Found 2 great DH's but both with problems

The first one is not necessarily going to be any faster to process. All up to immigration I am afraid and there is no faster track no matter what anyone tries to sell you. We had a similar choice and went with the one that was "local hire" It still took 6 weeks to get a visa. The only difference was that the helper didn't have to leave Hong Kong and we didn’t have to pay an agent fee.

I believe that it usually takes at least 3 weeks to process a local, end of contract hire and about 6 weeks if they have to leave the country. There are no guarantees though, unfortunately. Even the 3 weeks is cutting it fine for you, depending on when in June you start work.

Hello DBMum ~

In my experience it's REALLY HARD to get domestic help within such a limited amount of time. I consider this to one of main problems with the domestic help arrangements in HK - that there's very few 'temporary' or 'short-term' options.


The legal way out of this is to contact Rentamum and they'll provide you a temporary nanny. The downside is that this is extremely expensive compared to Filipino DH. Rentamum charges a bit over $100 per hour.


Of course you could solve the problem by "bending the law". That is, you sign the contract with one of the two helpers and ask her to start working WHILE her visa application is being processed. Officially naughty but people do do it and lots of DH don't mind because that means they don't have to live at their own expense while their application is going through.


If I understand correctly, either of the helpers you described would be able to stay in HK and defer the trip back to the Philippines. My present helper did that.


Another thing you could try is this: if you choose one, sign and get the application in within a day or two, you could write a letter to Immigration and ask them to expedite the processing of your helper's papers. They can actually do it in as little as 2-3 weeks if you ask nicely and have a good reason. I have found they respond very well if your reason is that you need childcare in order to go to work.


Of course you could also combine two of the above solutions. You could ask Immigration to hurry up with your helper's application, and if there's a few days' difference between your starting work and her visa coming through you could get the temporary nanny from Rentamum. Just a few days may be affordable.


Regarding the question of which helper to choose, I would want to know why the second helper's salary was decreased. Can you talk to her previous employers? If there was a dispute and you hire her, it's a risk. Of course, it might not have been her fault, but on the other hand she might actually have been to blame and then you could be setting yourself up for trouble. Especially if you're going to be working, you'll be really depending on this woman. If she does anything wrong after you hire her, how are you going to terminate her without being 'helperless'? And if there is a gap between your outgoing and incoming helper, are you going to be able to get time off work?


You might want to try interviewing a few more helpers. Either that or hire the first one and make an agreement with her that she should give you ample notice when she wants to leave. You could even offer her a bonus as an incentive for her to not only give you loads of notice, but also possibly introduce you to a suitable replacement and certainly work through all of her notice.


The other thing I can think of is this: you explain your difficult situation to the first helper, ask her to sign with you & start work in June. Tell her she can always quit before the contract is up so long as she gives you a few months' notice (do the incentive thing as before). Even if she only works for you for half a year you've at least managed to buy yourself some time to arrange a more permananent option. To find a good helper and get her visa sorted out + trip back to the Philippines, I think you need to allow about 3 months actually (to be on the safe side).


Lastly, with reference to the second helper, so remember that LOTS of helpers come across great in interviews but are actually trouble. I've just released a helper for stealing and she was fab in the interview. In fact, she was fab around my home and with my two kiddies, but she was nicking our stuff at the same time. When she found out I knew what was going on, she quit and I've really been left in the lurch. If I were you, I'd definitely check references, contact her previous employers and so on. If she claims she's innocent, she if she has at least a genuine reference from another previous employer (i.e. with a contact number you can ring). If no one has anything good to say about her, take it as a warning sign.


Good luck to you!

Problem is no one will know until the application is submitted. Each immigration officer gets to weigh the need from the employer and the reason why the helper is not getting renewed/getting dropped by the former employee; then make their judgment call. My helper may have been delayed because of several holidays within the period, but still it was a local hire with good reasons and support from her former employer and it took 6 weeks to get a visa.

I have once hired someone without speaking to previous employers (they were Chinese) and I really regretted it. I think most DHs with sob stories about having been treated badly are telling the truth, but I began to wonder if I had been a total idiot by not at least having a conversation.


I know someone who is available very soon, and believe that she is very good. Am happy to send you a PM with her details if you want.

Details on the way.

If the helper is finishing their contract then joining you they can apply to defer their trip back home for up to 12 months. If they are breaking their current contract they have to return to their home country while the visa is processed.

At least this is what immigration told me 18 months ago.

chefcrsh,


I need a DH by end of July. Can you share with me of your experience with the "local hire" and how to proceed? As you mentioned, still need 6 weeks to get a visa, the only difference was that the helper didn't have to leave Hong Kong and we didn’t have to pay an agent fee. How does it work?


Thanks

You have to hire a helper who is working here now. Either at end of contract or their current contract is cut short for reasons not related to the helper’s job performance (family moving etc.). The helper should have a supporting letter from the current employer if the contract is ended short. The helper can do all the legwork and she should know what to do. She will go to immigration and get a packet including all the documents. You will need to fill out the contracts and supply a supporting letter for why you wish to expedite the process. That’s about it, then you just wait for approval.


For local hire you can also use Asiaxpat's service if you are worried about the process. But to me it's not that difficult and certainly I prefer to save the money.

DB mum, just want to share with you my experience. i live in DB too. i also interviewed many phils and found one that i thought i like. she also played with my son and tells me story of how she was terminated by previous employer because she can't cook korean food. i took her word for it. we signed the contract adn she said she will bring the contract to the agent and they will contact me, i never heard from her nor the agent ever since. moral of the story is, dont believe everything they said. and dont believe what you see. when they come for interview, they will try veryhard to create a good first impression and they will try to play with your kid because they know that's the way to your heart. call the previous employer if you must and get the true story out of them, dont just believe their stories. i have learnt my lesson, i am now hiring helpers from agency and not from on line research anymore. good luck.

gogis,


I need some information from you regarding DH and have sent you a PM. Hope to here from you soon.

Thanks