Recently I met some friends who consider moving out from Hong Kong, and actually they are not the minority in Hong Kong. A survey done by Hong Kong Federation of Youth Group in 2015 indicates a high tendency of people moving out from Hong Kong. 62 percent of the young people interviewed said they hope to emigrate. They quoted rising costs of living, political disputes, social conflicts among groups and few other things as the major reasons. This leads to more and more youngsters applying for working holiday programs to have few months to one year of experience in another country.
So are what people think and do consistent? According to Immigration Department in Hong Kong, there were 21,709 residents applied for a certificate of no criminal conviction in 2014. The certificate is a common requirement for an immigrant visa for some countries. The number is more than double the year before and the highest in the past century. It seems like more and more Hong Kong locals not only think about moving out, they have already started their plans.
But is Hong Kong really that bad to stay long-term? My foreign friends share a bit different opinion.
When I asked some of my foreign friends, most of them are quite satisfied with their life in Hong Kong. And based on some data, Hong Kong is still ranked as one of the top destinations for expats. According to HSBC Expat Explorer Report 2015, Hong Kong is ranked as 11th out of 39 popular destinations for expats. 68% of respondents staying in Hong Kong think Hong Kong is a good place for career progression and 80% of expat parents state that the quality of education is better than at home.
Indeed, I could see more and more foreigners when I walked pass streets in Hong Kong. The number of work visas issued through General Employment Policy, which targets at skilled labor from countries other than China to work in Hong Kong, is on the rise. There were over 29 thousand visas issued in 2014 compared to 22 thousand in 2009. In particular, the French population in Hong Kong is growing at 5 percent over past 5 years to about 20 thousand.
Given the different views held by locals and non-locals, we’d like to explore how these groups feel about life in Hong Kong vs. in other parts of the world. There will be interviews on various topics about living in Hong Kong. Though the information may not help answer whether Hong Kong is right place for you to stay long-term, we hope to provide some new perspectives about this city. Hope you enjoy the site and we welcome any suggestions and feedback for future improvements.
But is Hong Kong really that bad to stay long-term? My foreign friends share a bit different opinion.
When I asked some of my foreign friends, most of them are quite satisfied with their life in Hong Kong. And based on some data, Hong Kong is still ranked as one of the top destinations for expats. According to HSBC Expat Explorer Report 2015, Hong Kong is ranked as 11th out of 39 popular destinations for expats. 68% of respondents staying in Hong Kong think Hong Kong is a good place for career progression and 80% of expat parents state that the quality of education is better than at home.
Indeed, I could see more and more foreigners when I walked pass streets in Hong Kong. The number of work visas issued through General Employment Policy, which targets at skilled labor from countries other than China to work in Hong Kong, is on the rise. There were over 29 thousand visas issued in 2014 compared to 22 thousand in 2009. In particular, the French population in Hong Kong is growing at 5 percent over past 5 years to about 20 thousand.
Given the different views held by locals and non-locals, we’d like to explore how these groups feel about life in Hong Kong vs. in other parts of the world. There will be interviews on various topics about living in Hong Kong. Though the information may not help answer whether Hong Kong is right place for you to stay long-term, we hope to provide some new perspectives about this city. Hope you enjoy the site and we welcome any suggestions and feedback for future improvements.
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