We took our helper to Canada in the winter! I think she was actually pretty excited to see snow, although she hates the cold even in a HK winter. I did take her to a shop in HK to be outfitted with boots (a pair of waterproof hiking boots with a lug sole) as I didn't want her to slip and fall and I gave her a pair of my gloves. She was able to get everything else she needed in HK, like jacket and fleecies by borrowing or purchasing quite cheaply. If you're going in the summer, she won't need too much. She can just take some of her HK winter clothes in case it gets cold!
Bringing helper to Canada on holidays with us?
- Thread starter csj
- Start date
Bringing helper to Canada
Hi There,
No need to lie to Canada Immigration. As she has a contract with you in HK and as you are HK residents (not planning to return to Canada on this trip), she can come with you and work for you under her current contract and salary. I did it twice last year for 2months at a time. No problem.Visa was processed same day of application.
Beware however, your helper probably has heard that Canada is somesort of Mecca for nannies and her friends will be telling her silly things like to run away, and once in Canada some filipinas there will tell her she's underpaid and she might end up at an agency like mine. Even though I had decided to payher 300 dollars more per month in Canada, she was under the impression I was underpaying her. I finally simply decided to just pay her a Canadian salary while we are there (not that you are supposed to at all) but I couldn't seem to make her understand that she was working on an HK contract, and the emotions ran high. I could afford it so paid her the Canadian wage, but I still think she thinks I underpaid her. The canadian wage is about 1,500 minus 20 % taxes, and up to 300 for board. So I paid her 1,100 and still get the feeling she thinks I have ripped her off. True Canadian Worker would work shorter hours for 1,500, but I bought her winter coats, and paid for all her calls to Phillipines and got her a mobile phone to use while there. Just beware of the gossiping misinformation your helper will surely hear from here and those there.
the visa office is the easiest part of the job.
Kathym
Hi There,
No need to lie to Canada Immigration. As she has a contract with you in HK and as you are HK residents (not planning to return to Canada on this trip), she can come with you and work for you under her current contract and salary. I did it twice last year for 2months at a time. No problem.Visa was processed same day of application.
Beware however, your helper probably has heard that Canada is somesort of Mecca for nannies and her friends will be telling her silly things like to run away, and once in Canada some filipinas there will tell her she's underpaid and she might end up at an agency like mine. Even though I had decided to payher 300 dollars more per month in Canada, she was under the impression I was underpaying her. I finally simply decided to just pay her a Canadian salary while we are there (not that you are supposed to at all) but I couldn't seem to make her understand that she was working on an HK contract, and the emotions ran high. I could afford it so paid her the Canadian wage, but I still think she thinks I underpaid her. The canadian wage is about 1,500 minus 20 % taxes, and up to 300 for board. So I paid her 1,100 and still get the feeling she thinks I have ripped her off. True Canadian Worker would work shorter hours for 1,500, but I bought her winter coats, and paid for all her calls to Phillipines and got her a mobile phone to use while there. Just beware of the gossiping misinformation your helper will surely hear from here and those there.
the visa office is the easiest part of the job.
Kathym
If your helper does not have two years of college education in the Philippines, I think she is not qualified to apply for the live in caregiver program anyway. My helper was not qualified for it so we didn't have any problems. In fact, it had the opposite effect - she felt that she had a better life in HK which was closer to home and less isolated. She also didn't think the pay was that good in Canada after deductions compared to her pay in HK (she gets significantly over the minimum here). She was very glad to get back to friends and family in HK! We also supplied a couple of phone cards so she could keep in touch whilst in Canada. I guess we were lucky that she enjoyed the experience and didn't hear any misinformation from other helpers!
