Huge Number of Alleged Job-Hopping Filipino Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong Denied Entry

Around 1,800 foreign domestic helpers got denied with their visa applications since 2013, according to the Labour and Welfare Secretary, Dr. Law Chi-kwong.

The high rate of denied visaapplication around 1,817 could be due to the Immigration Department’s effort tocrackdown the growing number of domestic workers who are “job-hopping” sinceJune of 2013, as reported by Hong Kong News. 

“The ImmD has all along been processing employment visa applications of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in a rigorous manner. If the applicant has any adverse records or breaches, ImmD will refuse his/her application,” says Law.

“Since June 2013, ImmD has strengthened the assessment of employment visa applications from FDHs who changed employers repeatedly to combat abuse in changing employers through the arrangement for premature contract termination (commonly known as “job-hopping”),” Law added.

Since 2013, there are around 544,000 employment visa applications received by the ImmD and 2% out of it or 11,077 are rejected due to the reason “subjected to further scrutiny”.

“Among the 11,077 cases closely scrutinised by ImmD, various exceptional circumstances may be involved, including premature contract termination on grounds of the transfer, migration, death or financial reasons of the ex-employer, or where there was evidence suggesting that the FDH had been abused or exploited,” Law added.

Moreover, several migrant groups denied that said accusations that there is Filipino domestic helper who is job-hopping, saying that agency fees needs to be paid once they transfer to another employer.