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Helpers who wish to renew their employment contracts with their existing employers after the existing contract has run its 2-year full course shall make fresh applications to the Immigration Department and the application will normally be accepted within eight weeks prior to the expiry of the existing contract.

Note: Please note that the expiry date of the standard Employment Contract (ID 407) is not the end date of the Helper's stay in the HKSAR. The actual end date is the limit of stay indicated on the landing slip issued upon arrival clearance / “e-Visa” issued upon approval of extension application. Helpers who remain in Hong Kong after the permitted period are liable to prosecution and are subject to a fine of up to HK$50,000 and imprisonment for up to two years on conviction. They are also liable to removal from the HKSAR after serving the sentence. Persons so removed will not be allowed to come to the HKSAR to work as Helpers. Any person who aids and abets a Helper to remain in Hong Kong after the permitted period is also liable to criminal prosecution.

Employers who wish to employ Helpers have to satisfy the following criteria:

1. The employer is financially capable of employing a Helper after his/her household expenditure has been deducted. In general, for every Helper to be employed, the employer must have a household income of no less than HK$15,000 per month or assets of comparable amount to support the employment of a Helper for the whole contractual period. The monthly household income figure of HK$15,000 may be adjusted by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) from time to time.
2. The Helper and the employer shall enter into a standard Employment Contract (ID 407) as specified by the Director of Immigration.
3. The Helper shall only be required to perform domestic duties for the employer as per the Schedule of Accommodation and Domestic Duties attached to the standard Employment Contract (ID 407).
4. The Helper shall not be required or allowed by the employer to take up any other employment with any other person during his/her stay in the HKSAR and within the contract period specified in Clause 2 of the standard Employment Contract (ID 407).
5. The employer undertakes to pay the Helper a salary that is no less than the minimum allowable wage announced by the HKSAR Government and prevailing at the date of application for employing the Helper.
6. The Helper shall work and reside in the employer's residence ^{Note 1} as specified in Clause 3 of the standard Employment Contract (ID 407).
7. The Helper shall be provided with suitable accommodation and with reasonable privacy ^{Note 2}. 
8. The bona fides of the employer and the Helper are not in doubt; there is no known record to the detriment of the employer and the Helper. For details of matters which will be taken into account, please refer to the part “Breaches” below.
9. The employer is a bona fide resident in the HKSAR.

A Helper must be in possession of a proper visa before he/she travels to the HKSAR. The issuance of a visa to individual Helper is subject to the normal immigration requirements being met (such as holding a valid travel document with adequate returnability to his/her country of residence or citizenship; be of clear criminal record and raises no security or criminal concerns to the HKSAR, has no likelihood of becoming a burden on the HKSAR; etc). Employers who satisfy the above criteria should not assume that their Helper's visa application would be approved automatically.

Helpers are not admitted to Hong Kong for settlement. They are not eligible to bring their dependants to Hong Kong for residence.

Note 1:
Employers who have obtained the Director of Immigration's approval before 1 April 2003 to let their Helpers live out can continue to do so, so long as they continue to employ Helpers without a break of more than 6 months.

Note 2:
Examples of unsuitable accommodation are: the Helper having to sleep on made-do beds in the corridor with little privacy or sharing a room with an adult or teenager of the opposite sex.

In accordance with Clause 13 of the standard Employment Contract (ID 407), the Helper shall, upon expiry of an old contract and before the commencement of a new contract, return to his/her place of origin for vacation with the return fare paid by the employer. A Helper should not stay in the HKSAR longer than the permitted period of stay.

Under normal circumstances, the Helper should return to his/her place of origin after the completion of contract and apply for a visa to return to the HKSAR to start the new contract. If circumstances do not permit the Helper to return to his/her place of origin for vacation immediately upon expiry of the old contract, subject to the employer's and Helper's mutual agreement, the Helper may apply for an extension of stay for him/her to defer the vacation leave. The Helper and employer shall complete the relevant parts of ID 988A and ID 988B respectively and submit them to the Director of Immigration for consideration.

On application, an extension of stay of normally not exceeding one year may be granted by the Director of Immigration upon payment of an extension fee. Further extension of stay within the contract period will not be allowed. Therefore, arrangements should be made for the Helper to return to his/her place of origin for vacation within the one-year extension period, and for the Helper to use the visa (with visa fee waived and with a validity in line with the extension of stay granted) to enter the HKSAR to complete the contract.

All Helpers and their employers are required to give an undertaking to the Government of the HKSAR. If an employer breaches the undertaking under Part 5 of the "Application for Employment of Domestic Helper from Abroad" form (ID 988B), his/her conduct will be taken into account in considering any future application he/she may make to employ a Helper and any such application may be refused. If a Helper breaches the undertaking under Part 6 of the "Visa/Extension of Stay Application Form for Domestic Helper from Abroad" (ID 988A), his/her conduct will be an adverse consideration in considering any future application for employment visa or for extension of stay in the HKSAR and any such application may be refused.

An employer will not normally be considered eligible to employ a Helper for a period of time where he/she has breached/has been convicted of any of the following breaches/offences:

1. Offences relating to a Helper(s) under immigration laws (including aiding and abetting in the breach of a condition of stay);
2. Offences relating to a Helper(s) under labour laws;
3. Offences relating to assault or harassment of a Helper(s); or
4. Breach of the standard Employment Contract (ID 407) or of the undertaking given to the Government of the HKSAR under Part 5 of the "Application for Employment of Domestic Helper from Abroad" form (ID 988B).

In addition to requiring the Helper to meet normal immigration requirements (such as holding a valid travel document with adequate returnability to his/her country of residence or citizenship; be of clear criminal record and raises no security or criminal concerns to the HKSAR, has no likelihood of becoming a burden on the HKSAR; etc), the Director of Immigration will take the following offences/breaches into account in considering any future application by a Helper for employment visa or for extension of stay in the HKSAR and such future application will not normally be approved:

1. Offences under immigration laws; or
2. Breach of obligations under the standard Employment Contract (ID 407) or Undertaking to the Government of the HKSAR under Part 6 of the “Visa/Extension of Stay Application Form for Domestic Helper from Abroad” (ID 988A)

The requirement for the collection of the Employees Retraining Levy (levy) from employers of Helpers has been abolished after the expiry of the suspension of its collection on 1 August 2013.

Nevertheless, employers who owe an overdue levy to the Director of Immigration are still required to settle the outstanding payment immediately. Should any employer fail to settle the outstanding payment, Immigration Department would take into account such adverse record and he/she may be considered ineligible for employment of Helpers for a certain period of time.

All levy paid is not refundable under any circumstances.

Applications for contract renewal with the same employer by post, drop-in or by online submission will normally be finalised within 10 working days upon receipt of all necessary documents.

However, the processing time required depends on the circumstances of individual applications and the number of applications received at a particular time.

• General Remarks
• Eligibility Criteria for Employment of an FDH
• Wages
• Employment Rights and Obligations Upon Termination of Contract in General
• Restrictions on Deployment
• Driving Duties
• Levy for Employment of FDHs
• Top Ten Enquiries relating to New Arrangement for Submission of Applications from Foreign Domestic Helpers for Extension of Stay Sponsored by the Same Employer

• Department of Health’s letter to employment agencies of foreign domestic helpers on Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccination
• Department of Health’s letter to employers of foreign domestic helpers on Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccination
• Labour Department
• Equal Opportunities Commission (Hong Kong)
• GovHK website

The Helper should complete application form ID 988A whilst the employer should complete application for ID 988B. The application forms (ID 988A and ID 988B) can be obtained free of charge from the following offices:

• Immigration Department Headquarters; and
• Immigration Branch Offices except Hong Kong Island Travel Documents Issuing Office.

The forms can also be downloaded from the Immigration Department's website at www.immd.gov.hk.

Applications for contract renewal with the same employment after completion of the existing two-year contract will normally be accepted within eight weeks prior to the expiry of the existing contract.  Application may be submitted as follows:

1. online via GovHK (Click here).
2. by post or drop-in to the Foreign Domestic Helpers Section, 4th Floor, Administration Tower, Immigration Headquarters, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories;
   
   [Note: Underpaid mail items will not be accepted by the Immigration Department. For proper delivery of your mail items, please ensure your mail items bear sufficient postage with return address before posting. (Details)]
3. in person or by authorised person at the Foreign Domestic Helpers Section, 4th Floor, Administration Tower, Immigration Headquarters, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories or the following Immigration Branch Offices. Before proceeding to the immigration offices, please make appointment online at www.gov.hk/esbooking or through the 24-hour appointment booking hotline at (852) 2598 0888.
   1. East Kowloon Office
      Level 2, Sceneway Plaza, Sceneway Garden, 1-17 Sceneway Road, Lam Tin, Kowloon.
   2. West Kowloon Office
      G/F, 28 Kimberley Street, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.
   3. Sha Tin Office
      3/F, Sha Tin Government Offices, 1 Sheung Wo Che Road, Sha Tin, N.T.
   4. Fo Tan Office
      Shops 405-407, 4/F, Jubilee Square, 2-18 Lok King Street, Fo Tan, N.T.
   5. Tuen Mun Office
      1/F & 2/F, Tuen Mun Siu Lun Government Complex, 19 Siu Lun Street, Tuen Mun, N.T.
      (Counter services are available on 2/F)
   6. Yuen Long Office
      1/F, Yuen Long Government Offices, 2 Kiu Lok Square, Yuen Long, N.T.
4. Office Hours
   

   i. Foreign Domestic Helpers Section, Immigration Tower
   Monday - Friday	8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
   Saturday	9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

    

   ii. Immigration Branch Offices (except Hong Kong Island Travel Documents Issuing Office)
   Monday - Friday	9:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
   Saturday	9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

In submitting the application, the Helpers should produce the following documents:

1. Visa/Extension of Stay Application Form for Domestic Helper from Abroad (ID 988A) completed and signed by the Helper;
2. Application for Employment of Domestic Helper from Abroad (ID 988B) completed and signed by the employer;
3. original copy of the new standard Employment Contract (ID 407) ^{Note 1};
4. original of his/her travel document (for in-person application) or copy of the Helper's travel document including the pages showing (i) his/her personal particulars, photo, passport validity; and (ii) the latest landing endorsement / landing slip / visa label / “e-Visa” (for application made by post, drop-in or online);
5. copy of the proof of employer's financial position ^{Note 2}; and
6. copy of the proof of the employer's residential address ^{Note 2}

List of forms and documents in support of an application for contract renewal with the same employer is available for download at “Checklist of Forms and Documents Required for Application for Domestic Helpers from Abroad”.

Applications submitted after the expiry of the contract and the Helper's valid limit of stay in Hong Kong will not be accepted.

The above represents requirements laid down by the Director of Immigration of the HKSAR. The employer is advised to find out from the relevant consulate in the HKSAR the latest requirements and policies on employment and immigration matters which may affect the Helper's employment in the HKSAR before submitting the contracts to the Director of Immigration in support of the Helper's application for a visa.

Note 1:
For applications submitted online, the original employment contract (notarised, if so required by the local consulate) should be available for inspection upon request.

Note 2:
Proof of employer's financial position and residential address is not required (provided that the employer's average household income remains no less than HK$15,000 (for each domestic helper to be employed) and there is no change in the residential address). Nevertheless, further supporting documents may be required in individual cases.

It is an offence to make false statements or representations to an immigration officer. To verify the authenticity of the information and documents submitted with a visa application, field visits may be conducted. A person who knowingly and wilfully makes a statement or gives information which he/she knows to be false or does not believe to be true shall be guilty of an offence under the laws of the HKSAR and any such visa issued or permission to enter or remain in the HKSAR granted shall have no effect. Any aider and abettor in such offence is also liable to criminal prosecution.

An application with incomplete supporting documents will not be accepted and will be returned to the employer or his/her representative.

Notwithstanding that the documents and information required have been furnished, the Helper or the employer may still be required to submit further supporting documents and information in connection with the application when necessary.

Where a document is not in Chinese or English, it must be accompanied by a Chinese or English translation certified as a true translation by a sworn translator, court translator, authorised public translator, certified translator, expert translator or official translator.

Please note that the expiry date of the standard Employment Contract (ID 407) is not the end date of the Helper's stay in the HKSAR. The actual end date is the limit of stay indicated on the landing slip issued upon arrival clearance / “e-Visa” issued upon approval of extension application. Helpers who remain in Hong Kong after the permitted period are liable to prosecution and are subject to a fine of up to HK$50,000 and imprisonment for up to two years on conviction. They are also liable to removal from the HKSAR after serving the sentence. Persons so removed will not be allowed to come to the HKSAR to work as Helpers. Any person who aids and abets a Helper to remain in Hong Kong after the permitted period is also liable to criminal prosecution.

Eligible applicants can make appointments online or through the 24-hour appointment booking hotline at 2598 0888 before submission their applications in person, or by authorized persons. Please click here for further information about online appointment booking.

Applications for contract renewal with the same employer by post, drop-in or by online submission will normally be finalized within 10 working days upon receipt of all necessary documents. However, the processing time required depends on the circumstances of individual applications and the number of applications received at a particular time.

• Application 
• New Arrangements for Submission of Applications from Foreign Domestic Helper for Extension of Stay Sponsored by the Same Employer
• Top Ten Enquiries relating to New Arrangement for Submission of Applications from Foreign Domestic Helpers for Extension of Stay Sponsored by the Same Employer

Notwithstanding that the employer has sent in all the supporting documents, the employer may still be required to attend an interview in connection with the application. Furthermore, other documents in support of the application may be required by the processing officer in individual cases.

The applicant may check the status of his/her application online by clicking here after 5 working days from the date of our receipt of the application.

(Applicants can use the application reference number of the last approved visa application or the application reference number of new application to make an enquiry through the online system. If the information matches the Immigration Department’s records, application status of the new application will be shown. )

Upon completion of the application assessment, a notification of the application result will be sent by letter or email.

For application eligible for the “Smart Renewal” service
Upon approval of the visa application, the notification of the application result issued by the Immigration Department will include a webpage link for payment. Payment of relevant fees could be made through the said webpage link or the GovHK website or the ImmD Mobile Application by credit card (VISA, Mastercard, UnionPay and JCB only), Payment by Phone Service (PPS), Faster Payment System (FPS) or Mainland China’s Licensed Digital Wallets (Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay App only). After payment, applicants could instantly download or print the “e-Visa” by themselves.

Applicant or his/her representative could also pay the fee with the “General Demand Note” (GDN) enclosed with the notification of the application result. Payment can be made by various means, such as the FPS, internet banking, PPS, automatic teller machines (ATMs), or in person at a post office or convenience store. The details are set out on the back of the GDN. After you have made the payment, it will take 2 working days for our department to acknowledge receipt of the visa fee paid by one of the methods specified in the GDN. The applicant should collect the “e-Visa” after 2 working days following the payment date through the GovHK website or the ImmD Mobile Application.

Sample of a “General Demand Note”

For applications requiring in-person submission or an interview due to special or individual circumstances
Upon approval of the visa application, the visa shall be collected in person in accordance with the notification of the application result. Payment of visa fee can be made in cash, by Easy Payment System, by Octopus, by FPS, by Mainland China’s Licensed Digital Wallets (Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay App only) or by cheque upon visa collection. The cheque must be crossed and made payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region". The post-dated cheque will not be accepted.

Fee Table

Employer and Helper should notify the Director of Immigration if the employer’s residential address registered on the employment contract is no longer valid or there is any change to the Schedule of Accommodation and Domestic Duties of the employment contract by completing form ID 407G. Alternatively, notifications may be made online at https://www.gov.hk/en/residents/immigration/nonpermanent/id407g.htm.

If the new address is a flat in a housing estate run by the Housing Department or the Hong Kong Housing Society, the employer should produce:

• A letter of consent from the appropriate authority granting permission for the Helper to reside in the premises
• A copy of the tenancy agreement

If the Helper and employer wish to lengthen the two-year contract by a short period, the Helper should apply to the Director of Immigration for an extension of stay in Hong Kong. Such extension of stay will only be granted where there are exceptional circumstances. Extension will not normally be granted in respect of renewal of contracts. The Director of Immigration has sole discretion to determine whether an extension of stay will be granted. An extension of more than one month will not normally be granted in any situation.

The Helper may submit the application by post or drop-in to the Foreign Domestic Helpers Section, 4th Floor, Administration Tower, Immigration Headquarters, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories; or in person at the Foreign Domestic Helpers Section, 4th Floor, Administration Tower, Immigration Headquarters, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories. Before proceeding to the immigration office, please make appointment online at (www.gov.hk/esbooking) or through the 24-hour appointment booking hotline at (852) 2598 0888.

The required documents are as follows:

1. Visa/Extension of Stay Application Form for Domestic Helper from Abroad (ID988A) completed and signed by the Helper;
2. Photocopies of the current standard Employment Contract (ID407) kept by the employer and Helper with an amendment clause on such extension duly signed by both parties at the end of page 4;
   
   You may make reference to the following paragraph regarding the amendment clause on such extension:
   
   “We both agree to extend this contract for _____week(s)/month(s). We understand that no subsequent re-contract or extension of contract will be granted after the approval of this application.”
3. a supporting letter signed by the employer stating the reason(s) for such extension and undertaking that upon such extension no renewal of contract with the same Helper will be required; and
4. Original of the Helper’s travel document (for in-person application) or copy of the Helper's travel document of the page showing his / her personal particulars, photo, passport validity (for application made by post or drop-in).

The standard Employment Contract (ID 407) is not transferrable and if for any reason it is terminated before the standard contract period of two years has been completed, the initiating party should in writing inform the other party of the exact date of termination of the contract. Both the employer and the Helper should notify the Director of Immigration by submitting a completed "Notification of Termination of Employment Contract with Foreign Domestic Helper" (ID 407E) or a letter within 7 days of the date of termination. Alternatively, notifications may be made online at www.gov.hk/fdhtermination. Please click for more on “Standard Employment Contract & Terms of Employments of Helpers"

Helpers are normally admitted for a period of two years or until two weeks after termination of contract, whichever is the earlier. Only in exceptional circumstances that they may submit applications to Foreign Domestic Helpers Section to extend their stay in Hong Kong as a visitor by completing Application for Extension of Stay (ID 91).

• Change of Residential Address
• Termination of Contract