Job Discussion Forums

[katylady]

I am considering going to Hong Kong in a few months to get my TESOL certification. Upon completion of the course, and in looking for a job, will I have to worry about going back to my home country to get a work visa taken care of? This is a worry in going to mainland China, and I am wondering if Hong Kong has the same regulations. Thank you!!

[sistercream]

Hong Kong's visa regulations are a lot less complex, but a lot more cut and dried, than those of mainland China - there's no "reinterpretation" depending on which side of bed the relevant official got up that morning.

So, as I understand it, you will be needing a student visa for doing the TESOL course here (assuming it's conducted by a recognised provider, that should be straight forward enough).

Once here, there's nothing to stop you attending interviews with potential employers or even signing a contract, BUT it's not legal to START the job until you have the employment visa stuck into your passport.
My own experience over the years has been that the employer has done all the paperwork, and then either sent me the visa sticker if I was overseas, or asked me to collect it if I was already in town.

If you are in HK when you receive the visa, then you have to exit HK before it is stuck into your passport - a quick trip to Shenzhen or Macau is fine, stick it on a blank page in your p/p before re-entering HK, and bingo, the visa is activated when you pass the immigration desk.