Moving to Hong Kong in Jan 2014

mrdollars · 29-10-2013, 03:29 PM

Check out Tin Hau. Great location, would be in your price range, good selection of restaurants, bars etc.

kimwy66 · 29-10-2013, 03:36 PM

OP, we came here without being married, only because I vowed after my first marriage never again! But the Macau runs were tedious when you only get a 3 months visa. In the end we got married in a solicitor's office. Some people still don't know!

But I guess if you are younger and want the whole frilly dresses and pomp and circumstance it may be a bit harder.

It does seem a bit backward to not recognise common law relationships. When we went to NZ a few years ago, I got my then-boyfriend-now-husband a dependent visa no problem. And this is the case in many countries. But when in Rome and all that.

jaykay · 29-10-2013, 03:39 PM

Original Post Deleted

That is an extended visitor visa and allows the partner to stay but not work, become resident, etc.

kimwy66 · 29-10-2013, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by jaykay:

That is an extended visitor visa and allows the partner to stay but not work, become resident, etc.

And it is not available to heterosexual couples. I tried and got very quickly dismissed.

usehername · 29-10-2013, 03:42 PM

Whilst it's true it's easy to get married here - don't just get married so she can get a visa. If you wouldn't marry her (yet) in the uk, don't do it here.

Moving overseas can make or break a relationship, and hk is notorious for the breaking rather the making. Adding a bitter divorce into to the stress of a move is no fun.

If wedding bells were on the cards anyway then go for it. Otherwise let her get her own work/study visa.

Gruntfuttock · 29-10-2013, 06:38 PM

Originally Posted by jaykay:

That is an extended visitor visa and allows the partner to stay but not work, become resident, etc.

Nor have access to the public health system.

Originally Posted by kimwy66:

And it is not available to heterosexual couples. I tried and got very quickly dismissed.

I believe it may be in some cases if you have children together.

kimwy66 · 29-10-2013, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by Gruntfuttock:

Nor have access to the public health system.

I believe it may be in some cases if you have children together.

We had a then 6 yr old together, and I was told no, they just handed my application back and refused to accept it. I queried again with the duty OIC and was told flat no.

Watercooler · 29-10-2013, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by usehername:

Whilst it's true it's easy to get married here - don't just get married so she can get a visa. If you wouldn't marry her (yet) in the uk, don't do it here.

Moving overseas can make or break a relationship, and hk is notorious for the breaking rather the making. Adding a bitter divorce into to the stress of a move is no fun.

If wedding bells were on the cards anyway then go for it. Otherwise let her get her own work/study visa.

That depends. This raises the question of how adaptable OP's gf is. Some ladies can adapt to change in their surroundings and work culture quite well, others don't do it so well and some flat are unable to adjust to anything outside their comfort zone. OP's gf can fall into either of these three categories...

I had a gf back in Canada when I first moved to HK. At the time I was only thinking of staying for a 2 year period here. But plans change. The relationship wasn't that serious and I realized my (then) gf, despite having a nice pair of legs, was a bitch after all

, so I told her to take a hike, about 3 months after I moved to HK. And then I met my wife here in HK and everything changed, been here 10+ years.

Gruntfuttock · 29-10-2013, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by kimwy66:

We had a then 6 yr old together, and I was told no, they just handed my application back and refused to accept it. I queried again with the duty OIC and was told flat no.

Interesting. So they would give your 6 year old a dependant, but you not even a long term visitor... I guess either I misremembered or their response is variable. Was this when Donald Tsang was in charge so the Catholic church had more influence I wonder?

kimwy66 · 29-10-2013, 08:59 PM

It was 2010. I had to sign a letter saying I gave permission for my daughter to reside in Hong Kong with her father for her dependent visa. I seem to remember being told something about extensions only being for cases of emergency, illness etc. And they refused to accept it because a visa refusal would go on my record.

It was no big issue for us to get married anyway, we had been together for many years. We roped in the receptionist of the solicitors to witness it, and were round the corner in the White Stag 15 minutes later.