Dependent Visa - With or Without Marriage

[Cresus]

My partner has moved into HK to a good well paid job - She has an ID card and has leased an apartment. I have joined her last month after tie-ing up loose ends in the UK and I have been working remotely for a UK company online. I now need to get a job here and a dependants visa seems to be the way ahead as potential employers have to jump through loads of hoops to sponsor me- trouble is we're not officially married. Is this a stumbling block to gaining a dependants visa?

your comments and assistance are gratefully received

[Walter White]

You will only get a dependant visa if you are legally married. No way around it. If you want to work, you will need a company to sponsor you.

[civil_servant]

Congratulations!

Been there, done that.

[chuckster007]

pull up your pants, get down on one knee and propose to your partner if you want to stay in HK. its a 15min ceremony by a HK official and you only need 2 witness that have HKID cards, if you offer free booze then plenty will offer their services lol

Once your married then she can apply Dependent visa for ya and once approved you can work for any company in HK without any restrictions.

Registration of a Marriage | Immigration Department

[Cresus]

so Civil_Servant did you apply as a common-law spouse?

[civil_servant]

No, I pulled up my pants, got down on one knee and proposed to my partner.

[Cresus]

No, I pulled up my pants, got down on one knee and proposed to my partner.

Hmm My ex-wife (still married) might have something to say about that. but thanks for responding :-)

[hullexile]

Hmm My ex-wife (still married) might have something to say about that. but thanks for responding :-)

Get divorced, get remarried, get a job, use all of your salary to pay off divorce

[kimwy66]

There is nothing odd about your issue, Hong Kong immigration law is relatively straightforward and easily available. Either get a job that will sponsor you, try a visa run when your current tourist visa expires, divorce/marry, or go back to the UK.

We went with the marriage option, took 15 minutes in a Wan Chai solicitor's office.

I always research these things before I give up a job and move halfway round the world personally. You?

[Scousebanana]

Hong Kong is quite a traditional society - most local couples do not cohabit until they are married and therefore immigration law reflects this, hence the need to be married to get a dependent visa.

It's not true that a company would have to 'jump through hoops' to hire you - they only really have to fill in one form, you fill in another and provide a photo and that's pretty much it. As long as the role is reasonably well paid, skilled and you don't have a difficult passport, a visa will usually be granted pretty quickly.

I'm not sure what passport you have, but a number of passports grant visitors 90 or even 180 days stay in HK. You could come and go every few months for the first year or two, or at least until you find a job, but you need to be aware that visitors are not entitled to certain benefits that residents have, such as subsidised healthcare and if you did this for too long, IMMD will start asking questions.