How to Renew Contract for Foreign Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong?

Do you have an Indonesian or Filipino domestic helper working in Hong Kong and are looking to extend their job? In that case, you will likely need to renew their foreign domestic helper contract sooner or later. Stuck trying to figure out how to renew it? Look no further!  Here's a guide that caters to both Indonesian and Filipino workers. This guide will cover the process in detail, so you'll be sure to find the information you are looking for!

While it can take about four weeks to renew your contract, the good news for you is that it's relatively simple if you follow the steps noted here. What's more? You can submit the renewal application as soon as eight weeks before the current contract's expiry.

How to renew the contract for Filipino Domestic helpers?

First things first: collect and sign the contracts

Hong Kong's Immigration website is an excellent resource for you to get started. You can view all the requirements and eligibility criteria online, wherever you are located.

Either the employer or the domestic helper can pick up the required contracts. You will have to do so from Hong Kong Immigration. The good news is you don't have to create room in your busy schedule. Since there isn't an appointment system for simply picking up the information along with contracts, you can go ahead and drop by anytime you are available. Better yet, if the domestic helper is outside Hong Kong at that time, you can pick the contracts up yourself.

Now, it's time to fill in those contracts! Some repetitive work is involved, as you have to fill out all four copies of the contracts identically. Once that is done, you should duly sign each document and have your helper do the same.

If you are confused about some part of the contract form, please check out external resources mentioned at the end of this blog or contact Hong Kong immigration directly. If you clarify something and need to make some revisions, don't forget to sign next to any such corrections.

Now you might be wondering where all these copies will go, and the answer is listed below:

1. Hong Kong Immigration office submission
2. Employer's copy
3. Domestic helper's copy
4. Submission at Philippine Overseas Labor Office

Second step: submit the domestic helper visa application at the Hong Kong Immigration Department (or online)

You should help your domestic helper download and fill out the forms ID988a and ID988b around the time you're doing the first step.

With everything else checked off, the helper must book an appointment with the Hong Kong immigration department.

As with other things in this guide, make sure you do so at least 7 or 8 weeks in advance (from the date of expiry) as it can be hard to get one in time.

Just a handful of other documents are required, and you would be good to go:

• ID988A and ID988B
• New standard employment contract (ID407)
• Original travel document
• Copy of the proof of the employer's financial position
• Copy of the employer's residential address
• Undertaking of Employer (new requirement)

You will need to provide your helper with the last two items on this list! Lastly, you must be ready to submit a visa fee of HK $230 if your application is approved. Feel free to submit the prepared visa application online or on your own at Hong Kong Immigration. However, check with the website for updates in processing due to the COVID-19 pandemic before you go.

If approved, you'll have a brand new contract in 2-4 weeks! And that's all there is to it. Simple enough, right?

Last Step: Contract Verification by the Philippines Consulate (POLO)

As soon as the new visa will be released by Immigration Department, the Filipino Helper must submit Visa and contract for verification by the Philippines Consulate of Hong Kong.

Required documents to submit:

• Copy of the domestic helper's current work visa
• Copy of the passport of the domestic helper 
• Copy of the domestic helper's HKID (affix with mobile number)
• Copy of the employer's HKID (affix with mobile number)
• 2 copies of original contract (signed)
• Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) membership

Verification will be done within 3 working days. Verification fee is HK$80 and OWWA fee is HK$196.

That's all!

How to renew contract for Indonesian domestic helpers?

First things first, notarize your contract

First, you need to collect the ID407 standard contract form from the Indonesian Consulate in Hong Kong. If you are not available, your domestic helper can pick up the set too.

The Consulate's address and contact information is given below:

Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Hong Kong

127-129 Leighton Road, 6-8 Keswick Street, Causeway Bay

Office hours: 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, Mondays to Fridays

Contact number: +852-36510200

It would be best to get this whole process started about ten weeks in advance of the existing contract's expiry. This is because you need ample processing time for the next steps.

The notarization by the Indonesian Consulate General in Hong Kong can take ten working days itself.

You will receive four copies of the contract from the Consulate, and this is the bit where you have to take out some time and fill them out. They need to be completed identically!

You can do this with your helper or on your own, but each copy will need both you and your domestic helper to sign. Any queries can be addressed by the Consulate or Hong Kong immigration's website.

Any mistakes can be corrected by duly signing next to the corrections, so don't worry about making the trip back to the Consulate again for fresh copies if there is only a minor revision.

The four copies required are as follows:

• Submission to the Indonesian Consulate
• Submission to the immigration office for the work visa renewal process
• Employer's copy
• Domestic helper's copy

Apart from this, you will need a few more documents to process your renewal, and they are as follows:

• A letter of application from your employer. It should mention the following:
  • They are willing to renew the employment contract
  • They have fulfilled all the basic employment rights from the last contract.
• The new Standard Employment Contract (ID407) is to be filled and signed.
• Additional supporting documents may be required. Some examples are:
  • A comprehensive health insurance policy
  • A copy of the previous employment contract (or original)
  • Identity card photocopies of both the employer and you (the domestic helper)

Now, the bulk of the work is over! There is a notarization fee of HK $388 that needs to be submitted to finalize things, though. This is typically the employer's responsibility to submit, so be sure to do it in due time.

Next up, submit a Visa application to the Immigration Department of Hong Kong.

Once you have the notarized contract ready, you should help your employer book an appointment with Hong Kong's immigration department online. This appointment is to be made for the new visa and can be done quickly through their website.

Once your appointment's date and time are selected, you should help your domestic worker compile the rest of the required documents. Here's a comprehensive list for you:

• The completed Visa/Extension of Stay Application Form for Domestic Helper from Abroad (ID 988A)
• The application for Employment of Domestic Helper from Abroad (ID 988B);
• The domestic helper's original passport
• A copy of the domestic helper's passport
• The original copy of the new employment contract (ID407), notarized by the Indonesian Consulate General in Hong Kong.
• Copies of the employer's proof of financial position and residential address

The last item on this list has to be provided by you, so have it arranged for the helper beforehand. Form ID 988A and ID 988B can be obtained from Hong Kong Immigration's website.

If all goes according to plan and your visa is approved, a visa fee (HK $230) is to be paid. It can take up to six weeks for the processing to complete.

That concludes the domestic helper contract renewal process!

As you can see, the process is relatively straightforward for Indonesian workers. Apart from filling some forms and submitting them to the relevant authorities, there is not much that concerns you.

Both the steps have their processing times, and as a general rule of thumb, you should get started as early as possible so that you don't lose out on your contract removal simply due to the long processing times!

This will ensure that your domestic helper can continue their stay in Hong Kong and continue employment while their new contract and visa become available!

Is it mandatory to do it on time?

All these new rules and efforts are guaranteed to make it a streamlined process for both helpers and employers. Since it is a mandatory regulation, people will be able to do all the formalities within time. Going through an agency will also give you the results but it will be an unnecessary expenditure. If you really don’t have time or are busy travelling then an ethical employment agency may be the right option for you, but only if it’s impossibly difficult for you to take out a few hours from your schedule. You can find here a list of few recommended agency in Hong Kong.

Most people today are already adept at submitting online applications for most things and this is just another mandatory thing that does not call for too much toe or inconvenience. Like we apply for visas to travel to another country, similarly all the necessary information, forms and regulations can easily be found and followed for helper contract renewal too. Life with a helper is definitely so much more convenient and comfortable, losing out on it because of something as insignificant as forgetting to renew the contract can be a great bump in your everyday schedule.

Conclusion

After the renewal of the contract, do not forget o renew the domestic helper’s insurance (mandatory). Morevover, the helper is expected to go back to her home country at the end of the 2-year contract but in case the employer needs the helper to stay for urgent reasons, upon mutual agreement, it will possible to apply for an extension of stay.

Apart from a few tiresome steps involving filling forms and collecting documents, the process for domestic helper contract renewal is relatively easy. You can certainly do it by yourself, and you can also find plenty of online resources that can help. Today when we do almost everything online a simple task like renewal of your helper’s contract shouldn’t be a problem. As long as you have all the documents ready!

Feel free to check out immigration website for more information regarding the process. Best of luck with the renewal!