[davecooper83]

hi,

I recently graduated and have just been offered a job as an assistant engineering geologist in Hong Kong and so as long as my visa gets agreed i'll be heading out there as soon as poss.

I have no idea what to expect for things such as cost of living, what to do about my girlfriends visa, accomodation etc.

my starting salary will be HK$20,000 a month. I have no idea if this is good or bad, i get the feeling rent will take most of my wages!

the company are going to sort out my flight, visa and sort out my first months accomodation.

i really dont know if this is good or bad, any help/advice would be most appreciated

cheers

[PDLM]

Girlfriends don't get visas, so either marry her or she stays at home.

And don't do anything irreversible until you get confirmation from HK Immigration of a Visa - new graduates don't often get them.

[MovingIn07]

20k a month will be very tight - especially if you are trying to support a girlfriend/wife. You will need to live a "local" lifestyle on this rather than an expat lifestyle - which may be fine, I'm not sure where you are coming from or what your expectations are! You can find accommodation around or just under 10k per month, but it will be tiny and/or a fair way from HKI - again, not sure where you will be working so this may not be a problem.

Transport is cheap (you won't need a car); food can be quite inexpensive provided you do not eat at expat restaurants (so if you like noodles and rice you are fine, if you fancy a nice steak you are not!).

If you have been a student for years and used to living in small places and scrimping and saving, I have no doubt you will be just fine. It's a great opportunity. The girlfriend issue will be a problem as PDLM advises - the authorities here do not recognise de-facto wives even if they have been together for years and have children, let alone anything less permanent!

[FilipH]

If you just graduated, you'll do just fine with 20K. Don't worry about that. Of course you won't be able to afford a seaview penthouse but i guess that's not a problem.

You can spent up to 10K on an apartment ( What you get for 10K will largely depend on the location.) and have 10 K left for living cost. Should be ok since food and transport are a lot cheaper then UK. No Tesco's here though

I think 20 K won't let you save much (if any), but it will allow you for a good lifestyle if you find a good appartement at the right price.

[carang]

keep in mind that you need 3.5 months rent for deposits/agents fees BEFORE you can rent a flat!!!
so $10k/month rent comes to $35k deposits (including first month rent) and agent fees

[DanielandHayley]

Originally Posted by carang

keep in mind that you need 3.5 months rent for deposits/agents fees BEFORE you can rent a flat!!!
so $10k/month rent comes to $35k deposits (including first month rent) and agent fees

Yes, very good point - that caused us problems when we first came out here as our employers failed to mention this! ( I know, it's wasn't there responsibility, but a little heads up would have been nice!). Also, utility companies require a deposit as well, which you should budget in another couple of k's for...our utilities are in the landlord's name, but he required us to pay him the deposits none the less.

Does your Girl friend have a degree? If so, she should be able to find a job teaching English here...many threads around on that. Technically though she shouldn't be looking for a job on a tourist visa (many threads on that aswell!)...

[davecooper83]

cheers for the replys!

the office is in sheung wan, ill be happy to commute depending on the cost.

as far as the girlfriend goes, im ok with marrige we been together 5 an half years, does anyone know if you have to be married for a certain amount of time before applying?

also she has a degree in contempory theater, looking to teach/work with youth groups.

my first month accomodation will be sorted by the company so ill have a bit extra cash whilst she looks for work at first an yea i am used to the poor student life still

by the way does anyone know what its like for surfing out there too!

[imparanoic]

get ready for " crushed like a sardine can" commuting!, aquired tasting food (matter of opinion), sweat like a pig in the humidity, pricey boozing nights, but cheap cigs.

but say good bye to happy slapping, your car getting robbed for a quid/pack of fags, and no dog cr@p on the street ( very few) as well as possibly owning a car (assuming you planning to live in hk island)

[PDLM]

Originally Posted by davecooper83

as far as the girlfriend goes, im ok with marrige we been together 5 an half years, does anyone know if you have to be married for a certain amount of time before applying?

Nope - Immigration had my wife's application less than 24 hours after we got married.

But gather together evidence of your relationship - holiday photos, any joint bank accounts / property / whatever. That will speed the process.

You can get married at 14 days notice in HK and it just needs two witnesses and a licensed Civil Celebrant. You can do it anywhere you want.

[davecooper83]

Originally Posted by PDLM

Nope - Immigration had my wife's application less than 24 hours after we got married.

But gather together evidence of your relationship - holiday photos, any joint bank accounts / property / whatever. That will speed the process.

You can get married at 14 days notice in HK and it just needs two witnesses and a licensed Civil Celebrant. You can do it anywhere you want.

wow! did you marry before moving over or did you do it out there?

we could handle her coming out on a visitor visa first off but prob only for a couple of months max, then she'll need to bring in some money to! but i have read that once you have been over on a visitor visa you cant upgrade to a working one? not too sure how true this is.