In a Facebook post yesterday, Kwok, a barrister, said he was "grateful" to have found good partners in New York to continue his legal profession with.

"The rent at Fifth Avenue, New York, is cheaper than that of Central and Admiralty," he said. "If Hongkongers come by in the future, you are welcome to come and have a cup of coffee with me."

Apart from legal work, Kwok said he will continue as a senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School.

"I hope everyone can continue to represent the spirit of Hongkongers at any place in the world," he said.

Kwok also put some hashtags at the bottom of his post, one of which read: "emigration or relocation, who cares."

Former chief executive Leung Chun-ying reacted, joking that "Americans are looking after Kwok."

Leung said Kwok should have a clear understanding about the legal concepts of emigration or relocation given that he is a barrister and added Kwok should also be clear about the political implications of those who emigrate versus relocate.

"But there are always some people who pretend they don't know," Leung said. "For example, the Basic Law has stipulated that the chief executive candidates participating in universal suffrage must be nominated by a nominating committee, but [people insisted] that 'civic nomination was indispensable.'"

Kwok, who had served as the SAR's legal-sector representative in the Legislative Council since 2012, was one of four lawmakers ousted in November 2020.The rest are Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, Kwok Ka-ki and Kenneth Leung Kai-cheong.

Following his disqualification, Kwok, 44, left politics.