[stevej]

Hi all,

We need some help from people who have been through this, as the web sites we've found aren't getting us anywhere!

Some background:

- I have a work visa and will be moving from the Uk to HK in Jan 2007.

- My girlfriend (who i've been with for 10 years), plans to move to HK with me.

- My girlfriend is a qualified teacher (BA + PGCE) with 5 years experience, but no TEFL.

As we understand it, she will need to come to HK on a visitors visa (for 180 days). However, she intends to (and needs to) get a job.

The question is how easy is it to change from a visitors visa to a working visa whilst in Hong Kong? How do we go about doing this whilst in HK?

And if anyone knows of any teaching jobs going that would be great too!!

Thanks in advance!

[EUChinese]

Originally Posted by stevej

Hi all,

We need some help from people who have been through this, as the web sites we've found aren't getting us anywhere!

Some background:

- I have a work visa and will be moving from the Uk to HK in Jan 2007.

- My girlfriend (who i've been with for 10 years), plans to move to HK with me.

- My girlfriend is a qualified teacher (BA + PGCE) with 5 years experience, but no TEFL.

As we understand it, she will need to come to HK on a visitors visa (for 180 days). However, she intends to (and needs to) get a job.

The question is how easy is it to change from a visitors visa to a working visa whilst in Hong Kong? How do we go about doing this whilst in HK?

And if anyone knows of any teaching jobs going that would be great too!!

Thanks in advance!

I dont think it would be difficult for her to get a job in HK as an English teacher, especially she is qualified. However, if i was her, I would try to arrange a job from the UK, she may be able to negotiate for a better package than finding one locally - not exactly expat package, but she may be able to get other allowances.

[Raiqi]

Your Girlfriend will only get a working visa when she gets a job. Its easier to look over here than it is from there- I would suggest spending the first 3 months having a look around.

The EMB hires fully qualified teachers for a starting wage of 16 - 20K/mo. If you are 'flatmates' instead of partners you would also get 13K/mo of 'housing allowance/living expenses'. To check out their long and convoluted website - google EMB HK.

[Argie_Chica]

If your girlfriend is looking to teach English (as a second language) she should apply for a job once she gets to HK. They are easy to find and with her experience and background it should be no problem.

If she is looking to teach at an English school then she should apply from overseas.
Since your girlfriend has her PGCE and 5 years work experience she should definitely look into getting a job with the international schools. They pay very well and if she applies from overseas they may give her a better package than if she were to apply from HK.

Also, if she teaches at a school rather than at an English center she will get all the holidays the children get!

The ESF schools (http://www.esf.edu.hk/) and all the international schools (French, German Swiss, Chinese, Hong Kong) - they all have English streams.

Hope this helps!

[sunniefaith]

stevej,

Ask your girlfriend to have a look at EMB's website, http://www.emb.gov.hk look for the section on NET scheme. Which is the Native English Teacher/Teaching Scheme. With 5 years of experience, she could be looking at HK$20,000 per month plus, HK$12,950 for special allowance per month. Not sure if that's a good deal honestly. She doesn't need a TEFL to apply for the job. Just apply and if she gets the job, she can do it within her contract. And after the contract of 2 yrs, she can get a gratuity of about 15% of 2 years salary.

Hope this is helpful. And there's a need for NET teachers in the local schools.

[carang]

if she can get on with an int'l school or esf, the pay/package would be MUCH better than with the gov't...

it shouldn't be hard at all to get sponsorship for a work visa if she is a qualified teacher with experience!

good luck!

[Argie_Chica]

Definitely - international schools have much better pay/package.

[stevej]

Thanks everyone for your help!

With regard to changing visa status (from visitor to working) - how easy is it / how do we go aout doing it?