Job Discussion Forums

[HKBound05]

Hey folks, I am very confused about immigration requirements. Can anyone tell me what exactly is required to obtain a visa? Is a bachelor�s degree required? I have tons of TESL/TEFL certification and a lot of teaching experience but I do not hold a bachelors degree. Also if I make the move to HK with out a job and find work once I am there, what will the immigration process be like? Thank you to whoever replies; you don�t know how much I appreciate it!

[shmeagain]

Hi there,

First thing you need to remember is that ANY advice you get here will be based only on what that person knows (or think they know i.e. heard it from someone else).

This means that you need to doublecheck everything you read here with HK Imm. directly.

This might seem obvious, but it's probably one of the things that causes most of the pi$$ing contests on this forum.

Look at the source of the info and you will have a good idea whether they know what they're talking about or whether they think they know.


Lecture over - here's the info I have:

I know about 20 people that have been sponsored, i.e. fresh off the boat and they have ALL actually received their visas.

There is a scam running that the company will apply for your visa - get you to sign all the forms and once Imm. asks for more info (usually about the company's records) they just "forget" to send this through. Meanwhile you're working away until 3 months later you ask about your visa.

"Oh no, Imm. rejected your application", so sorry. They either pay or they don't. You only hear the horror stories, so I don't know the correct ratio between paid up or ****ed over.

Usually this happens to people with no degrees. Reason being that the kinds of places unwilling to go through the Imm. grinder of questions and forms, are the ones paying lower rates and have you working in centres or mom-and-pop kindergartens.

If you want to work in schools you need to have a degree. If you want to work in a learning centre you don't, IF you a valid visa - catch 22 I know.

So people working in HK without degrees are everywhere, BUT they have sponsorship via dependency, other companies etc.

I would suggest that if you look and act the part and you know you're sh*t hot as a teacher with younger kids (bulk of my experience is in this sector, don't really know about the rest) then someone might be willing to take a chance of sponsoring you and pulling out all the stops to get you in, i.e. spending time (and therefore their money) to REALLY help you out.

After all that, Imm. still might say no cause you don't have a degree. I haven't met anyone without a degree that got sponsored successfully. Maybe someone will post to the contrary.

I would suggest the following (if you're up for a 75% chance of getting your head kicked in ):

Send your CV out to as many places and tell them you will be in HK on this date. Set up interviews with those that respond.

If it works - great. If not you can always find a job in China which is a hop, skip and a trainride away OR you could try Taiwan - bigger money, not sure about the Imm. requirements there though.

Hope this helps.

[Welshguy]

Hi,
To the best of my knowledge the lack of a degree can provide enough grounds for immigration to refuse you a visa. sometimes this depends on who is doing the asking of course.

You can still knock along in HK without one by working illegally which a great many people do and have done. The rub is that (if you are a brit anyway) that you will have to do the run to macao et al every six months.
This works fine in theory but its a complete lottery. I got a year without any problems at all but then got a tug coming back from the mainland. Irish mate of mine had been there two months in total and got tugged and given four days to leave HK for no apparent reason. Really tricky bloke from my country walked through unchallenged every four to six months for five and a half years until he voluntarily moved to BK.You just dont know.

If you go for the lower end jobs you can probably get by ok.
Best of luck.
W

[AndyinHK]

I agree with what has been said above... but I've got to tell you if you do try to work illegally after you have left and re-entered a couple of times they will ask more questions.

Also if you work for a registered tutorial school (registered with the government, which most are supossed to depending on the number of students they have) there are spot inspections by the government and they do ask for identity cards. This happened to me before. I have an identity card though. The penalties are high for both you and your employer if caught, so try to go the legal route...

Just my 2 cents.

[AndyinHK]

I agree with what has been said above... but I've got to tell you if you do try to work here illegally and you have left and re-entered a couple of times they will ask more questions.

Also if you work for a registered tutorial school (registered with the government, which most are supossed to depending on the number of students they have) there are spot inspections by the government and they do ask for identity cards. This happened to me before. I have an identity card though. The penalties are high for both you and your employer if caught, so try to go the legal route...

Just my 2 cents.

[edward0]

I work in HK Island, and ive met people from canada, UK, South Africa, they all do not hold a degree, and all have been working for my employer ranging from 1-5 years, I do know the degree is a huge thing, but as a few posts Earlier, that guy said the small learning centres MIGHT sponsor you, he is very correct, and knows his bit, it is a high possibilty you cant get spnosored, im living in this situation right now also. But every person ive talked to at my currenty employer has gotten sponsored, and has been working in HK for at least 1-5 years. some good news for no-degree people.

The main thing I THINK (please I dont care if I'm right or wrong) is the deal is that a local hong kong person cant fufill - IE Native English accent - speaking ability etc, hong kong kids can read and write - ive seen it, they learn some heavy stuff, but there speaking sucks, they sound like robots, thats why we come here, I just started this, I know the know the materials, but speaking brings out alot.

Thanks for reading my ramble, If I am not able to get sponsored in HK then ill figure out something else, Multi-Entry from what Ive heard is okay, sure if they ask questions its ok.

[edward0]

I work in HK Island, and ive met people from canada, UK, South Africa, they all do not hold a degree, and all have been working for my employer ranging from 1-5 years, I do know the degree is a huge thing, but as a few posts Earlier, that guy said the small learning centres MIGHT sponsor you, he is very correct, and knows his bit, it is a high possibilty you cant get spnosored, im living in this situation right now also. But every person ive talked to at my currenty employer has gotten sponsored, and has been working in HK for at least 1-5 years. some good news for no-degree people.

The main thing I THINK (please I dont care if I'm right or wrong) is the deal is that a local hong kong person cant fufill - IE Native English accent - speaking ability etc, hong kong kids can read and write - ive seen it, they learn some heavy stuff, but there speaking sucks, they sound like robots, thats why we come here, I just started this, I know the know the materials, but speaking brings out alot.

Thanks for reading my ramble, If I am not able to get sponsored in HK then ill figure out something else, Multi-Entry from what Ive heard is okay, sure if they ask questions its ok.