Estimate your ESLS costs first
One-off subtotal = HK$0 Zhigang quota-application fee + HK$2,000/person document fee after approval + the government levy of HK$400/person/month × contract months (max 24). Wages and accommodation are to-be-quoted items — not free, and never counted as zero before a written quotation; subject to approvals, contract months and the written quotation.
Employer scope: HK dollars per worker, with a 24-month contract used for the government levy example. Quota-application assistance is HK$0. The employer pays Zhigang a one-time HK$2,000 processing fee after approval when document processing begins.
Government levy: paid by the employer to support the Employees Retraining Board. It is HK$400 per worker multiplied by the contract months, capped at 24 months: HK$9,600 for 24 months. Pay Immigration once after visa approval and before visa issue. It is not a separate monthly visa fee.
Recurring and additional costs: wages, housing, statutory employee compensation insurance, transport and optional interview services are excluded. Different contract lengths, headcounts or service scopes require a revised quote.
Employee-side fees are separate: existing service information lists CNY600 per worker per month for labour services and CNY1,200 per worker per two years for insurance, collected by the mainland licensed partner. Confirm the start date, actual duration and payment schedule in writing. These are not Hong Kong government levies and are excluded from the employer's HK-dollar one-time subtotal.
Self-run vs Zhigang-handled: a side-by-side comparison
What's in the plan
2026 new-rules timeline
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If you have not received a call within one business day, please call +852 4613 6662
Frequently asked questions
Is the tailored plan really free?
Completely free. Your plan and quotation are prepared by Zhigang's licensed consultant team based on your industry and headcount — no upfront fees.
Are the cost estimates accurate?
The estimate uses a 24-month contract example: the government levy is HK$400 per worker per month, or HK$9,600 for 24 months. Recalculate from the approval and written quote when the contract term, service scope or additional items differ.
Will I be spammed?
No. Your details are used only to deliver the plan and one consultant follow-up — kept strictly confidential, deletable on request.
Is it still worth applying under the 2026 rules?
Yes — but the bar is higher. Catering posts under the second-tier review (kitchen and service departments) must meet the 3:1 department-level local full-time ratio, run 6 weeks of local recruitment and attend a physical job fair every 2 weeks (other posts follow the basic 2:1 ratio and 4 weeks); median wages already follow the 22 June 2026 edition. A solid application under the new rules remains the routine staffing channel for employers with persistent shortages.
How long from kick-off to workers on site?
Local recruitment starts on the date specified by the Labour Department: the basic period is 4 weeks; catering kitchen and service-department roles subject to tier-two review require 6 weeks and the required job fairs. Approval-in-principle is assessed case by case after recruitment. Visa applications follow that approval; Immigration normally takes 6 weeks after receiving all required documents. Recruitment, additional documents, approval, visas and arrival are separate stages. No fixed end-to-end arrival time is promised.