Relocating to Hong Kong with Thai Mrs

[FrankGers]

Hello.

I've got a new full time job with full relocation package to Hong Kong. The wife and Kid are coming with me. Obviously the Mrs is Thai and our daughter has her UK passport.

When i want to go back to the UK for a holiday is it straight forwards enough to get a Visa for the wife in HK? She has been to the UK before with me and thr daughter for a holiday, about two years ago.

[post]

What immigration status she will be in HK?

[FrankGers]

What immigration status she will be in HK?

I think it's a "depandant" visa(?) as they are there on the strength of my employment.

My work are doing it for me. I sent our marriage cert, her passport and a picture of her (same for my daughter) The company i work for have been in HK for decades (it's a western european country) and have and i quote, "never had a visa knocked back"

[abhaya]

I don't foresee a problem her getting a "dependent visa", it is all very straightforward in HK, especially since the company is applying on your behalf.

[FrankGers]

I don't foresee a problem her getting a "dependent visa", it is all very straightforward in HK, especially since the company is applying on your behalf.

I know she will get th HK VISA. I am asking about applying for a UK visa in HK so we can go to the uk mate.

[theoldgit]

I don't foresee a problem her getting a "dependent visa", it is all very straightforward in HK, especially since the company is applying on your behalf.

I know she will get th HK VISA. I am asking about applying for a UK visa in HK so we can go to the uk mate.

I don't see that your wife would encounter any problem obtaining a UK Visa whilst in Hong Kong.

You guys are married, you will be living legally together in Hong Kong, you working and her as a your dependent relative, that's her reason to return, she's been before so has a record of complying with UK Visa Regulations.

As she will legally resident in Hong Kong she can submit her application there via our friends at VFS: vfsglobal Hong Kong

[FrankGers]

I don't see that your wife would encounter any problem obtaining a UK Visa whilst in Hong Kong.

You guys are married, you will be living legally together in Hong Kong, you working and her as a your dependent relative, that's her reason to return, she's been before so has a record of complying with UK Visa Regulations.

As she will legally resident in Hong Kong she can submit her application there via our friends at VFS: vfsglobal Hong Kong

Cheers OG

[gios50hk]

I don't foresee a problem her getting a "dependent visa", it is all very straightforward in HK, especially since the company is applying on your behalf.

I know she will get th HK VISA. I am asking about applying for a UK visa in HK so we can go to the uk mate.

[VMOMMO]

It may help if you wait to apply for the UK visa until she has her HK visa (takes about 1 month) and then applies for and has her HK ID card (two weeks). That way it shows the UK that she has the right to live and work in HK.

She can enter HK as a tourist on her Thai passport for 1 month but she will have to exit and reenter once she gets her dependent visa, so plan a quick Macau trip.

[gios50hk]

I lived and worked in HK for 20 years - and my wife is also Asian (though not Thai) - so am fairly familiar with the topic you seek help with.

HK immigration is notoriously racist and particularly towards what it considers as 'poorer, less-developed' Asian countries (including Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines etc - and even mainland China!) Having said that, the fact that your wife is married to a ''Gweilo'' (farang) carries a lot of weight there. So I don't really foresee you having any difficulties acquiring a 'dependent' visa for your wife.

With respect to applying for a visa to travel to the UK from HK - this may be a little more tricky but again shouldn't be a problem providing you can support her application with all the relevant documents. (marriage certificate, proof of address, bank statements, up to date travel documents - including relevant visa, HK ID card and so on). In fact, I recommend you take as many documents as you possibly can when you visit the British Embassy in Admiralty. (my wife had to go three separate times when she applied as they kept asking her to supply additional paperwork!) You are also required to write a 'letter of recommendation' (a kind of character reference) on behalf of your wife stating how long you have known her, been married, that she is a good decent person etc etc.

Like here in Thailand, the British Embassy in HK are not the most helpful or cooperative of people. If you personally go along with your wife when she applies - it may help a great deal! Good luck - I certainly envy you getting a posting in HK - but let me know if you need any more help!

[FrankGers]

I lived and worked in HK for 20 years - and my wife is also Asian (though not Thai) - so am fairly familiar with the topic you seek help with.

HK immigration is notoriously racist and particularly towards what it considers as 'poorer, less-developed' Asian countries (including Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines etc - and even mainland China!) Having said that, the fact that your wife is married to a ''Gweilo'' (farang) carries a lot of weight there. So I don't really foresee you having any difficulties acquiring a 'dependent' visa for your wife.

With respect to applying for a visa to travel to the UK from HK - this may be a little more tricky but again shouldn't be a problem providing you can support her application with all the relevant documents. (marriage certificate, proof of address, bank statements, up to date travel documents - including relevant visa, HK ID card and so on). In fact, I recommend you take as many documents as you possibly can when you visit the British Embassy in Admiralty. (my wife had to go three separate times when she applied as they kept asking her to supply additional paperwork!) You are also required to write a 'letter of recommendation' (a kind of character reference) on behalf of your wife stating how long you have known her, been married, that she is a good decent person etc etc.

Like here in Thailand, the British Embassy in HK are not the most helpful or cooperative of people. If you personally go along with your wife when she applies - it may help a great deal! Good luck - I certainly envy you getting a posting in HK - but let me know if you need any more help!

Thanks mate. the job kind of came out of nowhere. I never in a million years thought i'd work there never mind live and work. I usually do the 4 weeks on 4 off in the middle east on an oil rig. Obviously with this oil slump that isn't happening right now. I had to take a few month in Nigeria to earn, that was rough but got me this job.

The company are dealing with all visa stuff for me the wife and kid. HR told me there won;t be a problem getting all the visas. They have been in HK decades and never had a visa refused. Bringing my family helped get me the job.

They put the paperwork in a week past weds and told me it will take a minimum of 6 weeks....i'm down on the boarder of rayong and Chanrinbury....life is very boring right now

Thanks for the info mate.

[FrankGers]

One thing i am worried about is schooling. My daughter is 8 and her english is "ok"

The schools are not cheap, i will be looking at £1,200 a month, but it's worth it to get a real education instead of this awful system (including international schools) in Thailand. But we need to do interviews at the schools etc. Luckily i have found an Britsh expat lady that will hunt out schools for us and help.

I am looking at living over in New territories at the gold coast (my company pay my rent) as it's not far from my office. BUT school is number 1. if we can only get in a school somewhere else then i will get a flat there even if it means i need to get up an hour early for work.

[gios50hk]

No worries Frank - glad to be of help.

Do you mind if I ask what sort of work you will be doing in HK? (you say you worked in the oil/gas industry here - and to my knowledge there aren't similar industries in HK!)

Otherwise (and if you have never been to HK before) you will find it massively different to Thailand. Firstly, the levels of efficiency, technology, infrastructure, education (qualifications, credentials etc) transportation and so on are simply light years ahead of Thailand. It is extremely safe (consistently no 2 in the world - behind Singapore - in the league of safest countries) relatively clean and very well organized. The downsides are numerous too though. Incredibly expensive (particularly property - although this is improving apparently?) MUCH faster pace of life and very poor work/life balance (especially if you choose to live some distance from your work) and utterly unacceptable levels of pollution.

Gold Coast is a very nice area - there is quite a large 'ex-pat' community there, with a good choice of restaurants, bars, supermarkets and shops etc. It is well-connected by road ('motorway' standard roads) and I believe when we left in 2014 the HK Govt & MTR were talking about extending the rail links there. (and unlike here in Thailand - things happen - and very fast in HK!!) It is a bit pricey in GC (as its mainly for 'ex-pats') and if it's not too far away from your work, you might want to also consider Yuen Long in NT as also very affordable with good amenities etc.

To repeat, I really envy you - we moved to Thailand 2 years ago and have pretty much hated every minute of it! HK is not great by any stretch but at least it's not as overtly corrupt, full of bull-shitters, scam-artists and out and out criminals as Pattaya!

Let me know if you need any more help - and if you want to let me have your direct contact details (phone or email) am happy to chat and answer of your questions. Cheers!

[FrankGers]

Glo....i have been 4 times, twice before the handover...twice since, the last time was jan last year. I've been to 102 countries so i adjust the second i get off a plane.

As for what i am doing for a job. I mean this in the most respectful way i can, all i'll say is you are right...it's not oil and gas, but i am still in my trade as a chief mechanic. My contract sayd i am in mid level management now, so that is a step up in responsibility. (You never know who is reading and might try and stab you in the back in one way or another, only my mum, the company and a few close life long friends i trust know who i am working for) I was 42 on Thursday, the wife is 45, this is the right time in life for a move such as this.

I get absolutely zero thrill about going anywhere sadly aside from New York....and Hong Kong. It's all still very surreal TBH. Life was a struggle as last year i only worked 4 months give or take, a few months in Oman and Dubai, then a shut down at Mataput in Rayong. Then in March and april this year i was in Nigeria which was rough, we had ISIS coming through once a week looking to kidnap us on the site i was on, we had the Nigerian army with us 24/7 so we were ok. So to go from that to HK....a big diff

[animalmagic]

Glo....i have been 4 times, twice before the handover...twice since, the last time was jan last year. I've been to 102 countries so i adjust the second i get off a plane.

As for what i am doing for a job. I mean this in the most respectful way i can, all i'll say is you are right...it's not oil and gas, but i am still in my trade as a chief mechanic. My contract sayd i am in mid level management now, so that is a step up in responsibility. (You never know who is reading and might try and stab you in the back in one way or another, only my mum, the company and a few close life long friends i trust know who i am working for) I was 42 on Thursday, the wife is 45, this is the right time in life for a move such as this.

I get absolutely zero thrill about going anywhere sadly aside from New York....and Hong Kong. It's all still very surreal TBH. Life was a struggle as last year i only worked 4 months give or take, a few months in Oman and Dubai, then a shut down at Mataput in Rayong. Then in March and april this year i was in Nigeria which was rough, we had ISIS coming through once a week looking to kidnap us on the site i was on, we had the Nigerian army with us 24/7 so we were ok. So to go from that to HK....a big diff

Hi Frank,

I have been in HK for 33 years and am married to a Thai lady. You should have no problem with the Dependent Visa as the Company you work for will have all that sorted very quickly. My wife obtained several visas, including a 10 year multiple, for UK from the HK Consulate as they are usually most concerned about the chance of your wife staying in UK. It should be reasonably easy to prove that is not the case by showing your employment contract and the daughter's school registration. The nearest quality school to Gold Coast is the recently opened Harrow International school, my nephew in law used to work there and it seems to be very good however I do not know the fees but they should be easy to find online. After this there will be schools in Kowloon that would necessitate a 45 minute commute both ways. There may not be too much for your wife to enjoy around there if she stays at home.

I would recommend to look around at other locations as commuting to work for you would be quite easy so it's best to find somewhere close to a school for your daughter, and near to Thai markets for your wife?

p.s. I used to work for the Government here but am now in the private sector; if you think I can help feel free to message me.

[FrankGers]

Hi Frank,

I have been in HK for 33 years and am married to a Thai lady. You should have no problem with the Dependent Visa as the Company you work for will have all that sorted very quickly. My wife obtained several visas, including a 10 year multiple, for UK from the HK Consulate as they are usually most concerned about the chance of your wife staying in UK. It should be reasonably easy to prove that is not the case by showing your employment contract and the daughter's school registration. The nearest quality school to Gold Coast is the recently opened Harrow International school, my nephew in law used to work there and it seems to be very good however I do not know the fees but they should be easy to find online. After this there will be schools in Kowloon that would necessitate a 45 minute commute both ways. There may not be too much for your wife to enjoy around there if she stays at home.

I would recommend to look around at other locations as commuting to work for you would be quite easy so it's best to find somewhere close to a school for your daughter, and near to Thai markets for your wife?

p.s. I used to work for the Government here but am now in the private sector; if you think I can help feel free to message me.

Hi Animal. Good to know someone with your HK experience is around.

I know there is a mini "Thai Town" in Kowlooon. School is number 1. As i said further up the post if i need to have an extra hour committing to and from work that's fine as long as we get a good school. Maybe the Gold coast will be a bit to remote for the wife. Naturally this is a big move for her too. I might have to go to other countries to work. She is used to me working away as since we have been together, 10 years, i have always been on a rotation. But she was here in Thailand, for me to go away when she is in a different country will be a different dynamic for her. SO yeah, i think i'll count out the gold coast in the mean time.

[FrankGers]

I should have said this in the initial post. We haven't got any plans to go to the UK any time soon. It was just a general question for the time we decide to go on holiday. I'd imagine for the first year my time off i'll spend doing the touristy things in HK anyway.

[Franky Bear]

I am/was Frankgers. I had forgot my log in. One of the admin Bods helped me sort it and start to use my old log in name again.

[gios50hk]

I should have said this in the initial post. We haven't got any plans to go to the UK any time soon. It was just a general question for the time we decide to go on holiday. I'd imagine for the first year my time off i'll spend doing the touristy things in HK anyway.

LOL - ''I'd imagine for the first year my time off I'll spend doing the touristy things in HK anyway''

Sorry to laugh Frank - but you can see EVERYTHING there is to see in HK in less than a week! (not sure what you will do for the remaining 55 weeks!)

HK really has only one purpose - work! (and especially in the financial markets). So even if you throw in trips to Ocean Park, Disney World, Stanley market, Repulse Bay, Lantau Island (Big Buddha) and Lamma Island - or spend days trolling around the endless identical shopping malls, you still won't be able to fill anywhere near that amount of time!

Returning to your main topic (you and your Thai wife re-locating to HK) as 'animal' mentioned, there is not a very large Thai community in HK (possibly 20,000 at most?) and many of these congregate around the old 'Kai Tak' airport in Kowloon City. There you will find many Thai food stores, restaurants and shops etc.

VMOMMO suggested a quick trip to Macau as a way to extend your wife's tourist visa - and this is a possibility but I would urge you go together and limit this to only ONE trip!. (HK has 'clamped down' in recent years on Thais, Filipinas, Indonesian etc females popping over to Macau to extend their visas and have now restricted this to a maximum of 3 trips).

Let me know if you any more advice ok.

[Franky Bear]

LOL - ''I'd imagine for the first year my time off I'll spend doing the touristy things in HK anyway''

Sorry to laugh Frank - but you can see EVERYTHING there is to see in HK in less than a week! (not sure what you will do for the remaining 55 weeks!)

HK really has only one purpose - work! (and especially in the financial markets). So even if you throw in trips to Ocean Park, Disney World, Stanley market, Repulse Bay, Lantau Island (Big Buddha) and Lamma Island - or spend days trolling around the endless identical shopping malls, you still won't be able to fill anywhere near that amount of time!

Returning to your main topic (you and your Thai wife re-locating to HK) as 'animal' mentioned, there is not a very large Thai community in HK (possibly 20,000 at most?) and many of these congregate around the old 'Kai Tak' airport in Kowloon City. There you will find many Thai food stores, restaurants and shops etc.

VMOMMO suggested a quick trip to Macau as a way to extend your wife's tourist visa - and this is a possibility but I would urge you go together and limit this to only ONE trip!. (HK has 'clamped down' in recent years on Thais, Filipinas, Indonesian etc females popping over to Macau to extend their visas and have now restricted this to a maximum of 3 trips).

Let me know if you any more advice ok.

I will be working most of the time as you say. But kids being kids and having not really had the Disney type stuff here i am sure there will be multiple trips to these places.

Also, i am done with traveling all the time. I'm 42, joined the Royal Navy at 17 and have been on the move since then as bar a few the jobs i have had involved traveling since 1999. I've been 4 weeks on 4 off for the last 11 years. My wife and kid have only known me on a rotation like that This is the first 9-5/go home after work i have had with my family. The last time i went home after work was when i lived in Holland and was single from 99-04 when i loved here. Even with that job we had a global customer base so i could be away from my home in Holland for weeks if not months end then too,

. I don;t want to be on planes any more. I want this "normal" life in what is an amazing city.

[Franky Bear]

For her visa I would go with her to Macau. I have been told about this already mate.

[taxout]

" . . . but you can see EVERYTHING there is to see in HK in less than a week! (not sure what you will do for the remaining 55 weeks!)"

I could not disagree more with that sentiment.

Especially if you're into the outdoors, Hong Kong offers amazing opportunities for hiking and picnics and boating and just lazing on the beach. All right there at hand, easily reached by a great public transport system, including ferries to a whole series of Outlying Islands you can explore.

And if you want some urban experience, Hong Kong is one of the best cities on earth to explore on foot: walk the streets and you'll find there's always something new just right ahead.

Downsides are few. As mentioned above, the hassles of daily life are minimal, consisting mostly of noise and pollution. It's not a good place to live cheap. Taxi drivers can be a problem sometimes. And it takes time to get used to the crowds and the summer humidity.

Most importantly, in a completely different fashion than Thailand, overseas residents are an accepted part of the landscape, and have been since Hong Kong's founding. You'll never have a visit from the police just because you're a foreigner in the neighbourhood. You simply won't feel like an alien in Hong Kong, so long as you make some effort to fit in.

Make that effort, and you'll never want to leave.

[Franky Bear]

" . . . but you can see EVERYTHING there is to see in HK in less than a week! (not sure what you will do for the remaining 55 weeks!)"

I could not disagree more with that sentiment.

Especially if you're into the outdoors, Hong Kong offers amazing opportunities for hiking and picnics and boating and just lazing on the beach. All right there at hand, easily reached by a great public transport system, including ferries to a whole series of Outlying Islands you can explore.

And if you want some urban experience, Hong Kong is one of the best cities on earth to explore on foot: walk the streets and you'll find there's always something new just right ahead.

Downsides are few. As mentioned above, the hassles of daily life are minimal, consisting mostly of noise and pollution. It's not a good place to live cheap. Taxi drivers can be a problem sometimes. And it takes time to get used to the crowds and the summer humidity.

Most importantly, in a completely different fashion than Thailand, overseas residents are an accepted part of the landscape, and have been since Hong Kong's founding. You'll never have a visit from the police just because you're a foreigner in the neighbourhood. You simply won't feel like an alien in Hong Kong, so long as you make some effort to fit in.

Make that effort, and you'll never want to leave.

Thanks mate. I've been a few times before. I can't wait to get there. My Visa application went in two weeks ago today. They told me it will take 6 weeks so roughly a month to go. The comoany i'm working for would have me start tomorrow if they could (their words not mine)

I've been in Thailand 10 years. I've had a great time and got a great family that are coming with me. At 42 it's the right time to leave. I want normality and an honest place to live now. I am so glad my daughter at 8 years old is getting this opportunity too. The Thai way of life is not what i want for her.

Edited June 22, 2016 by Franky Bear

[gios50hk]

" . . . but you can see EVERYTHING there is to see in HK in less than a week! (not sure what you will do for the remaining 55 weeks!)"

I could not disagree more with that sentiment.

Especially if you're into the outdoors, Hong Kong offers amazing opportunities for hiking and picnics and boating and just lazing on the beach. All right there at hand, easily reached by a great public transport system, including ferries to a whole series of Outlying Islands you can explore.

And if you want some urban experience, Hong Kong is one of the best cities on earth to explore on foot: walk the streets and you'll find there's always something new just right ahead.

Downsides are few. As mentioned above, the hassles of daily life are minimal, consisting mostly of noise and pollution. It's not a good place to live cheap. Taxi drivers can be a problem sometimes. And it takes time to get used to the crowds and the summer humidity.

Most importantly, in a completely different fashion than Thailand, overseas residents are an accepted part of the landscape, and have been since Hong Kong's founding. You'll never have a visit from the police just because you're a foreigner in the neighbourhood. You simply won't feel like an alien in Hong Kong, so long as you make some effort to fit in.

Make that effort, and you'll never want to leave.

Thanks mate. I've been a few times before. I can't wait to get there. My Visa application went in two weeks ago today. They told me it will take 6 weeks so roughly a month to go. The comoany i'm working for would have me start tomorrow if they could (their words not mine)

I've been in Thailand 10 years. I've had a great time and got a great family that are coming with me. At 42 it's the right time to leave. I want normality and an honest place to live now. I am so glad my daughter at 8 years old is getting this opportunity too. The Thai way of life is not what i want for her.

[gios50hk]

taxout - my commnent about HK having little to see/do was tongue-in-cheek. (clearly, my attempt at sarcasm sailed over your head by a million miles?!?)

Having said that, you seem to have focused entirely on this sentence and ignored some of the attractions I mentioned in my original post. (eg, Ocean Park, Disney Land, Stanley market & Repulse Bay, Victoria Peak, Lantau & Lamma Islands - including the Big Buddha - Chungking Mansions, Temple & Lady Street Night markets, 'sneakers' street in Mongkok and endless shopping malls - such as Times Square). Outdoors activities are also quite plentiful - Cheung Sha & Shek O beaches, to name but two, countless trails, waterfalls and country parks.

Despite that - HK is quite a small country and even with all the above sights to see, you would be hard pushed to get more than a month out of the place and certainly not a year as Franky Bear stated.

I don't know if you ever lived in HK - but I did, for 20 years. So I think I am qualified to speak on the subject. Incidentally, my bother came visit me from UK and after 4 days he had seen ALL he wanted to see!

[taxout]

I saw your post in isolation: I didn't track back to whatever you'd posted earlier.

Still, "you would be hard pushed to get more than a month out of the place and certainly not a year as Franky Bear stated" reminds me of that old remark. "When a man is tired of London . . . ." Besides, when you're living someplace, you're not a tourist crossing sights off a list. "Hey, let's go down to Chungking Mansions this weekend!" Why on earth?

But course HK's not for everyone. Those who feel constrained or out of place usually decide to leave at the end of their first contract.

And then, as with everything in life, they have to decide, well, what's a better alternative.

[taxout]

Just to add one very strong bit of advice, though: keep your Thai dentist!

[Franky Bear]

taxout - my commnent about HK having little to see/do was tongue-in-cheek. (clearly, my attempt at sarcasm sailed over your head by a million miles?!?)

Having said that, you seem to have focused entirely on this sentence and ignored some of the attractions I mentioned in my original post. (eg, Ocean Park, Disney Land, Stanley market & Repulse Bay, Victoria Peak, Lantau & Lamma Islands - including the Big Buddha - Chungking Mansions, Temple & Lady Street Night markets, 'sneakers' street in Mongkok and endless shopping malls - such as Times Square). Outdoors activities are also quite plentiful - Cheung Sha & Shek O beaches, to name but two, countless trails, waterfalls and country parks.

Despite that - HK is quite a small country and even with all the above sights to see, you would be hard pushed to get more than a month out of the place and certainly not a year as Franky Bear stated.

I don't know if you ever lived in HK - but I did, for 20 years. So I think I am qualified to speak on the subject. Incidentally, my bother came visit me from UK and after 4 days he had seen ALL he wanted to see!

Glo i'll be working mate. I get 25 days holday a year plus bank holidays. It's a 6 day week i'll be doing too so it's not as if we are living like tourists mate. I'd love a few years not doing any travel, i've been on the move since i was 17. SO going home to my family every night and doing normal family stuff that the norml working man will be a novelty foe me at 42.

[Franky Bear]

Just to add one very strong bit of advice, though: keep your Thai dentist!

Dental is n my health insurance. I pay $150 a month and the company the other half. That's for me and the family and a global coverage with Axa

[Franky Bear]

I'll be there in about 10 days. We have an agent looking for schools for my daughter. That was going to be the toughest job, there's no way i'd have been able to do it on my own.

I have contacted a lot of places to stay. I think we will go for a two bedroom serviced apartment for the first 6 months till we find our feet. All three of us can't wait to move. I've had a great 10 years in Thailand....but, time to move on.