Are there limits on what agencies can charge?

Yes — on the helper's side the cap is strict. Under the Employment Agency Regulations (Cap. 57A, Second Schedule), an employment agency may not take more from a job-seeker (the helper) than 10% of her first month's wages, and only after she has been placed and received those wages. Charging more, or disguising extra charges as "training" or "loan processing", is an offence and can cost the agency its licence; the Labour Department's Code of Practice for Employment Agencies sets further standards on top.

What to check as a helper: • The agency holds a valid Employment Agency (EA) licence — every legitimate HK agency displays its licence number (HelperDoc: EA Licence No. 73654) • You are never asked to surrender your passport — you have the legal right to keep it • Any receipt shows what you actually paid; keep copies of everything

For employers, agency service fees are set by the market rather than a statutory cap — compare what is actually included (visa paperwork, insurance arrangement, replacement terms) rather than the headline price alone.

HelperDoc charges helpers nothing at any stage; our revenue comes from employer subscriptions. If an agency has overcharged you, you can report it to the Labour Department's Employment Agencies Administration.