In Part 1, I enumerated the steps I did to bring my own helper to Singapore without availing the services of an employment agency. The steps in Part 1, I was able to do from home. In the succeeding steps will take some of your time and effort.
- On the day of her Entry Test schedule, I took her to the testing center in 10 Reaburn Park. The results are given out immediately after the exam. So you’ll know if she needs to retake the test. She is allowed 2 retakes if she fails the first one.
- After my maid passed the test, I set up the GIRO with my bank account to pay for the maid levy. The form can be downloaded from the wponline or from the MoM website.
- Within 14 days of her arrival, she also needs to take and pass a medical exam. Clinics usually already have a package for this purpose. (I may have missed a step here because in the In Principle Approval, it says that an attached form should be completed for the medical exam but there was no attached form so I had to search for the this form in the internet. The form for the medical exam can be found in the Step by Step Guide and Form on Issuance of a Foreign Domestic Worker’s Work Permit via WPonline. I didn’t really download this document until I was going to request for the issuance of the work pass which was after getting the medical exam results. ) Cost: S$60.00
- Once everything is completed, you can finally request for an issuance of the work pass online through WPonline. The step by step guide document is pretty straightforward and after all the required documents are ready, your maid can now go to the Work Pass Services Centre (WPSC) for fingerprinting.
- After 4 days your maid’s work pass will be ready for collection.
The whole procedure is also detailed in the MoM’s website.
Here’s a summary of my expenses:
S$ 30 – Online Employment Orientation
S$ 10 – WP application
S$240 – Personal Accident, Medical Insurance , Security Bond
S$ 5 – Entry Test
S$ 20 – Safety Awareness Course
S$ 60 – Medical Exam
__________________
Total S$ 365 not including airfare
Doing it without the help of an employment agency saved me about S$300.
19 responses so far ↓
1 Bogcess // Jan 25, 2010 at 4:57 am
First time visit here.
.-= Bogcess´s last blog ..Nokia and NAVTEQ Build up Ovi Maps =-.
2 Ryan // Sep 25, 2010 at 12:09 pm
Hi Thanks for the information. This will help me a lot. I just want to know what you did to be able to get the OWWA and OEC of the maid and the Philippine Embassy bond and signed contract. Did you also do this on your own or went through an agency? Thank you.
3 Ms. Tsiken // Sep 26, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Hi Ryan,
When I asked an agency how much it costs to have a contract done for me and my helper, they quoted me S$400. So I said no, thanks and I had our helper get the OWWA and OEC from Manila when we went there since it’s a requirement for her to be able to re-enter Singapore.
I’m not sure if it’s actually a requirement for the contract to come from an agency since our government discouraged direct hiring. But my friend gave me a template contract that we can fill out ourselves and just a have a notary public sign. (You can find it here: http://www.philippine-embassy.org.sg/forms/ click the Employment Contract for Household Service Workers (Direct)). I didn’t get to use it because our maid just tried to explain in the POEA Manila that she already had her legal work permit in Singapore when she applied for the OWWA. I’m not sure if the POEA in Singapore is as lax though.
Hope this helps.
4 Ryan // Sep 27, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Thanks for the help. God bless!
5 Ryan // Oct 6, 2010 at 11:56 am
Hi Mrs Tsiken, just want to let you know that our maid was not able to come to SG as tourist. I am still thinking how I can bring her in. Sayang nga eh. Hinarang sya ng officer kasi wla syang affidavit from Sg embassy. Chineck pa sa kanya kung meron syang pera or credit card. Although nagbigay kami ng letter na nagsasabi nakami gagastos ng stay nya dito sa sg and photocopy of NRIC. Di pa din pinalusot. Meron na palang ganitong affidavit. The purpose of this is to lessen human trafficking. Have a good day.
For add info for your blog readers, the immigration is already strict due to human traffiking issues. You can check this article
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/278472/100-suspected-tourist-workers-stopped-daily
6 Ms. Tsiken // Oct 16, 2010 at 8:41 am
Hi Ryan! I’m sorry to hear about that. Hassle talaga yan mga ganyang situations.
Looking back at my entry, I failed to mention what my strategy was. I had our maid booked on Singapore Airlines – more expensive but better odds of getting through. I also coached her as to what to wear, how much make-up to put on, what to say, posture, asta, etc. Fortunately, she got through.
When she got her pass, I tried booking her through Tiger one time, and ang sabi nga nya ang daming nahaharang sa Clark. Buti na lang may pass na sya.
7 Ryan // Oct 19, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Hi Ms Tsiken. I managed to bring the maid to Singapore by letting her come here with my mom as a “friend”. I bought them some tickets for 3 days lang para kunwari pasyal lang talaga.
I did not even get an affidavit for them. Buti na lang our maid also is a college grad and has her id from her previous employer as a white collar employee. So di talaga sya masasabihan na maid. She has already passed the test and medical. She will be getting her workpass this week. Not much questions from immigration. Baka dahil din sa dasal namin nakapunta sya. Heheh. Thanks for all the help.
I noticed madami din nahaharang na pinoy sa SG immigration. I was able to talk with their relatives and mostly ang reasons nila is more than one month stay nila sa SG or open dated ang date of departure nila. Dapat wag daw more than one month ilagay sa immigration form para di sitahin. Hassle kasi na interviewhin ka ng immigration officer sa room and patay ang cellphone mo. And iinspect pa nila ang mga luggage na chineckin mo. Also dapat wala silang makita na resume para di nila maisip na naghahanap ka ng job here.
8 kayth // Nov 4, 2010 at 7:24 pm
Hi! this is imformative thanks for posting.
we are planning to bring my babay in sg to gether with our yaya, and you mention na yu spent 365 for processing your maids pass including insurance.
ang tanung ko po bukod sa 365 + airfare + monthly salary anu p ang expenses po? is it true that we still need to pay 260 monthly levy for her dyan sa singapore
9 kayth // Nov 4, 2010 at 7:29 pm
pahabol din po..
dapat b PR to bring maid in sg or okay n n spass or Ppass holder lang ang employer ng maid
10 Ms. Tsiken // Nov 8, 2010 at 12:27 am
Hi Kayth! It’s true. You have to pay a levy monthly for the maid. If you’re a working married mom though, the levy is tax deductible. It’s a major cost to consider pa din.
11 kayth // Nov 8, 2010 at 11:21 am
a ok thanks
12 Roguester // Nov 28, 2010 at 9:45 am
@Ms Tsiken – thanks very informative! I managed to apply for my maids work permit on my own too.
@Ryan- how did you get ur maid to apply for OWWA and OEC?
13 Ryan // Apr 6, 2011 at 5:43 pm
Hi Roguester, sorry for the late reply. I applied her under Orchard Employment Agency. It costed 250 sgd. Just go their website and select Home Leave Processing. You dont have to apply yet if your maid doesnt need to go back for vacation/home leave.
14 Sharon // Aug 31, 2011 at 3:11 am
Hi, I am employing my friend’s ex-maid who is now working in Hong Kong and she will be terminating her contract to join us here. She has worked in Singapore for 4 years and returned to Philippines for a few months in Dec 2010 and started work in HK from April. My earlier plan was to book her onto a budget airline with return tickets (back to HK) into Singapore as a visitor and apply for her work permit when she reached Singapore. But based on your article, seems like I must apply for her work permit before she arrives in Singapore? As she is coming in from Hong Kong, will she faced the same issue of not being allowed into Singapore as you and some of your readers mentioned, although I will be at the airport to pick her up when she arrives? Do i need to get the invitation letter from the Philippines Embassy or I can write one myself? What other documentation is required? She has worked in Singapore before till Dec last year so does she still need to sit for her Entry Test and Medical checkup?
15 Sharon // Aug 31, 2011 at 3:12 am
Appreciate your help and thank you in advance!
16 yvonne // Oct 12, 2011 at 4:32 pm
Hi Ms Tsiken, I just realised that it is illegal to direct hire. Nevetheless, I have bought her return ticket instead. Just curious, if the immigration officer stopped and questioned her, what kind of excuse shld she say? I gave my helper an invitation ltr to say she was invited by me to visit Singapore. Do you think this is sufficient? Thanks
17 zack // Nov 18, 2011 at 5:00 pm
this is really helpful. my fdw is here because of this guideline….now scheduled for fingerprinting next week!
thanks again!
18 HUnnyB // Nov 25, 2011 at 10:54 am
Hi – May i know, once we choose to NOT proceed with OWWA and OEC in the Phillippines when bringing them in directly, what are the consequences (if any?). I believe when we send the helper back for home leave, they need these documents? Do advise – I’d like to ease the burden of costs on the helper as much as possible but at the same time, understand the consequence of not having some paper work omitted at this point in time. The helper is ex-Singapore so no need for the tests etc?
19 race // Jan 27, 2012 at 5:35 pm
Hello,
Balak ko rin pong magdirect hire kasi dito po ako sa SG manganganak. Nabasa ko po sa PH embassy website ung requirements sa pagsubmit ng FDW documents. May nakalagay po na “1 copy of Philippine agent’s POEA license”, ibig sabihin ba nito kelangan na idaan sa agency at hindi na pwede ang direct hire? salamat po
Requirements for Submission of Employment Documents for Verification / Authentication (Household Service Workers)
New Deployment
Original copy of S$7,000.00 performance bond
2 original duly signed Standard Employment Contract
2 copies In-Principal Approval from the MOM
2 copies of Agency Undertaking
2 copies of Employer Undertaking
2 copies of Prepaid Ticket Advice (PTA)
2 copies of worker’s passport
1 copy of medical insurance
1 copy of employer’s IC
1 copy of Undertaking of an Employer
1 copy of Philippine agent’s POEA license
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