Transfer, finished-contract or terminated helper: what’s the difference and which should you hire?

Last updated: 7 October 2026. Checked against Immigration Department, Labour Department and other official sources; where a rule changes, the official source prevails.

Scroll through any helper listing in Hong Kong and you will see three labels again and again: transfer (轉約), finished contract (完約) and terminated / broke contract (斷約). They are not just marketing tags — they decide whether the helper can move to your home without leaving Hong Kong, how long you wait, and which documents you need. The most common misunderstanding is the so-called “14-day rule”, so let's start there.

The “14-day rule” is a deadline to leave, not a job hunt

When a contract is terminated early, the Immigration Department (ImmD) allows the helper to stay until two weeks after the termination date or the end of her existing limit of stay, whichever is earlier. Those 14 days exist so she can pack, settle money owed and fly home.

They are not a window in which she can freely find a new employer and switch visas. ImmD's policy is that an application to change employer in Hong Kong within the two-year contract will normally not be approved, except in exceptional circumstances. If those do not apply and she wants to work for a new employer, she must leave Hong Kong and the new employer applies for a fresh visa — and ImmD makes sure she has departed before issuing it.

The exceptional circumstances ImmD has described are a termination because of the transfer, migration, death or financial reasons of the original employer, or where there is evidence that the helper has been abused or exploited. The applicant has to prove it.

The three labels, side by side

	Finished contract (完約)	Transfer (轉約)	Terminated (斷約)
What happened	Completes (or is about to complete) her 2-year contract	Contract ended early for an accepted reason (employer emigrating, relocating, death, financial reasons, or abuse)	Contract ended early for any other reason
Can you apply while she is in HK?	Yes — within 4 weeks before her contract expires	Yes, with proof of the exceptional reason	Normally no — she leaves HK and you apply for a new visa
Key extra document	Release letter from her current employer	Evidence of the reason (e.g. employer's relocation)	—
Before she starts with you	Home leave in her place of origin, unless deferred (up to 1 year) by agreement with you	Starts only after ImmD approves	Must have departed HK before the new visa is issued

Note: agencies and job boards use these words loosely — some call every helper already in Hong Kong “transfer”. What ImmD looks at is how and why the last contract ended, so always ask.

Finished-contract helpers (完約): the smoothest local hire

A helper who is completing a full two-year contract can apply to change employer in Hong Kong within the four weeks before her contract expires. The application needs ID 988A (hers), ID 988B (yours), the original new ID 407, her passport details, your HKID, income and address proof, and a release letter from her current employer showing the date the contract expires.

At the end of a two-year contract she is still expected to go home for a vacation before starting a new one. If both of you agree, she can instead apply for an extension of stay of normally not more than one year to defer that home leave — the new contract then uses clause 2(C). Either way, she may not start working for you until ImmD approves, and she may need to attend an interview.

Why families like this route: she has completed a full contract in a Hong Kong household, you can interview her in person, and you can usually speak to her current employer. On HelperDoc you can filter for helpers whose contract is finishing soon and check each one's available-from date.

Transfer helpers (轉約): fine, if the reason is real

If her previous employer is emigrating, being posted overseas, has died or can no longer afford a helper, ImmD may approve a change of employer in Hong Kong even though the contract did not run its full course. If the employer has died, the contract ends on the date of death; the helper must notify ImmD within seven days, and a family member who wants to keep her should apply for a change of employment within two weeks of that date.

Practical checks before you commit: ask for the termination date and reason, the former employer's contact details, and any evidence of the reason (for example a relocation letter). The application is still assessed case by case — budget for the possibility that ImmD asks her to leave and re-enter.

Terminated helpers (斷約): treat it like an overseas hire

A contract can end early for reasons that have nothing to do with the helper's work — a clash of expectations, a change in the family. Hiring one is perfectly legal. But unless an exceptional circumstance applies, the process is: she leaves Hong Kong within her 14 days (or by the end of her limit of stay, if earlier), you sign a new ID 407, and you apply for a new entry visa while she is outside Hong Kong. ImmD's pledge is to finalise 90% of applications within six weeks of receiving all documents.

ImmD also scrutinises helpers who change employers repeatedly, looking at the number of and reasons for premature terminations within 12 months, and may refuse an application where it suspects job-hopping. If her record shows several early terminations, expect questions.

Documents to see before you sign with a helper already in Hong Kong

Passport and current visa or landing slip — check her limit of stay. The contract end date is not the date she must leave; the limit of stay is.
Her current or last ID 407 — the start date tells you whether she is completing a full two-year contract or ended one early.
Release letter or termination letter — with the date and, for an early ending, the reason. For a transfer, the supporting evidence (for example the employer's overseas posting).
References — with her permission, call the current or former employer.

HelperDoc profiles show each helper's contract status and available-from date, so you can see at a glance who is transferring and who is finishing a contract — but always confirm with the documents.

If you are the employer ending a contract

Both you and the helper must notify ImmD within 7 days of the termination date, using form ID 407E, a letter, or online at www.gov.hk/fdhtermination.
Do not agree to “keep it quiet” so she can stay on. ImmD warns that an employer who does this may be prosecuted for aiding and abetting an overstay.
Settle everything owed — see how to terminate a helper contract and the termination calculator.

Which should you choose?

Need someone in about a month, and can plan? A finished-contract helper whose end date suits you.
Need someone fast? A transfer helper with a documented exceptional reason can be quicker, but approval is not guaranteed.
Found the right person but she broke her contract? Hire her — just plan for an overseas-style timeline.

Frequently asked questions

Can a terminated helper find a new employer within 14 days and stay in Hong Kong?

Normally no. After a premature termination ImmD does not normally approve a change of employer in Hong Kong unless an exceptional circumstance applies. The 14 days is the deadline to leave, or the end of her limit of stay if that is earlier.

When can a finished-contract helper apply with a new employer?

Within the four weeks before her current contract expires, with a release letter from her current employer.

Does a finished-contract helper have to go home before starting with me?

Normally yes. With your agreement she can apply to defer the home leave for normally not more than one year.

Can my helper start work while the change-of-employer application is pending?

No. She may not work for the new employer until ImmD approves the application.

Is a terminated helper a bad hire?

Not necessarily. Ask why the contract ended and speak to the former employer if you can. The difference is mainly the process: she must leave Hong Kong before the new visa is issued.