Information on actions taken to combat job-hopping
Dear Immigration Department,
We refer to the HKSAR Government's endeavours to combat suspected 'job-hopping' by foreign domestic workers ("FDWs"). Please could you provide the following information:
1. Out of the total number of employment visa applications by FDWs in 2020, how many cases of job-hopping were: (a) suspected; (b) investigated; and (c) confirmed?
2. Out of the total number of employment visa applications by FDWs in 2020, how many were rejected as a result of suspected job-hopping?
3. For suspected job-hopping cases in 2020, how many employment agencies were: (a) investigated; (b) determined culpable; and (c) subjected to penalties (and what were the penalties)?
4. Details on whether the desk at the Immigration Department which handles the abovementioned matters have assessed whether the measures it has taken to combat job-hopping are: (a) effective; and (b) approrpiately considers the rights of FDWs? If not, details on whether the desk will conduct such an assessment?
5. What is the number of staff and financial resources dedicated to the desk at the Immigration Department which handles the abovementioned matters?
Yours faithfully,
Charlie
Our ref.: ImmD/RM/6-5/10/2021/002(R)
Dear Charlie,
I refer to your request received on 4 January 2021. The matter is
receiving attention and a reply will be sent to you the soonest.
Should you have any enquiries, please feel free to contact the undersigned
at 2829 4018.
Yours faithfully,
(PANG Choi-chun)
for Director of Immigration
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From: Charlie Yeung <[FOI #549 email]>
To: FOI requests at Immigration Department <[Immigration Department request email]>
Date: 04/01/2021 15:17
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Information on actions
taken to combat job-hopping
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Dear Immigration Department,
We refer to the HKSAR Government's endeavours to combat suspected
'job-hopping' by foreign domestic workers ("FDWs"). Please could you
provide the following information:
1. Out of the total number of employment visa applications by FDWs in
2020, how many cases of job-hopping were: (a) suspected; (b) investigated;
and (c) confirmed?
2. Out of the total number of employment visa applications by FDWs in
2020, how many were rejected as a result of suspected job-hopping?
3. For suspected job-hopping cases in 2020, how many employment agencies
were: (a) investigated; (b) determined culpable; and (c) subjected to
penalties (and what were the penalties)?
4. Details on whether the desk at the Immigration Department which handles
the abovementioned matters have assessed whether the measures it has taken
to combat job-hopping are: (a) effective; and (b) approrpiately considers
the rights of FDWs? If not, details on whether the desk will conduct such
an assessment?
5. What is the number of staff and financial resources dedicated to the
desk at the Immigration Department which handles the abovementioned
matters?
Yours faithfully,
Charlie
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Dear Charlie,
Thank you for your e-mail of 4 January 2021. The requested information
and statistics are provided as follows:
The Government has all along been closely monitoring the suspected
abuse of the arrangement for premature termination of contract by foreign
domestic helpers (“FDHs”). To strengthen the assessment of employment
visa applications from FDHs who changed employers repeatedly within a
short period of time, the Immigration Department (“ImmD”) has implemented
a series of measures including improving the visa application assessment
workflow, increasing manpower to handle cases, issuing clear operational
guidelines to staff, etc. The ImmD will closely scrutinise the case
details such as the number and reasons for premature contract termination
in the last 12 months by checking the relevant records of and contacting
the FDHs concerned and their former employers, etc. The ImmD will
continue to review the effectiveness of the measures from time to time.
Currently, a Special Duty Team has been set up in the Foreign Domestic
Helpers Section of the ImmD to strengthen the control over employment visa
applications from FDHs, in particular those from FDHs who changed
employers repeatedly within a short period of time. Flexible staff
deployment arrangements will be suitably made to ensure the efficient
operations of the team.
In 2020, the ImmD received 74 253 employment visa applications from FDHs.
Upon scrutiny of the applications in which the FDHs were suspected of
“job-hopping”, 319 applications were refused.
The ImmD does not maintain statistics in relation to employment agencies.
Regards,
WONG YU FUNG
for Director of Immigration
From: Charlie Yeung <[FOI #549 email]>
To: FOI requests at Immigration Department <[Immigration Department request email]>
Date: 04/01/2021 15:17
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Information on actions
taken to combat job-hopping
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Immigration Department,
We refer to the HKSAR Government's endeavours to combat suspected
'job-hopping' by foreign domestic workers ("FDWs"). Please could you
provide the following information:
1. Out of the total number of employment visa applications by FDWs in
2020, how many cases of job-hopping were: (a) suspected; (b) investigated;
and (c) confirmed?
2. Out of the total number of employment visa applications by FDWs in
2020, how many were rejected as a result of suspected job-hopping?
3. For suspected job-hopping cases in 2020, how many employment agencies
were: (a) investigated; (b) determined culpable; and (c) subjected to
penalties (and what were the penalties)?
4. Details on whether the desk at the Immigration Department which handles
the abovementioned matters have assessed whether the measures it has taken
to combat job-hopping are: (a) effective; and (b) approrpiately considers
the rights of FDWs? If not, details on whether the desk will conduct such
an assessment?
5. What is the number of staff and financial resources dedicated to the
desk at the Immigration Department which handles the abovementioned
matters?
Yours faithfully,
Charlie
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a request under the Code of Access to Information facilitated via
the accessinfo.hk website.
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #549 email]
Is [Immigration Department request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to
Immigration Department? If so, please contact us using this form:
[1]https://accessinfo.hk/en/change_request/...
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[2]https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
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2. https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers
