>> Why doesn't immigration just call and verify.
Jeez .. have you ever dealt with govt departments or any other immigration departments in the world?
They have a process and are hardly likely to change just because you want them to do something that is not in the process.
The paperwork they need is clearly documented and it is up to you, as someone who wants to work in HK to follow the documentation and comply. It is NOT immigration's duty to bend and change their rules for anyone to rolls into town.
My point being.. your life will be stress free, if you just accept that some things have to be done in a certain way, prepare for those things and just follow them.
>> This is HK. HK is a paper based society where FORMS matter.
An unfortunate thing that happened to any country that was a part of the RAJ. People do forget that most of HK's systems and processes existed pre-97 when the brits were in charge.
Just a gentle reminder .. I'm a red flag waving mood this week. Finally went and picked up my permanent ID card.. about 9 years late.