Job Discussion Forums

drdallas · Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 15 Location: Middle East

Greetings.

Maybe my employment visa will not be ready in time for me to receive it before I go to H.K - although the school has applied for it.

Please can someone confirm that I can get it in Hong Kong from school (when it is ready) and then go to Immigration without having to leave H.K?

Thank you.

dodgee · Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Posts: 47

Well I did. But it was an easy and cheap trip to Macau. Through customs walk around and return. All over in three hours. I know others who did not have to leave though - they were all Aussies which we assumed was the reason.

anninhk · Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 284

I arrived without the visa and didn't have to go out to get it either and I'm a Pom - or is that now a derogatory appelation? - but I suppose it's not if you use it for yourself!
The reason I didn't have to go out is that the school had applied for it but due to the nature of things here I arrived before they had time to send it to me. The school had to write to immigration explaining the situation and then the visa was issued.
The only problem that has occured is if the school asks you to work before the visa is issued as that is not allowed so be careful.

drdallas · Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 15 Location: Middle East

Thank you for your responses.

How long did you have to wait after your arrival until the visa became available, please?

hkteach · Joined: 29 May 2005 Posts: 202 Location: Hong Kong

Times vary - immigration quote 4-6 weeks, but I know someone who appllied a couple of weeks before Christmas and is still waiting. A phone call from immigration recently seemed to indicate that they'd only just got around to looking at it. Still no word.

Many NETs arrived in August without visas and were kept waiting for weeks. Some worked - illegal but they either chose to do so because they couldn't manage without salary and pay rent etc.or their schools insisted they work. Some ended up not being paid for this work pre-visa. Neat trick by the schools..... who can you complain to? Others waited it out without salary.
Existing NETs who left without renewing their visa also were in the same position and had to make the same choice.

I've heard of a couple of NETs who hadn't picked up a new contract before leaving, got back and found a job right away, but were then kept waiting for a month or more for their visas - result ?? loss of several weeks' pay. One of the stories concerns someone who lost 70000 or 80000 HKD in this way. WOW!! What a hit between the eyes!!

So, it's up to you but beware!

briandwest · Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 98 Location: Hong Kong

hkteach · Joined: 29 May 2005 Posts: 202 Location: Hong Kong

"If it is a NET scheme job there should be no holdups"
Not correct.

As I said in my previous post, NETs get kept waiting too.
New NETs, existing NETs it doesn't seem to matter. Why should it/why DOES it take weeks to issue a visa to a NET who's been here for a year (or more) is staying at the same school and the situation remains exactly the same?

My own theory is that it depends a lot on who processes your application and what kind of mood they're in that day. Stories I've heard from others seem to support this theory.
The guy who's still waiting after almost 6 weeks is a case in point - and he's at an international school.

And yet.................one NET has described how he arrived back in HK without a contract and then signed on with a language school. He went to immigration with the docs. and got his visa iwhile he waited... time to issue - 20 minutes!! So consider those two stories and make up your own mind.

I think that the good folk at immigration need a foot (or a battery) placed squarely in the appropriate parts of their collecive bodies.

anninhk · Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 284

I think it all depends, in your case, if your school has applied for you before you enter the country. If that is the case, as it was with me, I got the visa the next day.
If there has been nothing done before you enter then you could face delays.
I also believe it can be how the immigration people feel on that day - the first year they would not accept a letter stating my pay etc because it was addressed ' To whom it may concern' - the second time they accepted it!

briandwest · Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 98 Location: Hong Kong

I suspect it also depends which person you get in Immigration and how effective your school is on chasing up Immigration.
Often Immigration will send a letter asking for more information that somehow gets lost or forgotten about either on the way to the school or after arrival.
If possible chase the case yourself by phoning Immigration. I have always found them very helpful, but am not sure if they will be able to discuss the case with you as it was not you who actually applied. Try it anyway - you need to speak to the case officer in charge so try to get the application reference number from your school as this helps Immigration identify who to talk to.
Failing that then chase your school to chase Immigration to find out what the status is, again by talking to the case officer not by being told by someone else "we have received it and will get back to you soon"!!

hkteach - you are so right!

drdallas · Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 15 Location: Middle East

Thanks you once again for all the information and suggestions.

Does anyone have any contacts/telephone numbers for Immigration, please? I will ring them myself.

briandwest · Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 98 Location: Hong Kong

The best phone number to use is the direct phone number given by Immigration when the application was made as it will take you straight to the case officer.
Failing this contact info can be found in the Immigration section of http://www.livinginhk.com/.

tsotsa · Joined: 08 Aug 2006 Posts: 11

My application for a work visa was handed in to Immigration in mid-November and I am still waiting! After 8 weeks processing time had passed Immigration sent me to another department to get my documents accredited and that will take another 15working days!! and I had to pay HK$2000 for this process!!

Welcome to Hong Kong?!?

hkteach · Joined: 29 May 2005 Posts: 202 Location: Hong Kong

Why do you have to pay for accreditation of documents ? Are you here to be a NET ? The EMB normally arranges accreditation/verification of oyour qualifications and pays that fee if you've applied to them and they're handling your application - or have they gone into cost-cutting mode with this now?

briandwest · Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 98 Location: Hong Kong

I was told that as of last year NETs must pay for their own accreditation now.
It's a huge expense for new NETs.

drdallas · Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 15 Location: Middle East

OK, OK.

Just to play Devil's Advocate, another cliche: Worst Case Scenario - does anyone know of any case where a prospective teacher with a signed contract has turned up after a school has applied for a visa, and the poor bugger was turned down by Immigration?