Australian High Commission

Singapore

High Commission address: 25 Napier Rd, Singapore - Telephone: 6836 4100 - Fax: 6737 5481

Tourist Visas for Domestic Helpers

Australia does not have a scheme for employment of domestic helpers. However tourist visas may be considered for domestic helpers in limited circumstances, in recognition of the fact that employment of domestic helpers is culturally prevalent in Singapore society and that domestic helpers over time can become an integral part of the family unit.

Domestic helpers must not engage in work in Australia (other than child care needs or special care needs as described below). Working in Australia, including housework, is a breach of Tourist visa conditions and may result in cancellation of the visa, and the employer being unable to take domestic helpers to Australia in the future.

Household help, cleaning, laundry services and other domestic help is readily available from the Australian labour market. People requiring domestic help during an extended stay are expected to employ someone in Australia.

Eligibility

In addition to other standard Tourist visa criteria, the minimum considerations for a domestic helper in Singapore to meet the genuine visitor requirement for the grant of a Tourist visa are that:

• the domestic helper will be travelling with the employer and/or employer's immediate family for a holiday only;

• the domestic helper has been employed full-time with the accompanying employer for at least one year (or at least six months if the helper is the usual carer for children under five years of age or for immediate family members with special care needs**);

• the domestic helper's employment permit does not expire before the proposed date of return to Singapore (in other words, the helper has authority to re-enter Singapore after the visit);

• the duration of the visit is one month or less (up to six weeks considered in special circumstances);

• if the domestic helper is travelling to provide care for the employer's children aged under five years or for relatives with special care needs, at least six months have elapsed since the domestic helper was last granted a tourist visa for Australia, otherwise, at least one year has elapsed since the last visa was granted;

• only one domestic helper is accompanying the employer's family;

• the employer's family are long-term residents of Singapore and can provide evidence that they will only be visiting Australia, with ongoing commitments to return to in Singapore.

** If the domestic helper is travelling as the usual carer for a family member with special care needs (physically/mentally disabled), medical evidence must be provided with the application.

Where the employer is visiting and staying with family in their private home in Australia, the domestic helper is unlikely to meet the criteria for grant of the visa unless they are the usual carer for small children or family members with special care needs, as described above.

Applications for multiple domestic helpers, for more than two visits per year, for longer visits, or for circumstances other than those described above will be considered on a case by case basis in exceptional circumstances only.

All of the above considerations must be supported by documentary evidence, and include a signed declaration by the domestic helper and by their employer (see links below).

Lodging an Application

The undertaking/acknowledgement forms and requirements checklist can be downloaded from the following link

See: Foreign Domestic workers checklist and Employer's Undertaking Form

For information on the current fees

See: www.immi.gov.au/allforms/990i/990i-charges.htm

Domestic helpers must lodge the visa application in person - there is no need for the employer to be present at time of lodgement. As the visa applicant, the domestic helper must personally sign the visa application form and the declaration. The application form can be downloaded from the following link

See: www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/48r.pdf

Service Standards

Note that applications for domestic helpers are assessed in ten working days and should be lodged in sufficient time to allow for the employer to know the outcome before committing to airfares for the visa applicant. All applications are assessed on their merits based on the legislative visa criteria and associated policy, including the above considerations, and no assumptions should be made about the likely success of the application. No responsibility is accepted for costs incurred, such as flights, if the visa is not granted.