Urgent information and suggestions needed! Pls help!

I engaged The Get Maid Agent to help me direct hire a phippine helper. The visa was approved one month ago. However, my helper still hasn't been onboard yet. After I talked to the agent a few times, they imply that if I can pay extra HK1500 or I purchase the airticket for the helper by myself, my helper can come to HK soon. Since I'll deliver my baby very soon, I agreed to purchase the ticket by myself to get the helper onboard as early as possible. However, even by doing this, the agent still told me that my helper can only exit Philippine as a tourist instead of legal worker, which makes me very confused. Is there anyone who can tell me what kind of documents that my helper needs to exit as a legal worker? So she can collect all the documentation from the agent or even do it by herself if there is something still missing here. Much appreciate your information and suggestions. Thanks a lot!


By the way, never never use Get Maid Agency (得如雇佣中心）(http://www.gma.hk/) as your agent. It received all my money and now try to find all kinds of excuses and even lie to me to defer the process. Then they push me to pay extra but still can not guarangee their services. Very poor expereince. Be careful when you deal with them. They are liars!!

Helpers usually take 6-8 weeks to process normally, and if your helper is direct hire from the Philipinnes they do some training before coming to Hk.

You cannot speed the process by bringing her to Hk earlier on only a tourist visa, it is illegal for her to stay at your house and work for you until all her papers are in place.

Make sure the agency arrange a medical for her before you sign the final papers,most agencies do this. For your sake and hers you don't want to employ a sick helper or one who is pregnant-- and it has happened to many a new employer!

Arrange, after a good medical result for her, some medical insurance, as employers are responsible for all the helpers medical needs.

If the helper is direct hire, she cannot do the documentation herself, only those already working in HK can do that.

As far as the present agency is concerned, as I personally have no comment as I've never used an agency of any kind, some are bad and some are terrible, and once you have paid your money to them you are stuck, I am sorry in your case that particular agent seems to be dragging their feet.

You could try one of the part-time agencies like Merry Maids if you are in desperate need for a helper to bridge the gap before your full timer arrives, hope it is soon for you.Merry Maids advertise on the side column

Hi Cara, when I was employing my now ex-helper-as her last employers had re-located, and she was processing her own papers, I thought she could stay at our place during that time, The answer from Imm was a very firm NO, she couldn't stay at our place while the papers were processed-even as a guest! she was not allowed to stay under our roof until her final contract and visa etc were in place, as she is not technically employed by me or insured, and she shouldn't work for anyone.

Plus like I have mentioned, if the OP tried to 'rush' things, ie not having a medical before having the helper stays at her home, she could find herself 'Up the Swanee without a paddle", if the helper happened to be pregnant or have a long term illness like TB for example. I know the majority of helpers will be fit for employment, but there are some who slip through the net,ie no medical, and cause problems for employers, and there have been many examples of that on this forum.

If her visa was approved, I don't understand why she would be coming to hk as a tourist..all sounds dodgy to me

"luckyvivian", GMA would have taken an agency fee from you when you signed up and this covers their expenses for the processing work and the helper's medical for one conducted in her homeland and one upon arrival to HK. You don't have to pay towards her air fare only the for the return leg -so the $1,500 is pretty much nonsense. By and large, GMA's fees are quite good compared to some, the only gripe I had with them was that a lot of the resume details were misleading.