The Perils of Contriving a Job Offer Just for the Purposes of a Hong Kong Employment Visa Application
Posted in Employment Visas, Hadley Says…, The Hong Kong Visa Geeza /
Pretending You Have A Job Offer To Get A Hong Kong Employment Visa?
Updated August 22, 2023
What are the consequences of providing false information to an Immigration Officer in Hong Kong? Is it worth the risk to pretend you have a job offer for a Hong Kong employment visa?
Is It Worth The Risk?
Need a Hong Kong employment visa? Sometimes foreign nationals in Hong Kong take the view that it is acceptable to collaborate in the conjuring up of a job offer just for the purposes of helping a friend or professional colleague secure a Hong Kong employment visa.
However, this is fraught with danger and should not be seriously considered as an acceptable way forward in pursuit of a residence visa here.
Immigration Department policy is, and always has been, that the job offer underpinning an application for an employment visa must be for a genuine vacancy.
Moreover, it is a criminal offence to tell lies to an Immigration Officer.
So, if you are party to an employment visa application where the job is in fact not a genuine one, then you are at considerable risk of:
Criminal Prosecution
For making false representations to an Immigration Officer.
A Negative Prior Immigration Record
For both the applicant and the alleged employment visa sponsor.
Discovery of the Contrivance
When the limit of stay comes up for renewal at the time of employment visa extension.
At the time of an application for the Right of Abode after 7 years.
During the currency of any genuine third-party application for an employment visa by the sponsor subsequently.
Hong Kong Employment Visas Require A Genuine Job Offer
Just because the Hong Kong Immigration Department deploy a flexible, non-bureaucratic employment visa application consideration process, it is churlish to expect that they do not have control mechanisms in place for fishing out suspicious applications – especially those where the job offer is not a genuine one.
So please, no matter how much you are tempted, do NOT contrive a job offer just for Hong Kong employment visa purposes.
The risks to the ersatz employer and the visa applicant him or herself are very great indeed.
Hong Kong Employment Visa Risk Of Criminal Prosecution
Making a misrepresentation to a Hong Kong immigration officer is not a good idea due to severe legal consequences. ImmD take immigration matters very seriously and lying to an Immigration Officer is considered a serious offence under the Immigration Ordinance.
Providing false information to an Immigration Officer may lead to detention, prosecution, and potential imprisonment..
Furthermore, providing inaccurate information to an Immigration Officer may damage an individual’s credibility, and ultimately jeopardize their chances of entering or remaining in Hong Kong.
Misrepresenting oneself is widely regarded as unscrupulous, unprofessional and disrespectful behaviour towards the authorities, advocating dishonesty in an official immigration process that aims to promote transparency, legality, and compliance with immigration law.
Consequently, it is important to ensure that all relevant information provided to an Immigration Officer is correct and truthful to avoid any legal issues.
What are the consequences of providing false information to an Immigration Officer in Hong Kong? Is it worth the risk to pretend you have a job offer for a Hong Kong employment visa? Are there any alternatives to contriving a job offer?The Hong Kong immigration system has strict regulations and requirements, and any breaches of these can lead to negative consequences that extend beyond an individual’s immigration status.
So, please don’t be tempted to pretend you have a job offer just to solve a Hong Kong employment visa problem.
It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book!
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