[johnnyboy]

Hello all,

I desperately need some info from you guys. I hope you can give me some guidance. PLEASEEEEEE...

My wife and I are currently working in HK. She is on a working permit and I am on a dependant visa. Unfortunately my wife has just found out that she will soon lose her job due to company downsizing. If i am not mistaken if she loses her work visa, I will lose my status and hence my job as well.

Can anyone please tell me when she loses her job, does it mean she(I as well) has to imediately leave hk or can she still stay around to look for a job? What does the law say about this? With the current visa that expires in July, can she look and work for another company? Doe

My current employer has started preparing documents for applying for an independant work permit for me, but it looks like we still have a long way to go. We are very very very sad and surprise about the expected news. Can anyone please give some guidance. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

[PDLM]

Officially I think you have 14 days to leave. But in practice, ImmD is very tolerant of this sort of situation - you should have no trouble within the validity of your wife's Employment Visa, and if you talk to ImmD they will probably expedite the conversion of your status provided that you are in a job which is reasonably qualified for an Employment Visa.

In any case, there can be no harm in making contact with ImmD and explaining the situation to see what they say.

[links]

I thought the HK media are reporting that HK econ is very very good now, why everywhere is down sizing???

For my case, the boss tried to cut bonus and 13th month even the business is 40% up compared to FY2005...and also down sizing some department by hiring part time worker....

[canucktony]

Originally Posted by links

I thought the HK media are reporting that HK econ is very very good now, why everywhere is down sizing???

For my case, the boss tried to cut bonus and 13th month even the business is 40% up compared to FY2005...and also down sizing some department by hiring part time worker....

For some companies, they would rather to move out of Hong Kong. Economics in Hong Kong is not that good, IMO. The gap between "rich and poor" people are getting bigger.

[johnnyboy]

PDLM,

Thanks for the information.

I called the immigration department just now and I found a very interesting news from them. I explained to the officer about our situation and this is what he told me.

Since my wife's current visa only allows her to work for company A, if she loses her job, she won't be able to work for other company using that visa. The new company which she will work for(if she finds one) will have to sponsor her a new visa.

Now as for me(on dependant visa) if I understand the officer correctly, even when my wife loses her job, I CAN continue to work for my current employer and at the same time get them to sponsor an independant visa for me. Once I get the visa, I will be able to apply a dependant visa for my wife. I actually asked the officer twice about this, and he basically repeated the same thing. According to him, a dependant visa holder actually has more "freedom" than an independant visa holder. The thing to remember is to get all this done before our visa expires(which is the same date...July 1 2007)

I was shocked to hear this. Has anyone heard anything about this?

[HKChigger]

Originally Posted by johnnyboy

PDLM,

Thanks for the information.

I called the immigration department just now and I found a very interesting news from them. I explained to the officer about our situation and this is what he told me.

Since my wife's current visa only allows her to work for company A, if she loses her job, she won't be able to work for other company using that visa. The new company which she will work for(if she finds one) will have to sponsor her a new visa.

Now as for me(on dependant visa) if I understand the officer correctly, even when my wife loses her job, I CAN continue to work for my current employer and at the same time get them to sponsor an independant visa for me. Once I get the visa, I will be able to apply a dependant visa for my wife. I actually asked the officer twice about this, and he basically repeated the same thing. According to him, a dependant visa holder actually has more "freedom" than an independant visa holder. The thing to remember is to get all this done before our visa expires(which is the same date...July 1 2007)

I was shocked to hear this. Has anyone heard anything about this?

That makes sense and comes to no surprise. I mean Immigration has thought about almost every situation, either by choice or by seeing millions of cases. They can't just force stop a relationship between a company and individual just because a husband/wife loses their job. They will give you grace in it. It's a common curt. Then of course once you have a normal work visa there is no reason why you can't have a dependent. I am sure most countries have policies like this, and it is great! Glad it is going to work out for you.

[PDLM]

Johnnyboy,

I think that what you were told by ImmD is exactly what I said so it shouldn't have come as a surprise! They are basically very reasonable people - I have never heard of them forcing a dependent visa holder to leave the country whilst they were employed.

[HKChigger]

Originally Posted by PDLM

Johnnyboy,

I think that what you were told by ImmD is exactly what I said so it shouldn't have come as a surprise! They are basically very reasonable people - I have never heard of them forcing a dependent visa holder to leave the country whilst they were employed.

Exactly, if the HKSAR Government started doing that I bet they would be spending a lot of time in court battling both companies and individuals.

[canucktony]

I highly doubt HK Government will "kick" you out. As the "HongKongese" think that "western are better", if they weren't not allowed you to stay in the city anymore, they would do the same to others. I have never heard any Government "kick" someone, well-educated and employed, out of the countries.

[jimbo]

Originally Posted by canucktony

I have never heard any Government "kick" someone, well-educated and employed, out of the countries.

Unless you're a criminal