Eligibility, fees, approval timelines and staffing ratios — including the 3:1 F&B rule effective 16 June 2026.
Free WhatsApp assessmentLast updated: September 2026
No. The employer first applies to the Labour Department Supplementary Labour Division for in-principle approval. Only then does each worker apply to Immigration for a visa/entry permit. Immigration is not step one. LD: https://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/plan/iwESLS.htm
No. The official name is Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS), not ELIS. For F&B kitchen/floor, from 16 June 2026 the ratio is 3:1 per department (three full-time local staff already and continuously employed for each imported worker). Other trades follow the LD notice in force — there is no blanket 1:2.
No. The usual figure is a one-off HK$9,600 per worker after visa approval and before Immigration issues the visa — not HK$400/month. LD’s levy at filing time prevails.
Yes. 匠峰勞務顧問有限公司 (Labour Services Company Ltd.) holds Hong Kong Labour Department employment-agency licence 81090. The LD register prevails.
Local recruitment ads → submit forms and documents → quota approval → interviews → contract and visa → workers arrive in Hong Kong.
Local recruitment about 1 month; quota approval 3–4 months; interviews about 1 week; contract and visa about 1.5 months.
From 16 June 2026, kitchen and/or floor quotas use a 3:1 ratio per department. Local recruitment lasts 6 weeks, with a Labour Department job fair every two weeks.
Not for the quota/recruitment stage. Visa filing must go through 14 designated firms. We already work with them.
At most 12 hours a day, with at least one rest day a week; wages by bank transfer; annual leave follows Hong Kong law.
Pay must not be below the government’s published median. Ask us for the current figure.
Yes. We can shortlist candidates and run the remaining steps at any stage.
Yes. You choose. We can draw on a talent pool, run first-pass screening and do background checks.
ESLS, the special scheme for care workers, and construction/transport schemes. ESLS covers waiters, junior cooks, drivers, care roles and more — uncommon posts can still apply.
Hong Kong business operators. Headcount depends on your full-time local staff and the relevant ratio.
1. Employers are not required to provide meals. 2. If meals are provided, no deduction may be made from wages for them.
1. Provide free accommodation. 2. Provide accommodation and charge part of the cost — at most 20% of basic wages (regulation effective 2026-06-16).
Workers permitted to stay 13 months or less — or members of an overseas retirement scheme — are exempt. Beyond 13 months without an overseas scheme, the employer must enrol them in MPF within 60 days after the 13th month (per the MPF Schemes Authority).
Local press recruitment advertising (4 weeks, ~HK$1,000–2,000), the Employees Retraining Levy (HK$9,600 for a 2-year contract) and the visa fee. Plus accommodation/insurance at actual cost; agency fee by quotation.
Search the Labour Department EAA register (eaa.labour.gov.hk) for "Labour Services Company Ltd." or licence number 81090.
Yes — at least 3.4 m² net floor area per person, meeting safety and hygiene requirements. See our accommodation page.
From 16 June 2026, work locations are relaxed to business sites within up to 5 administrative districts, giving employers flexible deployment.
Yes — from 16 June 2026, local employees with disabilities count 1:1 toward the full-time local ratio (e.g. the F&B 3:1).
From 16 June 2026, sanctions stack up to a 5-year application ban and public naming of the employer. Compliant filing is the only shortcut.
Contracts run up to 24 months. Renewal means a fresh quota application — start 3–4 months before expiry. See our renewal page.
No. Within the quota validity you may substitute a replacement — only the new worker's visa steps are redone, not the quota.
Yes — mainland workers complete a medical at a designated institution; a pass certificate is required before the visa can be filed.
Yes. The Employees' Compensation Ordinance requires every employer to insure all employees, including imported workers — non-compliance is a criminal offence.
The visa follows the contract term, capped at 24 months, and lapses when the contract ends or is terminated early.
Keep ad placement proofs (4 weeks minimum; 6 weeks for tier-2 F&B posts) and interview/outcome records — the Labour Department verifies them.
No. The visa is tied to the sponsoring employer and post; a job change requires a new quota and visa application by the new employer.
