[ryuro]

Howdy all,

I posted a query some months ago and received a fair amount of useful information. Now I've another question I'm hoping to get some help with.

My situation is...

Wife is Aussie, I'm American. She moved to Hong Kong in April to take-up a new job. She's got her work visa/HK ID all sorted and is obviously sponsored thru her employer.

I'm currently finishing-up my job and will be leaving to join her in Hong Kong in July. Obviously getting a dependent visa doesn't really help me in the employment game so I have been actively job hunting long distance and have had a some interest from a few companies in Hong Kong, but I think it'll be a matter of my getting to Hong Kong and making the full court press to get one of these outfits to make a move one way or the other.

My questions is this then...

Is it worth if for me to go ahead and get the dependent visa before I arrive in Hong Kong and then if/when find and employer/sponsor change that over to a work visa.

OR

Should I just come in on a tourist visa and if/when I find an employer/sponosor change it over to a work visa.

I guess I'm trying to figure out if its even worth going through the bother of getting the dependent visa when I know people who've entered on the tourist, lined-up a job and then just changed it over to a work visa. Or is it more appealing to potential employers to already have the dependent visa???? Is immigration easier on changing dependent visas to work visas than tourist visa to works visas??? Or do they even care???

Any info on this matter would be most helpful.

Cheers,
ryuro

[lowlight]

I'd say just get your tourist visa for the time being. That gives you 3 months to sort out getting a job. If you need another 3 months, you can get away with making a day trip to China...

If you need more than 6 months to get a job... well...

[nivantj]

A single answer to your query depends on your long term planning whether you want to take up HK as your permenent residence if yes then i would suggest you to take up dependent visa. Its like securing yourself in the country first and then take your time to hunt for job. Doing so will also keep you away of any risk of getting longer torist visa in case you need to return back after first trip. On the other hand getting dependent visa is not a big hassel and would definitlely help you get rid of many unforeseen troubles.
As far as change of status is concerned, i dont think there should be any diff to them but logically dependent visa sounds more secured than tourist.
Best luck,

Nivant

I would recommend the dependant visa as:

1) It can take some time to secure a job.

2) As ryuro said, dependant visa time adds to your 7 year continuous stay for you to the apply for permanent residency, where as a tourist visa does not.

[roin]

My wife and my doughter is a ID holder of hong kong they born
their, and now i m just planing to be their in hong kong with them ,living and working in hong kong. is it possible for me to be in hong kong.
do H.K. immigration allow me to give a dependent ID ?
if yes then how could i do that ,
please u people's advise will be so workable to me
thank you
roin