The job search

#1 misconception - many people think that it's really difficult to find a teaching job in Hong Kong because most people in Hong Kong already know English.

It's true that many people especially those under 40 can speak English in a semi-fluent manner but it is because most people go through special language training in their formal school or attend a private language institute to learn English. However, the main reason why it is difficult to find a job here, for I've been struggling for the past week, is because there are already so many expats here whose native tongue is English. Hong Kong is such a cosmopolitan city as well as one of the major financial cities of the world, many foreigners living here already have residency or a Hong Kong identification card. This card is the key to doing just about anything in Hong Kong from opening up a bank account to setting up a telephone line with internet to signing a lease with a landlord. The major problem is that it's really hard to get that little card.

First you need to find a company to sponsor you for a working visa. Well, all companies or schools would rather hire someone who would save them the time to file all the paperwork and this is what I heard, it's a lot of paper work. It's just a lot less hassle to get a native English speaker who already lives here because again, there are so many. Not to mention, the company has to wait four to six weeks for the working visa to get processed before the applicant can even start working.

The ins and outs of getting a work visa

The requirements for getting a work visa here in Hong Kong are quite different from those in Taiwan. I think in Taiwan the only things that need to be submitted to the government are the company contract, a physical exam report, a photocopy of the applicant's passport and one of his or her degree. From what I heard, the following are the things that need to be submitted to the Hong Kong Immigration Department.

- copy of passport
- copy of degree which should match the subject you are going to teach (if in a public school)
- copy of any teaching certificates like TEFLs, TEASLs, CELTAs, etc. (required to teach in many schools)
- resume with dates of previous working experience
- cover letter
- signed reference letters from former employers that have the dates in which you worked matching the dates you put on your resume. If you are missing a signed reference letter with working dates from a company listed on your resume, they ask you to take it off.
- a copy of your birth certificate
- a transcript from your university (helps)

I may be missing some other vital piece of personal information and even if you've got all these things, there's still no guarantee that you'll get that permit. I've heard of some people having trouble because they are Chinese American. Those guys at the immigration department look at your Chinese last name and they think that you're Chinese so they'd rather give the job to a Hong Kong citizen instead. I'm I little worried but there is a chance I can get residency through relation if I can prove that my parents stayed in Hong Kong for at least seven consecutive years. If I can get a resident Hong Kong ID. My work related troubles will be over. It's easy to find teaching work if you're a citizen here. Meanwhile, I'm waiting for some schools to get back to me.