Getting a visa for a hleper whose contract is terminated

DO helpers who have had their contracts terminated get an extension if they manage to find an employer before their visas. Also if their contract has been terminated due to so called financial difficulties in hiring 3 helpers, is that considered a valid reason for them not to go back to the Philipines. And if they do go back & we are prepared to wait for them, who pays for their air ticket to & from the Philipines.

They get an extension once a contract is signed. If the previous employer is terminating her but is keeping other helpers then it is not considered a financial reason (read kag's thread), so she will have to exit Hong Kong before visa is approved. Previous employer pays for the trip to the Philippines and you pay for the trip from the Philippines to HK.

Thanks blcwc. And kags sounds to me she is the same girl - do you know how long it will take for her to get her visa? Someone said 3 weeks - Is that true?

Yup I guess you are right kags, but i did interview another girl yesterday who was suggesting that it would take 3-4 weeks - don't know how true it is. Btw I did speak to immigration for getting a helper from here itself & they said that it is quite fast right now - 2 weeks. So all the best to u for finding a helper fast.

Our experience when hiring our helper in November, was that it took 4 weeks to process here in Hong Kong, and she had finished her contract so there were no issues. She did it herself(for the first time) and it was very simple. We had already waited for her to finish her current job, which took a month or so!

Maybe it is faster now because Immigration is less busy or has more staff?


Everyone tells me that if they must go home, due to termination, quitting, or because they haven't been home in 2 years or more, then it will take 6-8 weeks, sometimes even longer. My worry is that they could come back pregnant, or even change their minds while there! (My helper's friend got married and tried to get pregnant during the 2 weeks she went home!)


HOWEVER, the thing to keep in mind is that you could also end up spending 6-8 weeks interviewing helpers with no luck. So Kags is right, it can be worth the wait sometimes. And often you will have to wait that long for a great helper to finish her contract too. What one of my friends did was hire a good part time helper to come in a few times a week, which I realize isn't the same-but it could get you through the waiting period.


Also, one thing I've learned over these 6 months is that you cannot generalize. In other words, someone who looks great on paper who has worked for Western families may be a disaster, because she may talk on the phone too much or whatever. And on the other hand, there are some wonderful helpers who only have experience with Chinese families and could adapt quickly to an expat family!

It is taking me abt 3 weeks to get my helper's visa. This is someone who has completed her contract, doesn't have to leave HK and has everything right "on paper". I guess, the extra week also includes some public holidays. So I wld presume that it still takes about 5-6 weeks to process for helpers who return home.

Thanks for the info, Troy!

Good for you kags. And thanks for the info Amyvalentine & Troy. Now I'm really confused what to do especially after reading about the pregnancy bit!!!!