Does she need to go back to the Phillippines before new employment

I'm in the same situation about to sign a girl who is about to finish another contract. I wanted to ask though after she leaves her current employers residence then where does she live until the visa is processed for working for us? She wants to go back to phils for holiday which is fine for us, and start around the end of the month (feb). As we are moving then and we don't have a maids room now anyway or anywhere to put her. does she stay in a boarding house till the visa is processed then go on hols as planned or what's the case usually? I'm finding this highly confusing!!

The helper is supposed to leave the country inbetween contracts but you can of course apply to immigration to have the helper stay in HK and process her visa.


If you are taking steps to hire this helper, then you should really assume responsibility for her boarding house. They are not very expensive, should be less than $1000 for a month depending on your location, and if it's only a short time, perhaps she can stay with friends and pay cheaper.


It may take you a couple of weeks to organise her work visa and as soon as she has that, she can go on her holiday.


I agree there's lots of grey areas because helpers who are inbetween jobs presumably are staying somewhere, and I can't imagine their previous employers are paying for their boarding house if they've finished work.


Technically speaking, helpers are supposed to leave the country two weeks after they've finished their contract. During that time, the previous employer is to pay for all their living expenses until they fly out two weeks later. I've checked this with immigration and that's what they told me. So you could try asking the helper if, for those two weeks, will she remain with her previous employer as they still have the responsbility to pay for her expenses.


Immigration is very friendly to employers - you could easily call them and ask.

A prospective employer does not have to assume any responsibility for the accomodation for the helper they are trying to sign up, until everything is completed and the helper move in with them. What would happen if the helper turned up at the last minute with a better offer of employment from some one else., it happens! they sometimes sign a few contracts then take the best one.It is better if the helper goes back to her own country while papers are processed, You will have to pay for her flight back to HK, but if there were any problems with anything at all then you will always have the option of employing somebody else, until the final papers are signed you and the prospective employee have a get out clause. Immigration process can take 6-8 weeks.

Hi Susie,


So that's the problem though, is that Bronwyn wants the helper to return to HK within seven days. The only way this is possible is by getting a work visa for the helper before she leaves HK. In that case, if the helper is processing her papers with the embassy and immigration, then she's staying in HK at the request of the future employer... so in that case, it's a grey area whethey they should offer to pay her board. If they don't offer, she could go home to the Philippines and process the normal way and then take six weeks before she comes back.