Work-life (im)balance and existential (im)mobility : Hong Kong professional migrants in Australia

Abstract

This chapter discusses the experiences of professional migrants from Hong Kong who have chosen to settle in Melbourne, and other places in the Victoria State of Australia, in the hope of pursuing a better life. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 14 highly skilled individuals, this study reveals the strategies and capital they used to facilitate their relocation to Australia, their adjustment to the Aussie way of living, and the new dilemmas they faced as skilled migrants. This chapter adopts the theoretical lens of existential (im)mobility to explore the motivations for emigration amongst these aspiring professionals, and to explain the ways in which new frustrations have emerged due to differences in work culture and conditions between Hong Kong and Australia. Their “privileged” way of migration also illustrates the intersection of migrant human capital, professional networks, and the host government's talent acquisition and immigration policies. The case study provides fresh material to enhance understandings of contemporary skilled migration.