Posted by
jaynemf
11 yrs ago
Hi,
My friend really wants to move to HK this summer. He is a skilled carpenter with plumbing, tiling and painting & decorating experience too.
Is there much call for tradesmen in HK?
He's not chasing money.
He'd just like to move out with his teacher girlfriend and have a bit of regular work coming in.
I'd love to know if fellow expats think he'll get some private work in HK or even get picked up by a firm. Let me know your thoughts please so I can A) encourage him to make the move or B) tell him to stay put.
Jayne
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Ed
11 yrs ago
Please note it is a criminal offense to work in Hong Kong without a work visa. I do believe that a foreigner can obtain a work visa for this type of work as one condition of hire would be that one cannot find a locally qualified person to fill the job.
Anyone employing someone who does not have a work visa would also be exposed to criminal prosecution.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news - but this is a serious offense that carries substantial penalties and jail time - so best to be aware of this before traveling to Hong Kong.
You may want to contact HK immigration or an immigration lawyer to confirm the above.
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I am aware he cannot work on a tourist visa. The word ‘tourist’ kind of gives it away. I am merely trying to gauge if there is any need for English speaking tradesmen for the expat community. He doesn’t want to work illegally, what self-respecting person would? As both his father and brother are long serving members of the UK police force, this would look very bad indeed.
He’s getting married in May 2014 so I will suggest he waits another year and then looks into applying for a dependent visa through his girlfriend who already has several schools interested in her CV. The immigration lawyer told me this was the best way to go about it. Maybe then he can move out and relocate his business here.
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Ed
11 yrs ago
In that case if he's under a dependent visa he can work in HK - I suspect there would be loads of potential. I have spoken to one contractor and he says he doesn't advertise because he cannot take on any more work ...
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Thats good news then. He loves his job and I know he'd love HK too -what's not to love about this city :)
Hopefully he'll be out fitting kitchens, tiling walls and fixing sinks next year.
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