[jimbo]

Yup my Visa expires in 3 weeks and seem to be hitting a brick wall when it comes to extending it.

Immigration have refused me a three month extension due to the fact that I am actually looking for work here and according to them this is against the law!

If I risk a visa run to macau or shenzhen I may get refused entry back as I already have made two daytrips since last September.

So any other options? apart from giving up and moving back to London

Yes winning the lottery is good so that I can do an MBA and stay as a student but then I don't have a spare $250000 lying around.

[Krad]

You could marry a permanent resident, that could get you right of abode?

[abcdefghi]

Try selling copy watches in TST, you don't need a visa for that.

[discobay]

Jimbo, what happens next if you don't get hitched up?

[dylonchua]

weird, I heard many people come here to look for job and then only got their visa at the end..is it?
so if we don't come here how are we going to look for job.
I am still waiting for my working permit..already 2 months. is that mean they can reject me by saying that I shouldn't come here to look for job in the first place? weird.

can i say i come here to visit but people offer me a job? that could happen too!

[nation]

Strange there's nothing illegal about looking for work in HK while on a tourist visa. Don't know where the people you spoke to got that from. Yes they do frown upon it and it may impact you if you want to flip over to a work visa but it's certainly not illegal. Understandably though I wouldn't expect them to extend a tourist visa to allow you to look for work.

Since you're down to the final straw I'd have a go at the visa run. Book yourself a plane ticket and 2 days before flying make a quick trip to Shenzhen. If they question you at immigration say you went to Shenzhen to run errands/see off friends. Tell them you're leaving HK in 2 days and show them the plane ticket. With luck they may let you in with the standard visitors visa in the trust that you'll be leaving in 2 days. If they don't then surely they'll let you in with some sort of temporary visa so you can catch your already booked flight out. You won't be breaking visa laws and if you are questioned any record against your name will only be temporary such that you should be eligible for reentry after a reasonable amount of time away from HK (say 6/12 months).

[jimbo]

Well at present my options are as follows.

1. Give up and head back to London within the next few weeks

2. Get my tourist visa transferred to a student visa by enrolling onto a course at HKU or somewhere like that.

Dylonchua

according to the guy who I spoke to this morning, He said that as a tourist you're not meant to be applying for jobs in HK and that you should only be applying for jobs when you are in your home country.

I'm heading back to immigration again tomorrow and will try again with a different guy and see what they say.

[greentea]

Are you qualified to apply for the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme launched by the government few days ago?

http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/QMAS.htm

If you want to stay in HK, why you don't take a risk to travel to Macau and then re-entry again... at least until you fail... I think they will allow you to get back your stuff in HK under the human rights. So why not take a chance?! That's what I think.

Of course, you ultimately need a job to sponsor you to stay here. Is there any network here that can help you out?

[jimbo]

Greentea

I don't fall under the quality migrants scheme as I'm not a graduate thus that is not an option for me.

Ah believe you me I have been networking ever since I got here! I've asked loads of people and no firm leads on any job roles etc.

Think I will do the macau run next weekend to at least buy me some more time.

[thetokyoproject]

you;ve had 3 good years in hk..isn;t that enough?

why's it so important to stay in hk where you are barely making ends meet?

if your career is important to you, surely london has better opportunites and money!