Imported workers, foreign domestic helpers, professionals: Hong Kong’s three foreign-labour routes explained
All three involve “hiring someone from overseas”, but imported workers, foreign domestic helpers (FDH) and professional schemes are entirely different systems — employer eligibility, approving authority, fees and timelines all differ. Filing the wrong one wastes months.
Last updated: September 2026
The one-line difference
Imported worker (“foreign labour”): a company is the employer; hiring runs through the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS) or a sector scheme, for technician-level-or-below posts.
FDH: a household is the employer; domestic duties only, living at the employer’s home.
Professional schemes (e.g. ASMTP): a company is the employer, but for professional or managerial posts, outside imported-labour quotas and ratios.
Why the distinction matters
Different departments, forms, fees and clocks. The most common mistake: a company assuming an FDH can help at the office — that is illegal; FDHs may only perform domestic duties. Conversely, staffing a shop, factory floor or office frontline means the imported-labour system, via the Labour Department or the relevant bureau.
Which system fits you?
Restaurants, warehouses, care homes, construction sites hiring frontline staff → imported workers (ESLS or sector schemes).
Home help, child or elderly care at home → FDH.
Managers, engineers, accountants → professional schemes.
How do the fees differ? (the question companies ask most)
Imported workers: fixed government fees of about HK$9,930 — the Employees Retraining Levy at HK$400/month (capped at HK$9,600 over a 24-month contract) plus a visa fee of about HK$330 — and wages never below the published median for the comparable post. FDHs sit under a different fee and contract structure entirely; we specialise in imported-labour applications for companies and do not handle FDH placements.
Common confusions
Q: Are “foreign labour” and “imported workers” the same thing? A: Yes — colloquial vs official wording for the same system.
Q: Are mainland workers different from other imported workers? A: ESLS mainly imports mainland workers through Ministry of Commerce-approved labour-export firms, which handle sourcing and vetting.
Q: My restaurant needs floor staff — which route? A: Imported workers via ESLS; the catering staffing ratio was relaxed to 3:1 from 16 June 2026.
Not sure which system your case falls under? WhatsApp our consultants — a free five-minute assessment.