For Hong Kong applicants:

Before applying, many people said Hong Kong was difficult to apply to, and even the cooking schools asked me to avoid it.

However, if you're a Hong Kong resident, don't hesitate to apply there. It will just take longer, about a month. There's no need to apply in other countries, as flights and hotels also cost money.

The visa fee for Hong Kong is 3,000 HKD.

Cooking school: 19,000 + B.

That's about 8,000 HKD for a 5-year visa.

Even with Soft Power, the application process in Hong Kong can still be slow. It took me about a month.