Taking helper to UK for one month

Posted by tkn (146 days ago)

I need to go to the UK to work for one month as part of my job. Can I bring my helper with me for that time? Are there any special rules regarding this?

I don't know whether it makes any difference, but I am not a UK passport holder.

Find what you are after in our Hong Kong A-Z Directory

Posted by axptguy38 (146 days ago)

Well, you're not sponsoring her or anything. If she is allowed to go to the UK for a month on a tourist/business visa, you should be set.

Posted by TC Ng (145 days ago)

In order for her to get a visa she will need to be sponsored and you as her employer will have to sponsor her. She will need to have worked for you for a year before she will be granted a visa - the consulate was looking at increasing this to two years, not sure if this has been implemented yet. The only problem I forsee is that as you are not a UK passport holder you may not be able to sponsor her. Call up the UK consulate just to check where you stand with this to be of the safe side.

Posted by axptguy38 (145 days ago)

Isn't it enough for her just to get a tourist/business visa? As I understand the initial post, she isn't going to be employed in the UK. This is just like an office employee from London spending a month in the New York office. No need for sponsorship or a work visa. It's a long business trip.

Posted by TC Ng (145 days ago)

You would think so xpatguy, but unfortunately this is not the case. She will need sponsorship and she will need to be employed by sponsor for a specified amount of time.

Posted by axptguy38 (145 days ago)

I find that very odd. How is the law different for her than for, say, an American coming over for a month?

Not doubting you, just wondering.

Posted by TC Ng (145 days ago)

The main difference being that an American would not need a visa for a short visit to the UK.
There are some nationalities that need visas and some that don't which I guess is the same for any country. The main issue here would be that in order to obtain a visa the helper would have to prove that she/he had the means to support themselves whilst in the UK. One of the documents that he/she would have to provide would be bank statements for the last six months.

In the case of the helper being sponsored the sponsor would also have to provide proof that he/she could support & accommodate helper whilst in the UK and would have to provide bank statements. However in this case the sponsor is not a British Passport Holder so I am not sure the implications of this.

There are many issues related to this but the other one that comes to mind is that the helper would be applying for a visa for the UK from HK where he/she is on a work visa and not from his/her home country.

Not always fair really but the UK does allow many more nationalities in as visitors with out visas unlike my home country which more allows very few.

I would suggest that the OP contacts the Consulate for clarification.

Posted by tkn (145 days ago)

Thanks to you both. I was hoping that axptguy was right, but a call to British Consulate confirmed that you can't bring your helper in for one month as if she were a tourist. Our helper has been with us for less than one year, which definitely rules it out.
I'll have to recruit a family member to meet us out there to help.

Posted by axptguy38 (145 days ago)

Thanks TC Ng. Very clear. I hadn't thought of the "proof of support" part.

Posted by smsm (144 days ago)

Hi tkn...just something which i heard from my daughters frds mum. They go to UK every year for 6 weeks and last year they took their helper who was with them for a year i think..well she ran off in London and never came back..so this year they are not taking any of their helpers!!

Posted by GreenValleys (143 days ago)

That's a fairly common occurrence with helpers in a lot of countries - and one of the reasons the rules are so tough.

Posted by crystal (143 days ago)

yes i would discourage taking helpers to UK they have a tendecy to run away. If you need help there its easy to get an au pair from the agencys and much cheaper as the visa from the british consulate is very expensive and you have to add the air ticket too.

Posted by Jctom (137 days ago)

yes there's special rules. if you trust your helper why not. it's ok to bring her with you. don't forget to buy 1 month travel insurance for her (and also for you) it's good for you and for her. it will save you a lot of time and money just in case anything happened. i can issue travel insurance, for more details please contact me at 97181494 or email me at jctomale@yahoo.com. thanks and regards :-)

Posted by Jctom (137 days ago)

i believe you need to contact UK embassy here in HK. I know a helper who will go with her employer to Switzerland, the helper will stay there for 3 months. Actually, i issued the 3 months travel insurance for her. She's been staying with her employer for many years already, and she usually accompany her employer to Switzerland frequently.

Posted by ldsllvn (136 days ago)

someone we know lost 2 helpers like this - taking them to UK. It seems to happen more in UK than anywhere else. so, yes please be prepared. You cant blame them either, they think they will be better off there (which is questionable of course, considering london prices etc!), but, yes, something to keep in mind - helpers do run away, esp in UK, by the looks of it.