Advice please - Application Status and Timing?

[jaetee]

We are doing a direct hire through an agency for a helper in the Philippines (we found the candidate ourselves, not through the agency). The agency said we were strongly advised against contacting HK Immigration to find out the status of our application. Is this pretty standard? Are we not allowed to find out the status for fear it gets put back to the end of the queue?

Thanks for any advice on direct hiring. We submitted the application a week ago, and are hoping the helper can be here in the next 4 to 6 weeks.

She has never worked in HK but has worked elsewhere in Asia - so I guess we can only hope that the training/testing situation doesnt take too long.

 

[rani]

We did a direct hire 3 years ago. I called immigration and asked if they could speed up the processing. I needed to get back to work and my marriage was at stake. ;-) I faxed over a letter to the Director of Immigration and within a few days her visa was approved. Normal processing takes 4-6 weeks, so it shouldn't take any longer. I didn't know I could call, and it was 4 weeks when I did. Our papers even got stuck in the Phillipine Consulate for 2 weeks cos it was an election year. So it took 6 weeks total for us. A friend called immigration within a few days of receiving the case #, her helper's visa was processed within a week.

 

[jaetee]

Thanks Rani - I included with the agency's application pack a letter asking for expedition but dont know if they will take it seriously.

BTW - does Immigration call us in for an interview prior to approving the application? We are going on home leave in the next few weeks and I was wondering if that will affect the application?

Also we are moving flats in a couple of weeks - do we need to let them know now? I am afraid it will affect our application negatively to have any changes.

 

[bekyboo44]

We have also just put in application for helper and will be moving hse in a month. We decided just to put our current address on all documents, contracts etc. and worry about changing it when our helper is here and visas approved etc. There is so much to do etc. for application, didn't want to complicate it any further by mentioning we would be moving.