Contract renewal for domestic helpers in Hong Kong: steps and documents

When to apply

Immigration normally accepts a renewal with the same employer from eight weeks before the current contract ends. Do not leave it late: an application is not accepted once both the contract and her permitted stay have run out. With every document in, it is normally done in about ten working days.

What you need

• form ID 988A, signed by the helper, and ID 988B, signed by the employer;
• the new Standard Employment Contract (ID 407), signed in the original — it comes from the Immigration Department and cannot be downloaded;
• copies of her passport pages: personal details, latest visa and latest landing or extension label;
• the employer’s proof of finances and address, which can be skipped if the household still earns at least HK$15,000 a month for each helper and the address is the same — Immigration may still ask.

How to apply

Online through GovHK, by post, at a drop-in box or in person. If you apply online, the original contract is checked when the new visa label is collected.

The new contract’s salary

A renewal is a new contract. Its minimum wage is the one in force on the day it is signed — so a renewal signed after a new rate starts must pay at least the new rate.

Home leave between contracts

Before the new contract starts she goes home for at least seven days, paid or unpaid as the contract says, on top of her annual leave; the employer pays the return fare. If both agree, the home leave can be put off by applying for an extension of stay of up to one year, but she must take the trip within that year.

Extra steps with her own government

Filipino helpers also have the new contract verified at the Philippine Migrant Workers Office in Hong Kong, and Indonesian helpers have it endorsed by the Indonesian Consulate. Their requirements and fees change, so check the current list with them before the appointment.