[RichRob]

I am moving to HK from the UK with my family and I’m not sure about the visa requirements. My contract is for 2 years and I am being sponsored by my company’s office in HK. My wife’s company in the UK has said she can work for them remotely from a home office in HK. Does she need to get her own work visa for this if she is still paid in the UK or can she do this as a dependant? If she needs her own work visa how can she apply without a sponsor? Will she have to set up a company in HK?

Thanks

[KnowItAll]

She can work here (for any company) legally as a dependent.

[Jowie Wong]

Dependent visa doesn't mean your wife can work legally in HK, she still need to apply for a HKID. Just like my case, i was told by the immigration officer.
My husband is an expat here. Rightnow I'm here on a 90days tourist visa while waiting for my dependent visa to be approved.
As soon as I get my visa approved I'll apply for a HKID then with that only I can start hunting for a job, legally.

[hullexile]

Originally Posted by Jowie Wong

Dependent visa doesn't mean your wife can work legally in HK, she still need to apply for a HKID. Just like my case, i was told by the immigration officer.
My husband is an expat here. Rightnow I'm here on a 90days tourist visa while waiting for my dependent visa to be approved.
As soon as I get my visa approved I'll apply for a HKID then with that only I can start hunting for a job, legally.

The HKID is automatic once you get the dependent visa (assuming it is for more than 100 days) and they told me it is the visa not the ID card which allows you to work.

[Jowie Wong]

Originally Posted by hullexile

The HKID is automatic once you get the dependent visa (assuming it is for more than 100 days) and they told me it is the visa not the ID card which allows you to work.

hullexile, you are probably right on this, i've checked the relevant thread on the visa issue. I don't understand why the officer told me this when I went over to submit my application. Thanks for clearing our doubts.

[Malanna]

I'm in a similar situation in that I can work remotely for an Australian company if I want to. My husband is getting a work visa with his company but I need to organise my own.

What order do things get done in? Do I come into HK on a dependent visa and then get the HKID card once there? So having both automatically allows me to work?

Does anybody know what the visa costs are and how long it takes to process?

Thanks!

[PDLM]

All the information and forms you need are on the Immigration Department's website (http://www.immd.gov.hk) which is really quite comprehensive.

Once your husband has his work visa then you apply for a Dependant's Visa with him as your sponsor. Form 936 (and guidance nots 937) on the website tell you all about it.

Assuming everything is straightforward you get the Visa within 4-6 weeks. Once you have the visa (which will be valid for 12 months in the first instance) you then apply for a HKID card. This involves form ROP1 (very simple). You get photographed, fingerprinted and given a temporary ID when you apply, and go back to collect the proper ID card two weeks later. As soon as you have the temporrary ID (which carries the same number as your plastic ID card will have) then you can apply for work, bank accounts, whatever you want.

(You do, of course, need to be legally married - common law partnerships don't count in HK)

[Malanna]

Thanks PDLM. That's great information. I'll check out the immigration site but from what you say it all sounds relatively painless! It's so good to be able to get info from people like yourself who've been through the process already!

[Pekkerhead]

When I got my first dependent visa last year, they even gave me the form for the HKID when I picked up my visa. You have 30 days to get your ID from the date of issue of your visa.

[Jowie Wong]

I have a problem now. I've been to an interview recently and I'm quite optimistic about getting the job, in fact the second interview is scheduled on next Tues. But the thing is i haven't got my dependent visa granted yet. Its been 2 weeks since I submitted my application but I doubt I'd get it by end of this month. The job requires instant replacement on 1 sept. I want this job so badly i need advice from those who has experienced this.
1. If my employer willing to be my sponsor, and help me to apply for a working visa (which is great), can he actually do so considering my own visa application is still underway?
2.Has anyone here got their work visa in less than 2 weeks? (i doubt it tho)
I will need to clarify this before I propose confidently to my interviewer in the second interview. I'm just being a bit over concerned as many employers do not wish to go thro all the hassle to hire a foreigner if they can get a local to fill out the post.