Job Discussion Forums

[Xanthos]

Hello

As yet I have only bought a plane ticket from London to Hong Kong leaving within a month (a hasty yet highly circumstantial decision) and I am aware as a British national I can stay in Hong Kong Visa free.

I have 1 years TEFL teaching experience in China, and I will be looking for an english teaching job in Hong Kong.

I have been told that if I am without a visa or job awaiting me in Hong Kong then it is very likely I will be 'sent packing' by the immigration authorities...

I want to look for work once I have arrived in Hong Kong as I have learned from experience that it is much easier to secure work once I am in the country. So does anyone know if it will be easy enough just to turn up on a one-way ticket? Or could you suggest a safer way of carrying out my plan?

I will have teaching references/qualifications to hand to prove my credibility, and will have enough funds to see my stay for 6 months through and get a plane home in the event that I do not find work.

Thanks in advance!

[hkteach]

You are planning to do precisely what HK immigration doesn't like - arrive here without a visa and look for work.
If you already have a job lined up and are waiting for visa to be processed, well and good (you just can't start work until that visa is issued and placed firmly in your passport).

Some who have arrived under these circumstances have had to wait for their visa, then leave HK (easy enough..... a ferry trip to Macau or a train trip up to the border) and re-enter HK with the workvisa in passport. Once it is stamped at re-entry, it's official.

But, people who enter on a tourist visa are officially not supposed to look for work. If you do, you will still have to leave and re-enter - hopefully without penalty.

And - British passport holders are not allowed to stay in Hong Kong visa-free. Perhaps that was the case before the handover, but since then the situation has changed and it seems that British citizens are given less flexibility than Canadians, Kiwis and Aussies.

[anninhk]

It is still possible to arrive in Hong Kong without a visa being issued in advance as the stamp at the Immigration counter does allow you to stay for 3 months, but as the previous poster pointed out, officially you are not allowed to look for work.

[anninhk]

Also you must make sure you bring all the documentation with you to acquire a work permit if you do get a job as you might find yourself having to return to England anyway to get it!
I suggest you look on the immigration website to see the documentation etc required to obtain a work permit.

[11:59]

You first assumption � namely that as a British national you can stay in Hong Kong visa-free � is mistaken. The only people who don't require visas for HK are holders of SAR of HK passports; even high-ranking Mainland officials have to have valid visas.

I don't want to put you down, but there are not all that many half-way decent jobs (or indeed any jobs) for people with but one year of teaching experience, especially if that experience was gained in China, where I'm afraid to say it seems that pretty much anyone can work.

I don't know about being sent packing, but the one-way ticket most certainly will attract attention and you will most likely have to answer some questions and prove your independent financial standing (bank statements and the like). Just saying 'Don't worry, I have enough' to the immigration officials won't suffice. I don't know exactly how much they require, but I think it is between $20,000 HK to $30,000 HK a month. A Nigerian chap I know who came to investigate business opportunities had to show he had this amount and he was only given a one-month stamp.

On this point, you say you have enough funds for six months, but may I ask how much that is? You will have to lay out for accommodation and food and, if you are seeking work, travel. The travel alone many come to a few thousand dollars a month if you are going around from interview to interview.

[Xanthos]

Wow, thanks for the helpful replies, so the situation is worse than I thought.

I really do need a job/visa before I arrive then to be safe. Hmm I don't have very long!

My other option is to head into mainland China with a business visa acquired in Hong Kong without even a letter of recommendation (this how I have done it before). If I was to take the train into China, then this could be the reason I would give to immingration as to why I had no scheduled flight. As far as I am aware this would be OK because there seems no option for me to secure a train ticket from the UK before hand.

From what I have seen and heard there do seem to be some relatively decent jobs available, I guess it is what information you have access to.

With regards to a one-way ticket attracting attention, I didn't seem to have a problem last time because I had a flight to China Mainland even though I did not have a visa, but I can't remember if they had a look at my follow-on tickets. They probably did.

When you say "officially" people should not look for work, is this in the same way that officially business visas to mainland China should not be issued so easily and promptly in Hong Kong, even though they are...? Or are there more significant procedures/efforts in place to prevent this?

Also, could I not say at immigration to Hong Kong that I am only staying a few days to secure me visa to mainland China and that I am getting the train over the border?... would this be very risky?

[11:59]

Are business visas to Mainland China issued easily and promptly in Hong Kong? My experience has been that you must have the requisite paperwork for an actual bone fide business visa. I think you are referring to other types of entry visa to the Mainland. Also, I don't think they are actually issued in HK as such. I've met Africans down at Chung King Mansions who act as couriers and spend all day taking passports to and from the Mainland for travel agencies here. All because you apply for it here and receive it here does not mean it was actually issued here.

To tell the truth, my advice would simply be to go to Shenzhen where you can most likely find work the very same day you arrive. You can then earn some dosh and use it as a base from which to search for jobs here in Hong Kong. Also it will be relatively easy for you to attend interviews and conduct job searches on your day(s) off. Also, if potential employers see that you are already next door in Shenzhen they may be more likely to give you a chance. But that is just my advice, others may see it differently.

On a more positive note, Summer is pretty much just around the corner and there will be work abound at tutorial and training centres as kids here are not allowed any time away from study and rote learning. The received wisdom is that they must for the moment defer gratification and enjoy themselves later, when they retire.

[Xanthos]

Thanks, that sounds like a good idea.

I don't know where the visas for Mianland China are issued as such iin Hong Kong, just that I obtained an 'F' visa before from a legit office in HK without even having to show them an employer recommendation.

I am still a bit nervous about making it through immigration on the premise that I am going to get the train to Shenzhen without any return ticket or employer reference.... what do people think my chances are with regards to this situation?

[11:59]

You didn't experience any difficulties obtaining your F visa simply because F visas are not business visas, they are just temporary visit/'investigation' (their wording, not mine)/short-term study visas. Z visas are the bone fide business/employment visas and they are most certainly not issued without the appropriate accompanying paperwork.

I think you're worrying a bit too much about immigration now. With a UK/European passport you'll get through without any real problems, I'm sure. It would be a different kettle of fish if you had a Nigerian, Nepalese, or Filipino travel document though. Those people are less trustworthy, and that's official.

[Xanthos]

Ah OK, s'funny because I taught for a whole year on an 'F-visa' that was being renewed every 6 months, and that was because the agency I was with was a little dodgy maybe.

Thanks for waylaying my fears somewhat about immigration, it was just the posts that I got earlier on were a bit worrying... it seemed like I am an Immigration Dept's worst nightmare even though I am genuinely wanting to help their economy by teaching their country English... we'll see what happens eh

[11:59]

I'm sure they will be touched by your heartfelt desire to help Hong Kong's economy. In fact, they'll probably wonder how they ever managed without you.

[Hod]

I'm flying to HK soon and can't believe how cheap it is to get there from the UK. This new airline Oasis has a very limited number of 150 UK pound returns, but their average price is about 300. I also doubt they are flexible if you want to make any changes. I'm paying 400 UK pounds for a direct BA flight which allows changes for a fee.

I've always found one-way tickets work out pricier in the end, and then there's the immigration worries at both ends. Buying a one-way ticket means you might have some explaining to do at check in, before you even fly, as it could all end in hassle and expense for the airline.

HK's so cheap to get to, even with a flexible flight. Buy a return ticket.

[Charlesm_888]

I think ppl got a little confused about what "visa-free" means. A UK passport holder does not need to obtain a visa prior to arrival in HK. On arrival immigration give you a 6mth tourist visa. This visa does not allow you to work or to look for work.

[Dave_1]

[briandwest]

Well said, Dave_1. Completely agree.