Expat Taking Up Employment In Hong Kong And Choosing A Place To Reside

Working Life In Hong Kong

Over the years, many foreigners from the west have relocated to Hong Kong for work purposes, and expats have returned to HK (from overseas) and take up employment again. For people who do not have a valid HK ID, have already received an employment offer from a company located in Hong Kong, and are willing to take up employment, it is required for the new employee to have a valid working visa in Hong Kong. The employer company would act as the sponsor to the employee who are to work in Hong Kong.

The employment/work visa should be valid for a certain time before it gets expired. A month before the expiry date, the employee must apply for extension of visa, so he can continue working in HK for the same employer. The expat employee is allowed to bring along his spouse and children (as family members) through the dependant visa.

The employees working in Hong Kong are required to file annual tax returns and may be eligible to pay taxes.

What About Living In Hong Kong?

All foreigners working in Hong Kong need a place to stay. When choosing a place to live in Hong Kong, most expats (or foreigners) would have chosen to stay in a Central residence due to the proximity to their social life which can mostly be accessible nearby in the same Central district. But there are many places which are good choices. An example is Hong Kong’s Lantau Island. On the island, Tung Chung, Discovery Bay and the south side of Lantau Island are all great places with residential areas.

If you prefer a beach always close to where you stay, then you should consider the south side of Lantau Island. Not like Tung Chung, your life on the south side of the island would be seen more horizontal. The place is made up of villages with low-rise buildings scattered along the coast (or beaches).

Tung Chung is located on the north coast of Lantau and it has been a popular town for years. The town may have some 100,000 or more residents. The place has many methods of transportation to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, via MTR and many buses. It is located really close to the HK International Airport. If you need to travel in and out of Hong Kong very frequently, you would have saved much time. The housing in Tung Chung ranges from high to low, so it would be suitable for all types of people. Day-to-day life in Tung Chung is pretty easy going. It has an entire outlet mall, a few sports pitches, swimming pools, running/jogging tracks, gyms, and more. When comparing to Discovery Bay, the property costs are more reasonable.

Discovery Bay (DB) is a district where it actually started out in the late 1970s. It is privately owned by the Hong Kong Resort International. The town has a resort-style way of life. It seems to offer a relatively low stress style of living. It doesn’t have a MTR located in DB, but the ferry to Central only takes 25 minutes or shorter time. The local buses would take you to Tung Chung, Sunny Bay, or the Hong Kong International Airport. If you like nature, Discovery Bay is a place for it, and your children will like it much. The green and the relatively open spaces can often help to boost the living standard of the district.