Britstylist

Hi everyone,
My boyfriend has been asked to move to HK with his job, they are sponsoring him and paying for us to move. I work as a freelance fashion stylist in London and am self-employed. I am very keen to move with him but from doing some research it looks like I won't be able to obtain a visa to work. Is anyone able to advise me on obtaining a visa as a freelancer? Or if I go without a visa how easy it is to find work as a Brit? I speak English, French and Italian but not Chinese. I would very much appreciate any advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation or who works in the fashion industry in HK.
Many thanks
Natalie

Sue

Hi Natalie,

Welcome to BE. I'm afraid I can't help with you query as I don't live in HK (although it's on my list of places I would like to visit) I live in the US. But I wanted to pop by and say hi and I hope you are enjoying being part of our community and finding your way around ok.

I'm sure some of the regulars who hang out in this forum will be along shortly to share some pointers. But in the meantime take some time to read through the other threads in the forum and get to know everyone.

Sue

cbc

Marry him then you will not have any problem you can get a dependent visa then, thats the easy way of doing it, and legal.

PeteinHongKong

That would certainly make things easier...

Although I don't work in the clothing business Hong Kong is an international city and my impression is that if you look hard enough and network effectively jobs can be found in many areas. You cannot work without a work visa but if you can find a company to sponsor you or take an alternative job while looking then you may find things work out for you. I'm sure many have done it and made a career for themselves here. Language is not necessarily a barrier in many areas, not just in financial services where there are many non-Chinese speakers.

penguinsix

There are plenty of fashion-realted jobs here in Hong Kong, but many of them are far more toward the business end of fashion, related to the production, shipping and distribution of apparel rather than the 'style' aspects. If you have experience in the nuts and bolts of the apparel industry, there are quite a few positions on the fashion-industry job websites over here.

If you are more looking at being a 'fashion advisor' to some celebrity or socialite, the pickings are quite a bit more difficult and there is quite a bit of competition. I think it would be difficult to get a visa in that space. In addition what is style in London doesn't always mesh with the folks who are buying the more expensive works over here (the expat market for high fashion, while it does exist, isn't what populates the stores of the high end brands in Hong Kong).

You might want to take a look at some of the fashion bloggers here in HK to get a rundown of the current scene, and some of their links will push you toward other sites you might find interesting. If you have some experience in fashion journalism you might also have some opportunities, though Chinese language skills would be a major help.

http://www.butterboom.com/
http://www.hkfashiongeek.com/
http://www.wanderlister.com/
http://sassyhongkong.com/