Taking a DH to UK

Has anybody taken their DH to work in UK on completeion of contract in HK. How easy is it?What are the rules and regulations?

Hello ~

I took my domestic helper to the UK 2 years ago for a period of 1 month to help me look after my baby son.


I'm not quite sure what you mean by taking your helper to the UK on completion of her contract? I think she still needs to be working for you under contract in order for you to take her.


I also don't know how long you want to take her to the UK for? If it's a long time (more than a year) then TC's comment may apply. But for short holidays, I don't think there are any more stringent requirements. At least when I took my DH with me on a 4 week vacation to Britain, I didn't hear of hardly any.



Here is my experience:


1. To get a DH visa she must have been working in your family for no less than 1 year. If you do not meet this requirement, it is impossible to get the UK Domestic Worker visa.


2. You have to sign an undertaking (or something similar). Basically you are responsible for your DH's behaviour in the UK.


3. If your DH runs away (I've heard plenty of scare stories about this!), you may find it hard to get a Domestic Worker for your next DH. When I returned from my own trip, the Consulate called me to check that my helper had returned with me.


In terms of extra requirements, I can think of 2 points:


Firstly, there is a rule that your helper must have her own private bedroom in the UK. (A bit difficult if you have a baby who is used to sharing with the DH, but anyway...)


Secondly, although there was no rule about this, I gave my helper a lot more than $300 food money for that month, because that would not buy anywhere near a month's worth of food in the UK.


Hope the above is of help to you. and Good Luck!

All the criteria for bringing your DH to UK are in the site www.ukvisas.gov.uk. There is an application to download for a domestic worker in a private household and if you fit the criteria and provide all the supporting documents you can get a 6-12months visa within a day.

The hard part is figuring out what to do when you arrive in London. As the visa is not a proper work permit and specifies that she is not to receive any public funds, can anyone with prior experience let me know if I need to set myself up as employer under the PAYE system with minimum wage guidelines, pay National Insurance for my DH, and whether or not she needs to fill out a tax form? I have contacted every single government department and helpline and no one has the answer. I already pay her substantially more than in HK and provide for all living and travel expenses. Many thanks, KAD.