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Change Job on work visa after 6 months?

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  1. #1

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    Change Job on work visa after 6 months?

    Hi!

    Now i am working as a software developer here in HK startup on a work visa condition for almost 6 months with 25K HKD per month.
    Before i came here i had no idea about the actual cost of living in HK, so i thought 25K HKD should be an ok number. But after 6 months now i have quite stable saving money per month, so the problem is that number doesn't make sense at all because it is almost the same number that i can save per month compare to what i earned in my country (SEA but not Singapore).

    So because of that now i am thinking about moving to the other company with much more number that make sense for me to be far away from my homeland. But my concern is about my work visa.

    If i leave company is this short period (6 months since i join) will it be affected with my work visa in HK?

    ps. many people was having problem about salary with the company also, but all of them who went to negotiate this with the company was fired or force to leave in the short period. That is why i think leaving with better job should be better option for me now.

    Thanks for all of you help!


  2. #2

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    The only way to move up in life is by job hopping. Companies rarely promote within. It happens but you can get a better job title and more money by changing companies. Find the new job first then make the move.


  3. #3

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    Money is rarely a factor when it comes to a company paying salary. It's all about face and relationship but negotiating your salary loses face to your direct report and tarnishes the relationship. No other way to put it. 5-10% is not a raise. 25%+ is.


  4. #4

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    find a job that is willing to pay you more, willing to sponsor your visa as if you do get a job with another company they will still have to apply for a work visa for you and that is treated as a brand new work visa application. only resign if the new work visa has been approved, as you said if your company finds out then you might get fired or pushed out.


  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by MandM!:
    The only way to move up in life is by job hopping. Companies rarely promote within. It happens but you can get a better job title and more money by changing companies. Find the new job first then make the move.
    Crap advice which depends on the company. We prefer internal candidates by a big margin.

    The OP needs to figure out if it's the company which is paying below market or if he just has the wrong expectations - 25k is not bad salary in HK for a job with many possible applicants, like software would be.

    Re the visa - you have to reapply for a new visa with your new firm. Somewhat more likely to be approved given you have already had one, but not certain. Many people will tell you that you can "transfer" your visa - that was never strictly true in the past and is even less so now.

  6. #6

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    @HK_Katherine,

    Your company may be the exception but I'm certain this is not the norm.

    If you hired someone as an entry level job at 15-20k, what is the highest they are earning now? I highly doubt you bring in entry level people who can suddenly grasp their role or even another role within the company and jump to 40-50k salary then 80k salary then 120-150k salary. I've seen plenty of people follow these jumps and within 2-5 years in most cases. If someone was at your company they'd prob need 20-30 years before making the same progress and likely they'd never be able to surpass the 80k mark.

    Hence why company jumping is necessary for those who want to move up and earn more. Been there done that and also had bosses give the same BS false future story to keep low paid performing staff onboard. Why continue when you can earn double or triple at another company.


  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by chuckster007:
    find a job that is willing to pay you more, willing to sponsor your visa as if you do get a job with another company they will still have to apply for a work visa for you and that is treated as a brand new work visa application. only resign if the new work visa has been approved, as you said if your company finds out then you might get fired or pushed out.
    Tricky to apply for a new sponsorship without closure at current employer, Immigration will ask for proof that the current job for which the visa was issued, has been/is being terminated.
    chuckster007 likes this.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by MandM!:
    @HK_Katherine,

    Your company may be the exception but I'm certain this is not the norm.

    If you hired someone as an entry level job at 15-20k, what is the highest they are earning now? I highly doubt you bring in entry level people who can suddenly grasp their role or even another role within the company and jump to 40-50k salary then 80k salary then 120-150k salary. I've seen plenty of people follow these jumps and within 2-5 years in most cases. If someone was at your company they'd prob need 20-30 years before making the same progress and likely they'd never be able to surpass the 80k mark.

    Hence why company jumping is necessary for those who want to move up and earn more. Been there done that and also had bosses give the same BS false future story to keep low paid performing staff onboard. Why continue when you can earn double or triple at another company.
    We have brought people in at entry level that are now manager level. We have brought people in at mid-level who we offering partnership to after they had been here for 5 years. Given the company has only been operating for 7 years, there is a limit to how far anyone can move and a lot of juniors just like to job-hop and leave anyway. But the ones who hung around are steadily moving up the firm. It's certainly true that if they join as Admin rather than Consulting their role is limited, but that's just because we don't need any senior Admin people. But if they join on the consulting side then they can go all the way up to Partner (which is what I am, highest level) - one would expect about 10 years for a good performer.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by HK_Katherine:
    Crap advice which depends on the company. We prefer internal candidates by a big margin.

    The OP needs to figure out if it's the company which is paying below market or if he just has the wrong expectations - 25k is not bad salary in HK for a job with many possible applicants, like software would be.

    Re the visa - you have to reapply for a new visa with your new firm. Somewhat more likely to be approved given you have already had one, but not certain. Many people will tell you that you can "transfer" your visa - that was never strictly true in the past and is even less so now.
    Software developer with many possible applicants? Ask any startup here and the main challenge is finding this kind of skills. Actually finding good developer is mission impossible, especially since HK companies are cheap af when it comes to pay tech people.

  10. #10

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    Original Post Deleted
    Not new, no. In all the times I have had instances of a GEP visa-holder already employed in HK and changing sponsorship, the Immigration Department have asked for proof of separation from current sponsor. Explained to me that as the employee was given a GEP visa on the basis of employment with the original employer, the new sponsorship cannot be given without the original employer confirming cessation of employment under the original sponsorship.

    I think there was a thread here recently discussing this.
    HK_Katherine likes this.

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