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Can You Have 2 Hong Kong Employment Visa Applications Pending At the Same Time?

December 11th, 2021

Posted by / in Employment Visas, Your Question Answered / 23 responses


 

This is quite an unusual set of facts and provides a great opportunity to clear up one small, yet key, part of the Hong Kong employment visa applications process.

SMALL-keep-calm-and-ask-the-visa-geeza

QUESTION

“We are from Canada. Recently my boyfriend and I were offered a job teaching English with a company in Hong Kong. We gave them the info for our work visa and they submitted the application. Actually, the terms and conditions were less attractive that we thought but we just wanted to get to HK. In the meantime, we kept applying for jobs to find a better offer and found a new company and were subsequently offered jobs. We gave them the appropriate visa info and they submitted an application for a Hong Kong work visa as well.

Will both visas get denied because we have two applications on the go at the same time? Should I tell the first company immediately that we do not want to work for them? Or should I let them both go through and pick up the visa for the second company when we arrive and tell the first company we want out? We are very worried about it. Do you have any suggestions? Will they issue two visas for two different companies and then allow us to activate one?”

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The Hong Kong Visa Geeza (a.k.a Stephen Barnes) is a co-founder of the Hong Kong Visa Centre and author of the Hong Kong Visa Handbook. A law graduate of the London School of Economics, Stephen has been practicing Hong Kong immigration since 1993 and is widely acknowledged as the leading authority on business immigration matters here for the last 24 years.

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RESPONSES
  • Jack

    16 May 2023 pm31 6:15pm
    01

    Hi VisaGeeza,

    A company I’m about to start working with (is a model agency company) is applying for a 3 months working visa for me.

    If I can find a more stable job with a company that can offer a proper working visa, can the new company still apply for the new proper working visa or they go in conflict?

    Thank you

    • The Visa Geeza

      24 May 2023 am31 1:34am
      02

      You can apply for a full employment visa under GEP even whilst you hold a model visa.

  • JJ

    14 Mar 2019 am31 1:34am
    03

    Hi visa geeza,
    Thank you for your advice!

    My training visa has been expired and the same employer decided to take me as a permanent staff.

    It already has been more than 3 months and my visa application is still pending. (Current employer already mentioned that this is a negative sign and better to look for back up plans)

    So, yes i did found an opportunity in another company and they want to go through visa process for me.

    However, I have this old visa application keep going on. Is it wise to withdraw the application before they reject my application?
    Will it be hard to get a employment after rejection?

    Thank you again!

    • The Visa Geeza

      15 Mar 2019 am31 8:52am
      04

      Withdraw the current TV application and seek an EV via the new employer.

  • Zolanski

    12 Sep 2018 pm30 9:57pm
    05

    Hi,

    After 4 years under a working visa I’m currently back in France.

    I’m in touch with a HK based company to come back for a 3 months training in HK before being sent full time to France.

    Shall I apply for a working holiday visa or a traning visa ? Can I apply for both visas at the same time ?

    Thanks a lot for your feedbacks, much appreciated.

    • The Visa Geeza

      17 Sep 2018 am30 10:30am
      06

      if you qualify for the WHV (age 30 or under) this would be the quickest and easiest route. You cannot apply for both at the same time.

  • Mike

    15 Aug 2017 pm31 10:16pm
    07

    Hello,

    I am currently working in Hong Kong on a 2 year visa. I have found some other work on a Sunday. The company have asked me to get a sideline visa before I start this work ? Does this exist as I can’t find it on the government website? Many thanks.

    • The Visa Geeza

      17 Aug 2017 pm31 2:09pm
      08

      Yes – you need to apply 5/F Immigration Tower Residents section. You need form ID91, a copy of your side employment contract and written consent in writing of your current sponsoring employer stating that they have no objection to you taking up this side employment. Expect the application to take between 4-8 weeks to complete. Go early in the morning to apply with your documents and original passport as there is a fixed quota of cases ImmD take on each day. I;d get in the Q at 8:15 am for the door to open at 8:30 am to be sure they will accept your application on the day you submit.

      • Mike

        19 Aug 2017 pm31 6:01pm
        09

        Thank you a million times for your reply. Since writing the post, my employer have said that they they will send a letter to the immigration office and I do not need to complete any forms. Is this another way instead of heading down to the immigration department?

        • The Visa Geeza

          22 Aug 2017 am31 9:26am
          10

          Yes, ImmD prefer all communications to be in writing.

  • Jay

    25 Mar 2017 pm31 11:06pm
    11

    Hi VisaGeezer,

    A question, is it possible to hold a working visa from HK and Canada at the same time? (Working for the same company but occasionally need to work in Canada)

    Thanks for your help.

    • The Visa Geeza

      26 Mar 2017 pm31 11:43pm
      12

      The Hong Kong piece is no problem. Can’t speak to Canada but I doubt it would be a problem there either. Best ask a Canadian immigration lawyer.

      • Jay

        27 Mar 2017 am31 2:53am
        13

        Thank you GZA,

        The Canadian side don’t mind who you have visas with outside of Mapleland so it is great to hear that the HK govt is fine with it as well. Many thanks and all the best.

  • Shane

    10 Jan 2017 am31 1:19am
    14

    Hi Visa Geeza,

    I have been in HK working for 5 yrs now but I quit my job because I had an offer from another company… my current visa was going to expire 1 month before my final day of employment with the current employer so I have successfully extended my visa for 1 month until the final day of employment. during this time my new employer has applied for my new visa…

    my question is; once my new visa application is completed can I leave hk (to macau) then return to activate the new visa while the current one is still valid? will the new visa supersede the current one so I could begin working at the new company ?
    If possible I would like to start working at the new company before my current visa extension expires

    any advice ?

    thx

    • The Visa Geeza

      14 Jan 2017 am31 11:22am
      15

      I assume you applied for a change of employer whilst your [extended] limit of stay under your original employment visa was valid. If so, then when your new employment visa permissions are granted, ImmD will avail you an extension of stay together with the permissions to work for your new employer which doesn’t require a trip outside of HK in order to activate it. You can only start working for your new employer once ImmD have approved your new employer application – and not before.

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