Frequently asked questions
Is quota-application handling really free, and will the price increase later?
HK$0 is Zhigang's employer service fee during the quota-application stage; it does not mean the full employment project costs nothing. The one-time processing service fee after quota approval, government levy and other separately charged items must all be stated in the agreement.
Why can the government levy be as much as HK$9,600 per worker?
This is the employee retraining levy: HK$400 per worker multiplied by contract months, capped at 24 months. The employer pays Immigration once after visa approval and before visa issue, to support the Employees Retraining Board.
Who pays the visa and insurance fees?
The labour-service fee of ¥600 per month and insurance of ¥1,200 for two years are paid by the worker and collected and handled by Zhigang's designated licensed mainland partner.
What other statutory duties does the employer have?
Under the standard employment contract, the employer must provide suitable accommodation (in Hong Kong or the mainland, as the contract states), purchase employees' compensation insurance and pay return travel at contract expiry; a generic cash allowance cannot replace the actual accommodation duty. Zhigang's accommodation service can assist in finding worker housing.
Is staff accommodation mandatory?
Imported workers must have suitable accommodation: the employer may provide it in Hong Kong or the mainland, and mainland workers may live in their own mainland residence if the contract states it. The employer can arrange this directly or use Zhigang's staff-accommodation option.
Job seekers, please view Hong Kong jobs →; this page serves Hong Kong recruiting employers.
Budget at a glance: pre-arrival one-off / monthly ongoing / full contract term
| Budget zone | Item (payer → payee) | Amount & how it is calculated | When it is paid | Not included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-arrival one-off | Document-handling service fee (employer → Zhigang) | HK$2,000 per person, one-off | After quota approval, at the document stage | Wages, worker-side fees, commercial insurance, accommodation and transport excluded |
| Employees' retraining levy (employer → HKSAR Government) | HK$400/person/month × contract months (max 24; 24 months = HK$9,600/person) | Paid in one lump after visa approval, before issuance | ||
| Monthly ongoing | Wages (employer → worker); employees' compensation insurance (employer → insurer); accommodation | Wages at or above the industry median; insurance per policy; accommodation see the ongoing-costs section | Monthly / per policy cycle | The levy is settled in the one-off zone and not counted again |
| Worker-side items (not paid by the employer) | Service fee & insurance (worker → mainland licensed agency) | Service fee CNY600/month + insurance CNY1,200 / two years | Per the mainland agency's collection arrangements | Not counted in the employer's HK$ subtotal |
| Full contract term | One-off zone + monthly ongoing × contract months | Calculated per headcount and months in a written quotation; HK$2,000 + levy is a two-item subtotal, not total employment cost | Full term | Subject to approvals, the contract and the written quotation |
Swipe horizontally to see more
Cancellation, replacement & refunds: the government levy is non-refundable once paid (per current government rules); cancellation, replacement and refund terms for Zhigang service fees follow the contract — confirm item by item and put them in writing before signing.
1. Fee overview (transparent fees · HK$0 quota-application handling)
| Stage | Service | Employer cost | Provider / payee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 · Quota application | Hong Kong labour-quota application handling | HK$0 | Zhigang (licence details subject to the Labour Department register) | Zhigang charges the employer no service fee during the quota-application stage; this does not mean the full project has no cost. |
| Document-processing service | HK$2,000 / person | Zhigang | One-time service fee paid by the employer when document processing begins after approval; subject to the agreement. | |
| Stage 2 · Recruitment and matching | Employee retraining levy (paid after visa approval and before issue) | HK$400 per worker per month | Hong Kong Government (paid by the employer) | Paid once according to the contract months, up to 24 months; the 24-month example is HK$9,600 per worker. |
| Recruitment | Exclusive engagement: HK$0 | Zhigang | Candidate matching and recruitment to the employer's requirements | |
| Interview | Quoted when required | Service provider | One-to-one video or in-person interviews (for demand of 3–5 or more), reviewed by an HR manager | |
| Stage 3 · Contract and visa | Employment contract | HK$0 | Zhigang | After the employer confirms selection and the candidate accepts, both parties sign the employment contract before visa handling |
| Visa processing and endorsement | Labour-service fee ¥600 / month · insurance ¥1,200 / two years | Authorised labour-service agency (paid by worker) | A designated licensed mainland partner handles the worker's process and collects the applicable fees |
Swipe horizontally to see more
Currency and timing: HK$ in the table is Hong Kong dollars and ¥ is renminbi. The employee retraining levy is paid in one lump sum by the employer after visa approval and before visa issue; the document-processing service fee is collected in one lump sum after approval; other commercial service items follow the parties' written agreement.
Note: these charges are compiled from the service information. Employers must pay the mandatory quota levy to the Hong Kong Government. Actual fees follow the latest policy and the parties' agreement. Every item is written into the contract, with no hidden charges.
2. Why Zhigang handles quota applications at no charge
This is a central difference in Zhigang's model. Many agencies charge an application fee before approval and do not refund it. Zhigang's model is:
- HK$0 at the quota-application stage: assessment and application handling are free, so that risk is not shifted to the employer
- A fee only after success: the HK$2,000-per-person document fee arises only after approval when document processing begins
- Government levy calculated by contract duration: HK$400 per worker per month, up to 24 months; HK$9,600 is only the maximum 24-month contract example.
AOYE Resources arranges initial checks and matching based on role requirements, candidate consent and application documents. The free assessment identifies document and process risks; the Labour Department still decides quota approval case by case.
3. Why the handling fee is not the only comparison
Fee differences come down to contract terms:Zhigang's quotation, refund and document-review scope are all written into the contract. Common reasons for Labour Department refusal include non-compliant local recruitment, pay below the market median and unreasonable recruitment conditions. A refusal can mean rejoining the queue for months and missing a peak staffing window.
Before application, Zhigang checks whether the role and wage meet the current median, whether local recruitment is complete, and whether hiring conditions are reasonable. The Labour Department decides the review outcome and timing case by case.
4. Process and timeline
- Assessment (free): confirm roles, headcount and feasibility, then issue an assessment and written quote.
- Local-recruitment evidence: Use compliant recruitment channels and retain evidence for the applicable category. The basic period is 4 weeks; catering kitchen and service-department roles subject to tier-two review require 6 weeks and the specified job fairs.
- Labour Department filing and review: Case-specific review follows local recruitment and complete documents. Follow the Labour Department notice.
- Visa and entry: process the visa and coordinate accommodation and entry after approval.
- Onboarding: Visa processing normally takes 6 weeks after Immigration receives all required documents. Arrival is arranged separately; there is no fixed end-to-end promise.
Credentials: AOYE Resources is a National High-Tech Enterprise. Hong Kong employment-agency licence details shown on this page are subject to the Labour Department's latest register. Confirm service scope and charges in writing.
5. Recurring employment costs (borne monthly by the employer)
- Wages: no less than the industry median monthly wage, paid monthly (the median follows the Labour Department's latest publication)
- Accommodation: compliant dormitory or housing allowance; the deduction cap follows the applicable contract batch — orange LD 294 (7/2024, approval-in-principle on or before 15 Jun 2026) caps at 10% of wages; pink (6/2026) and green (8/2026) batches cap at 20% of wages or actual cost if lower (green takes the lowest of three amounts and deducts from that period's wages only — clause 11 and Schedule).Housing topic: duties, deductions & contract-version FAQ →Current contract versions & applicability (Labour Department page) →
- Labour insurance: the employer must take out employees' compensation insurance for the employee
- Employee retraining levy: see the table above — HK$400 per worker per month, calculated by contract months (up to 24 months)
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.
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.
Official basis: HK Labour Department ESLS page (www.labour.gov.hk/tc/plan/iwESLS.htm; contract terms per the published LD 294 samples) | Last verified: 2026-10-04
Further reading
Job-seeker fees and rights: the Macao & Hong Kong labour-service fees and rights guide
Consult employer fees and written quotations
Provide the roles, headcount and target onboarding date; a consultant will prepare an ESLS plan and itemised quote within 1 working day.
Online enquiry: go to the consultant form