Need more time on tourist stay!

I have a UK passport and I can stay for 6 months as a "tourist". I am trying to pursue my career but I need more time to get a work visa sponsor because my 6 months is going to run out in July and even if I suddenly found a work sponsor now it might be too late to process in time.


So my questions are:


1) Is there some way I can apply for an extension with regards to my tourist stay to bide me some more time to find a work sponsor? And if so, what is the process and HOW LONG an extension can I get?


2) Alternatively can someone tell me straight up (because it is very vague on the government website), is the rule 6 months per year or 6 months in a row?


People keep telling me just go to Macao and back and it's fine. But I didn't see the logic. If it's that easy then why even have a limit of stay length in the first place? It seemed to me that the rule was 6 months per year not in a row. Meaning that no matter which way I slice it I can't stay more than 6 month out of a year.


Is this not so? Can I just leave and come back and get a fresh 6 months? Considering I will only be doing it once, not repeatedly. Because I will surely have a work sponsor by the end of the next 6 months.


Many thanks.

you could just go to Macau and return...that is the typical overstayer's ploy...Imm is wise to it, and MAY question you about your intentions...why not take a legitimate holiday somewhere, say for a week or so, and then return...less obvious as an overstaying ploy IMHO.

Thanks a lot. Well, I don't mind doing that, but is it really okay? Because immd doesn't make it clear whether it's "6 months in a row" or "6 months PER YEAR" allowed. If it's per year, even if I go out and come back it's still not ok. Is it definitely okay to do this? I don't mind if I need to take a legitimate break somewhere.

Hello Cara, thanks a lot. A guy at the immigration tower advised me this today also. I asked about an extension, he said it can't be done for the reason that you want to set up a business and get the business visa. He said honestly they won't do it. It's got to be an emergency of some sort. He said his advice is take a trip out somewhere and then come back, whether or not applying for the visa. He also said if I do apply for the visa I have to go out of HK anyway because i'm not supposed to be here while applying for a visa.