Hong Kong livin' for the missus???

[mali]

It's seems a fairly well accepted consensus that life in HK for the lowly S/O is what you make it.
I've an interview in HK soon and was wondering how life would be for my fiancee (a registered nurse). Would she have touble with work, residency etc or would we have to get married to facilitate a smoother transition?? How is life in HK for the other partner with socialising and settling in etc.
Can anyone over there give us any pointers?
Thanks.
(oh by the way, please, nobody waste their time with a lecture on how life sucks in HK, I think there's more than enough here already...)

[LittleBubba]

A few years ago used work for CX and live in Honktown. Back then life in Honkiville was pretty much a waste of time, to many poms and not to mention all the aussies. And that also reflects life (or no-life) at CX. Crummy flats, rude and smelly honkies and not to mention all the flat chested, no personality, 12 year old boy looking women around.

Just stay put where you are, and you will be a whole lot more happier.

Good luck

[ils07r]

Mali

I haven't posted much before as you can see but today's tip for the top Mali is that people will be much more likely to reply to someone seeking advice if it seems that the person asking has NOT prejudged a situation. Otherwise respondent may feel that their advice is not going to help and may even fall on deaf ears. Your final paragraph seems to suggest that you may have prejudged. So why am I replying then? Bored on a rainy Saturday afternoon I suppose so here goes.

IMHO a pretty balanced view on the money side is given by bulldog in http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/Forum7/HTML/001043.html

The first part is very factual, although it gets less so as the thread goes on!

Life does not suck here (well I wouldn't use that kind of language) but it IS a major struggle as a Second Officer to get by and to live here financially and socially. It might do you good to have a long ponder with your better half before the jump. Many a chap's arrived with girlfriend/wife in tow and a year later the big pressures of this town mean she's back home. Some ARE happy about their new single freedom but some are not, it will be a risk however strong the relationship!

As for nurses, I'm not sure about the work permit situation for that gallant profession. The local hospitals are all HK Chinese staffed and I am sure there are government directives to keep it that way. I did see a European nurse at a big private hospital once but she was 65 plus and a nun! Additionally she was making the strange sounds that HK people use to communicate (Cantonese) and people DID seem to understand her! Your girlfriend would HAVE to learn the lingo. I may be wrong but I would say that my instinct is that it will be very difficult to get a job nursing anyway for her.

Now for the difficult bit. Are you going to get married? Because if you are and you get the job, do it BEFORE you bring your girlfriend here. Get up off the floor, there is a serious reason for this. If she comes to HK on a social visit pass as your girlfriend and THEN decides to get a job she will HAVE to leave Hong Kong for anything up to six months while the permit works its way through the system. This is not a joke, it has happened to 2 couples I know (one girl didn't come back) and the reason is that the gov't here is trying to stop people arriving here as a tourist and THEN getting a job. If you decide not to get married then to avoid this wait your girlfriend should obtain a job and therefore a work permit BEFORE arriving in our fragrant (?) city. Bit of a catch 22 situation but it's better you know now than later. As your wife she can get a job on the back of your work permit.

Socializing - Some people make friends easily and others still haven't found good friends after 3 years and not their fault either. Close friends are more important for girls (generalization, shoot me down in flames etc.) than boys. If she's stuck at home and relying on you for a social life then it may take a while because you will know mainly guys. She will spend a lot of time on her own if she can't get a job, is she good at that? Some are, some are not.

I think that addresses all your points, if not then maybe LttleBubba could help out with another pearl of wisdom? :)

[SOLO]

Unless your soon-to-be has a batter job than you, you should get married first. Your CX Benefits are better for you if you start out married and better for her.
She doesn't HAVE to leave Hong Kong for six months while she waits for the work visa she can pop over to Macau to keep the tourist visa happy. In fact a lot of people start work illegally and just get paid under the table until the visa goes through. Of course, I don't recommend breaking the law ;)

[Pilot Barbie]

I was a "CX wife" through the mid '90s. As I understand it is is far easier to be married when you arrive and it will smooth things considerably.

I think (not sure) that RNs are still in demand by the private hospitals. An acquaintance of mine worked in one as an RN and was paid good money and could name the times she wanted to work. It would probably be better for your fiancee to visit HK and get a job lined up before you go.

I could go on... but maybe this has answered your questions?

[CHUUK]

I too am looking for work in with an airline HK, and my fiance is a dental hygienist. She emailed the Hong Kong Dental Association and they replied stating that "... although there are a great number of high paying opportunities available to expats in the dental field, you have a 99% chance of NOT getting a job unless you can speak Cantonese..." I imagine this is about the same for other health related fields.

Have her contact the relevant association for her line of work in Hong Kong and see what they say. A lot of times the accosiations to which your fiance may be a member of for her profession in present country may be able to provide contact or working information for other countries, or maybe even have some sort of exchange program.

As for socialising... maybe join one of the many expat clubs? Prices may be a bit extreme though.

Hope this helps.

[Mark Six]

I think the advice about work permits is correct. My wife works here (legally) on a dependant visa, but I think your fiance would have to get her own employment visa by being sponsored by her prospective employer. I know a spouse here who works as a nurse, part time. She was not allowed to work at the public hospitals but the private ones were no problem. If you want to email me I can put you in touch with her.

[Flap 5]

Some people do fit in with the Hong Kong lifestyle. If your partner is interested in working in Hong Kong as a nurse then she should try the Matilda Hospital on The Peak, which is about the best in Hong Kong. Do not bother with the Sanatorium in 'Happy Valley' (bit of a misnomer there!). The others are pretty average.

You could have difficulty if you were both to go to Hong Kong without your partner having something arranged in advance.

[egt]

I'm curious SOLO, what specifically is better for the spouse (and you) if you're married when you join CX vs. after you've joined...

egt

[Far canal]

The other Hospital to try is the HK Adventist in Stubbs Road. Many European ladies work there as nurses. If no luck with the Hopitals she could also try some of the larger Drs practices I have noticed a few recently were European Nurses have been present.

Life in HK is pretty much what you can make it with the income you get. It will help an awful lot if there are two wage earners if as an S/O your finacial lot is not up to much.

Work visa's can be a tad troublesome so it would pay you and the missus to come out here and try a fix up a job first as the employer becomes the sponsor.

[SOLO]

The BEN E Fits from Cathay and the tax discount were much better after we got married. If we had been married before we moved here I think the CX benefits would have been better. Dental, Doctor etc... Something got messed up in Right Choice which is the benefit scheme. Plus she wouldn't have had to hide the fact she was working before getting an ID card.

[Squiddley]

Mali,

For your intended to be able to work as a nurse in HK, she'll have to register and get a form of accreditation. Credentials and experience will be needed for this. Assuming she can't speak cantonese, she will NOT be able to work in any Government clinic/hospital or other facility. Best bet, as mentioned, are the private hospitals which as I understand, are frequently looking for the right people. A doctor's practice is a good sugestion too, and maybe a school nurse for one of the many International schools. Reason being, comparatively few expats avail themselves of the G'ment health care system, especially since few of them actually have to pay for private health care :) This from my dear old Mum who is/was in the same boat.

For residency/work permit issues, I'd point you to the Immigration Department's website http://www.info.gov.hk/immd/index.htm
which should have all the stuff you need, and contacts if it doesn't.

Lastly for the HK life suckage issue, it's not as bad as is often portrayed. In terms of take-home and benefits, a S/O is not as lowly in the lifestyle pecking order as is made out. Most folks make do with far less - it's all down to how you play it i.e. where will you live, do you need a car, maid etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking it, but as we all know, there are ways and means and it doesn't have to be abject squalor.

Good luck.

[bobajob61]

Regarding the last paragraph of the last post by Squiddley; it all sounds perfectly reasonable and then you look at the chap's profile. Occupation: Ground Ops Management
I think maybe a vested interest? :rolleyes:

Life in HK as a second officer is very difficult/tough to manage on the CX package. How do I know? Well on my profile where it says "Occupation" it says "S/O". http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/tongue.gif

The earlier stuff about the visa and waiting six months is true. All the very best Mali in whatever you and your other half do but I'd give HK a miss :)

[Squiddley]

bobajob61 - I think you shot yourself in the foot chum. "all sounds perfectly reasonable and then you look at the chap's profile. Occupation: Ground Ops Management
I think maybe a vested interest?" What does one's occupation have to be for what they post to make sense? What possible vested interest is in this for me?

In case you hadn't noticed, this is a (general) HKG aviation forum area, and not carrier or employed capacity specific. Whatever beef you may have within your own Company, kindly refrain from casting aspersions. As far as a vested interest goes, my one and only concern was to answer the post.

Believe it or not, but many folks make ends meet, and do so on less than perfect terms. (As you seem to agree with.)Being in *shock*gasp*whisper* ground OPS management, does not necessarily mean that I formulate policy or dictate who gets what sized slice of the proverbial pie.

Try not to read anything into this beyond what is written. Whatever animosity exists between departments where you are, or what you've seen here before, don't tar everybody with the same brush.

Cheers.