[tjlegg]

How many times have you met prior to this urge to get married? Just the once in the US? Does she have an income that can support you both? Have you met her family and friends?

I'd be sure to come to Hong Kong to meet them. Since I'm in the process of doing exactly what you're thinking about, I can tell you that no matter the amount of love involved, you can't discount the practical aspects of uprooting yourself and making yourself part of her family and social life.

One week til HK has another expat. (Well, technically expat in waiting, since there is the wedding and visa approval process that has to be completed.) 6 weeks til HK loses another single female.

[pizzaMui]

You will definitely have to make a lot of adjustments. HK is so saturated with people and noise, it can drive you up a wall. If you can withstand it for the long-term, do still consider the lifetsyle change. You'll be adapting to her lifestyle and her friends & family. Best to meet with them first.

I do admire your devotion ... (I did what you are about to do a while back) but as always, you never really know someone 'til you've lived with them!

[Bum]

as far as I am know she also needs to have stable income to sponsor you for the dependant visa. I don't how much though.

[TimTheMan]

I really appreciate the many replies and some of them have given me a few more questions.
Well, first of all, I have been talking to this girl online, chat, voice, video, and ecspecially phone for two years. She came to stay with me for two months and we lived together and were wonderful together. I don't really have any roots here, and I know that adapting to the hustle and bustle may take a little time, but it is the smallest of my concerns. What worried me was the "application for dependent visa ." How hard are those to get?
She is steadily employed making a decent amount and with the two jobs I'm working now, I'll be in a decent financial state. By that I mean having few bills, my income isn't very high however. What are the real factors in getting a dependent visa? Do I first need to have a job to get one? And how specialized do my skills need to be to find work in HK? Again, I really don't care what kind of work I find. All your replies are much appreciated and Thankyou for keeping it positive!

[Moto]

heya mate...

I just wanted to add a little word of caution .. i em sailing in the same boat as ur .. i have girlfriend in hk and i plan to marry her next year the only advantage i have is i am employed in hong kong as an IT consultant .. and we have been staying together for the past 6 months .. and during this time there were a couple of occations when my contract was on the verge of termination and my return tickets confirmed .. since i work for an IT firm in india so we are supposed to go back when our contract terminates with the client. needless to say i frantically started looking for a job .. after being in this industry for 7 years we were quiet confident i would find one .. but i realised pretty soon that that nearly impossible .. the employment scenario here is pretty sad even for the local ppl and since I cannot speak cantoniese or mandarin it makes things more worse .. even for gettign a job in Mc Donalds you need to speak the local language .. i was demoralised to such an extent that i started applying for any kinna job .. any odd shitty low paying job .. i still could not find one !!!! ... we both know that some day or the other my contract is gonna be terminated .. and i would have to go back .. so we have decided to get married and settle outside hong kong .. probably in australia or uk .. where our chances or finding a financially secure future together seems much brighter ..

even though she has a pretty good and a stable job but the scenario my friend, is such that even after working for 10 years in her company ppl have have been layed off .. and she has only completed 5 years .. so you know what i mean ... pal don't bank on her job n don't expect to find a touring job to see you through .. like some of the other members suggested .. spend some time with her in HK .. n try getting a job .. but don't bank on it !!
i suggest you try looking for a job in some local english teaching schools ... there is a great demand in hong kong for native english speaking tutors .. and a i hav met a lot of ppl from canada and australia who'ev spent their lifetime in HK teaching english .. practically speaking being an english tutor seems to be the only chance .. I wish you both luck !! : )

[scr]

I wouldn't say that finding a job tutoring english is easy ! In HK now most language centers and schools ask for qualified teachers. Gone are those days when backpacking tourists could find teaching jobs to earn a quick buck. If you are American you may find a teaching job but don't count on it. The most popular qualification is the CELTA or the TESOL for teaching english as a foreign language. You should consider doing this course if you are serious about teaching english.

[garion_hk]

Well, i agree part of what Moto said about. No doubted, it's very hard to find a job in Hong Kong, esp you don;t speak local language- cantonese. I would suggest you to look for some foreign company, see if there is any chances. At the same time you'd better learn some Cantonese from your GF, as her family members/ friends may not all speak english or understand english very well (assume that)...
For the tutorial. yes there's a great desire of native english speaker in Hong Kong, but it would be better if u got any experience or qualification of teaching. i agree that there's many foreigner being tutor as there job in Hong Kong. It would be nice if u can get one in a language school. Keep Looking!

I would wish you all luck n' hope you n' you gf have a life of happiness n' health.

[Moto]

dao tse ... i am already learning some cantoniese from her and her friends : ) .. but i am not good at it haha .. and her parents do not speak english but i can make out most of what they say .. by sign language n the context .. it's a lot of fun : ) .. anyway she's always there to translate for me ..
Hung Hei Fat Choi to you hav a great day

- Moto

Originally Posted by garion_hk

Well, i agree part of what Moto said about. No doubted, it's very hard to find a job in Hong Kong, esp you don;t speak local language- cantonese. I would suggest you to look for some foreign company, see if there is any chances. At the same time you'd better learn some Cantonese from your GF, as her family members/ friends may not all speak english or understand english very well (assume that)...
For the tutorial. yes there's a great desire of native english speaker in Hong Kong, but it would be better if u got any experience or qualification of teaching. i agree that there's many foreigner being tutor as there job in Hong Kong. It would be nice if u can get one in a language school. Keep Looking!

I would wish you all luck n' hope you n' you gf have a life of happiness n' health.

[Andy_HK]

Timothe,

You sound very young and idealistic. You should consider a few things. First, how well do you really know this girl? Only you can answer that one. Second, where will you live - with her parents? Just so you know 1/2 the population lives in public housing here. If that's where they live, you can't live with them. It's illegal and they do check. So you will need to rent. A rental price for an "ok" place is around $7,000 HKD or $900 US.

What do her parents think of a guy their daughter has met online. Family is very important to Chinese. I'm sure they want a son-in-law who has skills and can support a wife and eventually a family. I'm not saying you don't, just that most Chinese prefer a guy with skills and a degree. Money is also very important in society over here. Everything is money, money, money...

So, what kind of job are you qualified to do to pay the rent? Sorry, there isn't much work for heating and air-conditioning dispatchers as listed in your public profile. Some on this forum have suggested that you try to teaching English. Are you qualified to do that? Most places will require a BA or BSc. degree in addition to teacher training. Then if you have that you should know that the students here want to learn British English. In fact many tutorial centres will say they want British Citizens. On top of that, most places that specialise in teaching children prefer women.

Lastly, did you discuss your potential move with your family? What do they think?

I'm sorry to be so blunt, but someone has to.
Good Luck.

[MJH]

Tymothe,

What happened? Did you marry your HK girl? Did you move to Hong Kong?