Hong Kong foreign domestic caregiver pilot scheme to start in 2027
Hong Kong's foreign domestic caregiver pilot scheme will launch in the second half of 2027, initially admitting only a few hundred caregivers per year. Applicants need three years of elderly care experience and must pass a government-designed course and assessment.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han has said the government will adopt a small-scale, phased approach to introducing its foreign domestic caregiver pilot scheme. In a written reply to a lawmaker on Wednesday, Sun said the scheme is expected to launch in the second half of 2027 at the earliest, with the initial phase involving only a few hundred caregivers a year.
Under the preliminary framework, applicants must have at least three years of elderly care experience and complete a government-designed training course in their place of origin. They will then be required to pass an assessment conducted by a local institution commissioned by the government before they can come to Hong Kong for employment.
Sun said the government would take into account views from the public and other stakeholders while finalising the scheme. Detailed arrangements are expected to be announced by mid-2027.