The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong has warned Filipino tourists against violating their conditions of stay in Hong Kong by taking up work or engaging in business during the 14-day visa-free entry granted them.
A statement posted
by the Consulate on Facebook said the 14-day period is “for tourism and leisure
purposes only.”
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
Under regulation
2(1) of the Immigration Regulations, a tourist is prohibited from taking any
employment, whether paid or unpaid; establish or join in any business; and
become a student at a school, university or other educational institution.
Given these prohibitions,
the Consulate said tourists cannot work as a photographer at tourist sites,
help open or run a business establishment, solicit buyers of condominiums or
time shares, or applying for a Hong Kong driver’s license to secure a job as a
driver.
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| Visitor from the Mainland is arrested for acting as tour guide in HK (File) |
The warning comes
amid an intensified campaign by the Immigration Department to flush out illegal
workers, be they foreign domestic workers, overstayers, asylum seekers or
tourists. Government law enforcers routinely arrest about two dozen people in their weekly anti-illegal work operations.
Only recently,
Immigration sought the Consulate’s help in warning Filipino workers on their
days off that they should not engage in illegal work, like giving manicure and
pedicure services, hawking food, clothes or any other items; and even helping
shape and pluck eyebrows.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
The same rule
applies to all visitors who do not have express permission from Immigration to
take up work during their visit. This was emphasized recently when a Shenzhen-based
makeup company announced publicly that it did the makeup of a Miss Hong Kong
candidate, sparking .
Following the
public advisory, a FDH messaged The SUN to ask if she will be violating
immigration regulations if she signed up as a sub-agent for the Hong Kong
office of a big Philippine real estate company. The answer to this is a
resounding “yes.”
