UK extends visa rights to 3 million Hong Kongers

[Sheilbh]

Certainly some will consider politics to be their foremost consideration.  But I doubt the majority will think that way.  People come and go for a multitude of reasons, like job prospects, housing prices, quality of life, etc.  Most students in HK are trained to become office workers, and their chance of finding employment in the UK that is relevant to their training is very low.

I've never heard someone suggest it might be challenging for office workers to find work in the UK before Our economy is very services based.

There may be fewer roles at the minute especially because of the pandemic especially, but it feels like an economy with big financial and professional services sectors should be a reasonably good mix for Hong Kongers, no? 

Reports of people who have actually moved to the UK indicate that they are doing food delivery, or acting as Uber drivers and the like. 

Yeah I mean we'll see in the next 2 years or so because I think in lockdown there is just less hiring in general going on.

People who have children are more likely to move.  Their children will be a lot happier with the UK curriculum than the HK one, and they actually have some chance to get good jobs if they spend their childhood in the UK.  Some people simply sell their HK flats, most of them are worth at least a million pounds, and retire in the UK.

Yeah it'll be interesting to see who actually comes. I sort of suspect the Home Office is underestimating the number who actually will (they have form for this).

[Admiral Yi]

There may be fewer roles at the minute especially because of the pandemic especially, but it feels like an economy with big financial and professional services sectors should be a reasonably good mix for Hong Kongers, no? 

Because Chinese are so good with numbers? 

[Sheilbh]

There may be fewer roles at the minute especially because of the pandemic especially, but it feels like an economy with big financial and professional services sectors should be a reasonably good mix for Hong Kongers, no? 

Because Chinese are so good with numbers? 

Because Hong Kong's got a big financial and professional services

[Monoriu]

There are a host of reasons.

First of all, lawyers and accountants etc in HK can't just practise in the UK.  They need to go through the entire accreditation process again.

Then there is the matter of lacking the networks and referrals.  The UK will not recognise HK experience. 

Then there is the language barrier. 

From what I have read and experienced myself, there are generally three possibilities.  One, forget about finding work at all.  Two, find blue collar work that is totally unrelated to what they do back in HK.  Three, find work in Chinese businesses.  See, the problem for the rioters who move to the UK is that, a lot of these Chinese businesses are Mainland owned.  They won't look too kindly on riot participants or supporters.  So their possibilities are narrowed to HK-owned businesses. 

I think it may actually be a good thing if large numbers of people move to the UK.  Many of these will be in supervisory or managerial positions.  Them moving away means promotions for the folks at the bottom.  It also means more opportunities for those who stay in other ways.  Their children who are studying in the elite schools in HK will give up their precious places for others.  The flats in HK will be sold or rented out, increasing the amount of living space available on the market, and so on. 

[Josquius]

It's sad that the ones who could most benefit from and most want this, the young, are those who can't get it.
I really do suspect the tories did this for points knowing take up would be low.


What's the HK/Taiwan situation BTW? Can HKers just move there or are there visa hoops like any other foreigner?

[Monoriu]

It's sad that the ones who could most benefit from and most want this, the young, are those who can't get it.
I really do suspect the tories did this for points knowing take up would be low.


What's the HK/Taiwan situation BTW? Can HKers just move there or are there visa hoops like any other foreigner?

They have visa rules for HKers as well, but the cost is lower.  They let HKers move there if they "invest" in Taiwan.  The actual cost is much lower for Taiwan than Canada or Australia.  Taiwan also say they welcome rioters, and a couple of hundred have moved there.  It is tough to get actual citizenship though.  While they are allowed to stay, there is actually some controversy in Taiwan if they should welcome the HK rioters, as some have committed crimes like attempted murder, causing bodily harm, arson etc.  Of course, since 12 HKers were arrested by Mainland police when they tried to reach Taiwan by boat a few months ago, the number of people who tried to make the trip went down dramatically. 

There is also the small matter of Taiwan having one of the worst economies in East Asia in recent years.  Their own graduates can't find work.  So HKers who move to Taiwan can't find work either. 

[Sheilbh]

There are a host of reasons.

First of all, lawyers and accountants etc in HK can't just practise in the UK.  They need to go through the entire accreditation process again.

I don't know about the position for accountants but I'm fairly sure Hong Kong qualified lawyers can work in-house or, if they register as a foreign lawyer, in private practice. It normally just means their email signature says, for example, "Solicitor (qualified in Hong Kong)". It's fairly common to work with Australian, New Zealand, Ireland, Hong Kong or Singapore qualified lawyers (they're the most common) who haven't re-qualified, but they can if they want.

Then there is the matter of lacking the networks and referrals.  The UK will not recognise HK experience. 

I'm not so sure about this. Lots of people in London have worked in Hong Kong, or will work with Hong Kong now. They might not recognise the experience directly but it's a bit like with a CV coming from, say, Singapore or Chicago - it's kind of credible and people have an idea about Hong Kong. It's not like, for example, a second tier Chinese city that wouldn't be recognised.

Then there is the language barrier. 

Fair point.

From what I have read and experienced myself, there are generally three possibilities.  One, forget about finding work at all.  Two, find blue collar work that is totally unrelated to what they do back in HK.  Three, find work in Chinese businesses.  See, the problem for the rioters who move to the UK is that, a lot of these Chinese businesses are Mainland owned.  They won't look too kindly on riot participants or supporters.  So their possibilities are narrowed to HK-owned businesses. 

But how do they know? Do they just assume Hong Kong citizens living in the UK with a visa are riot participants or supporters? And obviously it could create issues for their operations here because it's illegal to discriminate based on political beliefs.

[Monoriu]

What about nurses, doctors, teachers, insurance agents, etc?

Rioters won't stop talking, that's why    Someone who doesn't talk politics, like me, won't become a rioter in the first place.  A rioter complains and seeks change.  They'll want to talk politics, associate with other rioters, wear clothing and accessories that show their beliefs, etc. 

[Sheilbh]

What about nurses, doctors, teachers, insurance agents, etc?

As I say I don't know for other professions. But there are definitely Hong Kong doctors and nurses in the NHS already - the NHS has a huge number of internationally qualified staff (it's one of the reasons why the Filipino community in the UK has been so disproportionately hit by covid, they are a very small community but many work for the NHS).

It may surprise you but I think Hong Kong is, like Singapore, pretty well-regarded in the UK

[Monoriu]

The typical progression of a report from someone who moved to Taiwan is like this.

I got a huge house you suckers Cheap too.  Democracy!  No more Beijing bullshit!  Finally someone dares to say no to Beijing!  My children are way happier.  It is great fun to open a cafe.  Air I can breathe.  Open space.  The people are so nice compared to Hong Kong.  Sometimes I just stare at the sky.  Escape from the pressure cooker.  I feel human again. Blah blah blah.

Nine months later, the author is back to HK again.  "Well, it was great, except my cafe has been losing money and the numbers just don't add up..."

[Eddie Teach]

They should have bought a McDonald's franchise.

[Monoriu]

They should have bought a McDonald's franchise.

Sure.  Thing is, Taiwan is a fully developed, industrialised place.  We are not talking about settling in a new continent, Columbus style.  There are opportunities but the question "if it is profitable, maybe the Taiwanese would have done it already" should be kept in mind at all times. 

Taiwan isn't doing well.  The typical income of a university graduate is US$1,500 a month.  Just google 22k Taiwan.  There is a reason why, despite their troubled relationship with the Mainland, hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese are working on the Mainland. 

[Valmy]

Just like how the Chinese nationalistically declare the superiorit of China to all the world yet emigrated in the tens of millions to places that are not China.

Things happen.

[Monoriu]

Just like how the Chinese nationalistically declare the superiorit of China to all the world yet emigrated in the tens of millions to places that are not China.

Things happen.

This is well known.  The powerful, rich, well-connected people who cry China is greatest are exactly the types who tend to hold foreign passports, send their children, family, and money abroad, and buy American goods. 

In Hong Kong, almost the entire senior management of Education Department send their children overseas to be educated. 

[Valmy]

Speaking of Taiwanese emigrating I was a little taken aback to see randos, though thankfully very few so far, calling out Andrew Yang as a CCP asset as he starts his NYC Mayor campaign. Anti-Chinese hysteria is coming to America...again.