[phoenixdrache]

I'm a student in austria, who just got accepted by a company in hong kong (sumo motors) for a 2 month internship, but it seems like I'm the first foreigner they're employing, they don't know anything about the whole bureaucratic procedere and asked me to find out.
well, I did so and now I've read that I need a trainee visa and it can take up to month to get one...but the thing is: they expect me to start working on next monday, that's in 7 days!
is there any possiblity to do the internship without a trainee visa? I mean, it's only for 8 weeks, that's even shorter than the time for processing the visa, and the payment is also hardly anything.
what should I do?

[nobody020]

I'm not sure on the laws and regulations here, but my guess is that in order to legally employ you, you need to enter Hong Kong on a trainee visa of some sort. From a practical point of view, you could probably enter Hong Kong on a visitor's visa, but they probably wouldn't be able to pay you. ...And you'd have to exit the country every so often since your Visa would expire? (Not sure of the duration)

[geo-seb]

It is better to apply for the visa. Sometimes the immi department can be very quick. It is possible to work without the visa but I would not recommend it, because:
1.) If the company refuses to pay you for some reason, there is nothing you can do
2.) If the immi dept finds out you are working illegally, the worst thing that can happen to you is that you are expelled from Hong Kong and won't be allowed to come back. However, your employer would be in real trouble and possibly face a high fine (or even imprisonment)