How to Choose an Imported Worker Agency in Hong Kong

Check three facts before you sign: the agency's employment agency licence, the approved Mainland labour service enterprise, and fees set out in writing.

How to Choose an Imported Worker Agency: Three Facts to Verify

Application Guide · 11 Nov 2026 · 3 min · Tayee Editorial

Before choosing an agency to help you import workers into Hong Kong, verify three facts. First, whether the agency holds an employment agency licence issued by the Labour Department, which you can check by name on the Labour Department's Employment Agencies Portal. Second, if the workers are Mainland residents, whether recruitment goes through a labour service enterprise approved by the Ministry of Commerce and granted permission to operate labour service cooperation business with Hong Kong; this is a mandatory requirement of the scheme. Third, whether the scope of service, fees and terms are set out in writing before you sign. Tayee Global Recruitment (Hong Kong) Co., Limited holds employment agency Licence No. 82242.

In this article, an 'imported worker agency' means a licensed employment agency in its role of helping Hong Kong employers import workers under schemes such as the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme; placing foreign domestic helpers is a separate service that this article does not cover.

As at September 2025, Hong Kong had 3,888 licensed employment agencies, of which 988 provided placement services for imported workers. In the first nine months of 2025 alone, the Labour Department issued 251 new licences of this kind.

Where can you check the three facts?

What to verify	Where to check
Employment agency licence	The Labour Department's Employment Agencies Portal, where licensed agencies can be searched by company name
Mainland labour service enterprise	Ask the agency for the name and approval status of the labour service enterprise it works with. The Labour Department also publishes a list of licensed employment agencies in Hong Kong connected with Mainland labour service enterprises
Who took part in recruitment	The joint declaration form (ESLS-12) names the labour service enterprise and, where there is one, the Hong Kong licensed employment agency and the Mainland intermediary engaged
Fees	Ask for a written quotation before signing and confirm the scope of service, fees and terms

Can an agency guarantee approval?

No. Applications to import workers are vetted by the Labour Department, and visas or entry permits are decided by the Immigration Department. An employment agency can only help with documents and candidate matching.

Can an employer recruit directly on the Mainland?

No. Under the scheme, if the workers to be imported are Mainland residents, the employer must recruit them through a labour service enterprise approved by the Ministry of Commerce. Visa applications submitted directly by Mainland residents are not accepted.

Is this the same as hiring a foreign domestic helper through an agency?

No. Helping employers import workers under schemes such as the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme and placing foreign domestic helpers are different services, with different importation schemes, standard employment contracts and wage rules.

How can Tayee's details be verified?

Tayee Global Recruitment (Hong Kong) Co., Limited holds employment agency Licence No. 82242. Anyone can verify it on the Labour Department's Employment Agencies Portal by searching the company name. Tayee explains the scope, fees and terms of its services in writing before service is provided.

Last checked: 11 November 2026 | Sources: Legislative Council Panel on Manpower paper CB(1)1469/2025(03); Immigration Department ESLS page; Labour Department form ESLS-12

Illustrative image; not a photo of any particular employer or application.

Hong Kong Labour Department and Immigration Department