university student. I really want to move to HK to work but I know its really hard to get a work visa since the employer needs to prove that a local cannot fill the role. Hence I am curious as to what jobs or fields would allow me to move to HK most easily/quickly. I know the banking and finance and English teaching sectors are some examples

Uh... why? And why straight away?

It's not like the two places are all that vastly different, and it's not like you can only make this move when you're very young.

JAherbert · 05-09-2017, 06:26 PM

Sorry, but this seems totally bizarre, choosing your entire future based on the quickest visa into Hong Kong?

what happens when you arrive and hate the place, what next?

I don't see much synergy between insurance and biomedical academia except the math I guess, nevertheless it seems bonkers to pick your future life just to get a Hong Kong visa.

Unless you're already Professor of medicine or Biomedicine with 100's of published papers a real academic post in Hong Kong is 10-15 years away, perhaps more, and as @Trebor says as fresh grad you have no chance.

shafiq · 05-09-2017, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by advbound:

Hi! I am a Singaporean university student. I really want to move to HK to work but I know its really hard to get a work visa since the employer needs to prove that a local cannot fill the role. Hence I am curious as to what jobs or fields would allow me to move to HK most easily/quickly. I know the banking and finance and English teaching sectors are some examples but I am not interested in banking and although English is my first language, I think schools prefer a native speaker i.e. Caucasian. I am currently interested in actuarial science (insurance) and academia (biomedical-related), and I am wondering how the market is for foreigners in these fields? And also just in general, what other jobs will allow me to move to HK most easily (assuming I have the necessary qualification/experience)?

Any advice will be much appreciated. Thanks!

Some of fresh grad students from HK Univ do end up at Singapore through intra company transfer working for major retail brands. You can try that, but being employed in Singapore and request for a transfer to HK.

For other jobs, HK already has plenty of local and china univ grads. What's lacking here is the vocations stream graduates with special skillet.

Too many going to university, think tank warns
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/componen...6-20170905.htm