Hong Kong rejects 455 foreign domestic helper visa applications over job-hopping concerns
Hong Kong's Immigration Department has rejected 455 foreign domestic helper visa applications over three years, suspecting job-hopping. The Special Duties Team investigated 3,303 cases of premature contract termination. Rejected applicants must leave Hong Kong.
The Immigration Department of Hong Kong has rejected about 13 per cent of more than 3,300 employment visa applications from foreign domestic helpers suspected of “job-hopping” over the past three years, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said on Wednesday 11 November.
In a written reply to a lawmaker’s inquiry, Sun said the department’s Special Duties Team had investigated 3,303 applications involving suspected abuse of premature contract termination to change employers. Of those, 455 were rejected, while another 259 were either withdrawn or could not be followed up.
Sun said investigators consider a range of factors, including the helper’s conduct, the employment records of both the helper and former employer, and the reasons given for ending the contract early. They may also contact former employers and applicants to verify the information provided.
If a helper is found to have engaged in “job-hopping,” Sun said the department will refuse the visa application and require the helper to leave Hong Kong. The case will also be taken into account when the department considers any future visa applications from the person concerned.
