[Moving2HK]

Hello all,

My girlfriend's employer closed down the HK office on Dec 31 and hence my girlfriend (Singaporean) lost her job (she got her work visa and HKID in Nov 07). The company she worked for is still registered (in HK) though for tax reasons.

Some questions:
1) Would the Immigration Department find out that my girlfriend doesn't work anymore (given that the company is still registered)?
2) What's the official procedure? Does she need to leave HK and return her HKID? Currently she is looking for a new job.
3) If she does need to leave: Can she just go to Shenzhen and return on a tourist visa and then look for a new job?
4) Should we call Immigration and just be plainly honest about the situation or would they immediately turn around ask her to return the HKID?

Thanks!

[PDLM]

Originally Posted by Moving2HK

1) Would the Immigration Department find out that my girlfriend doesn't work anymore (given that the company is still registered)?
2) What's the official procedure? Does she need to leave HK and return her HKID? Currently she is looking for a new job.
3) If she does need to leave: Can she just go to Shenzhen and return on a tourist visa and then look for a new job?
4) Should we call Immigration and just be plainly honest about the situation or would they immediately turn around ask her to return the HKID?

1) Yes - the employer must tell IRD & ImmD within 14 days that she is no longer employed.
2) In practice ImmD allows you to continue to reside in HK within the duration of the existing Visa (presumably until Nov 08) while you try to find a new job. You can also come and go as before. You never need to hand your HKID back. When your visa becomes invalid so does your HKID, but you can keep it and if you ever reside in HK again you keep the same HKID number.
3) N/A
4) No need, at least for a month or two.

If all else fails you could marry her at 14 days notice and she could get a Dependant Visa.

[campas12]

sidebar: hkid doesn't mean rtl/roa?

i assume this means that if one procures a work visa, they get a hong kong ID...and a hong kong id shouldn't be confused as the same as rtl/roa?

Originally Posted by PDLM

1) Yes - the employer must tell IRD & ImmD within 14 days that she is no longer employed.
2) In practice ImmD allows you to continue to reside in HK within the duration of the existing Visa (presumably until Nov 08) while you try to find a new job. You can also come and go as before. You never need to hand your HKID back. When your visa becomes invalid so does your HKID, but you can keep it and if you ever reside in HK again you keep the same HKID number.
3) N/A
4) No need, at least for a month or two.

If all else fails you could marry her at 14 days notice and she could get a Dependant Visa.

[PDLM]

Anyone who is legally resident in HK for more than 180 days is legally required to obtain a HKID card. A non-permanent HKID (i.e no right of abode or right to land) doesn't guarantee anything - it's your visa in your passport that does that.