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| The new fee schedule |
From Sunday, March 1, the verification fee for all new employment contracts processed through the Migrant Workers Office in Hong Kong will shoot up to HK$320.
For new individual contracts, whether for single or multiple hirings, this will result to a four-fold increase from the current HK$80.
For all other contracts, processed either through job orders, recruitment agreement or master employment contract, the current fee of HK$240 will also be adjusted by a third, to HK$320.
The same fee will apply to all contracts covering sea-based workers, which are currently being processed. From HK$240 the processing fee will be adjusted to HK$320.
The MWO said in its advisory that the new fee should be paid, as before, either by the employer or the recruitment or manning agency that deployed the overseas Filipino worker (OFW).
It also said all old contracts, meaning those being renewed with the same employer, or are transferred to a new employer, will not be affected; which means they will still be processed at the current fee of HK$80.
The announcement of the new fee which was apparently made without prior consultation with stakeholders, was met with disappointment by some employment agency operators.
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| HKUEA president Thomas Chan says the new fee is too steep |
Thomas Chan, president of the Hong Kong Union of Employment Agencies, said the new verification fee is too steep compared with the current fee, especially for employers processing individual contracts.
“Any increase in cost will not be welcomed by anyone,” said Chan, who pointed out that the increase is way above the cost of inflation.
Also, he said that “though in theory the worker can reimburse the cost from their employer, in reality some workers would be the ones who would shoulder such cost.”
The MWO advisory gave no reason for the hefty increase, but said the new verification fees are in line with Joint Circular 2024-1.
The new fees will apply for all relevant contracts submitted on or after the cut-off date of March 1, 2026.
