All by myself or Agent? – List of Accredited Filipino Maid Agencies

The biggest hurdle anyone must overcome when applying for a new maid is all the paperwork. There are so many forms that have to be filled in, certain forms requiring company stamps or ‘chops’ or letterheads, numerous photos and photocopies of all the family documents like marriage certificates, birth certificates of children etc. Also, filling out the forms can be very confusing because they do not seem to make sense when read. The forms must be submitted to the immigration agency that has approved your family’s permit like Putrajaya or Cyberjaya. If the maid has entered under a tourist visa then converting to a permit under your family name is fairly straightforward. Just follow the list and complete all the forms in the Maid in KL page. However, if you are transferring your maid’s permit to your permit then it gets a little complicated. Firstly, the previous employer needs to cancel your maids permit and write a letter stating that she is being transferred to a new sponsor and the name of the new sponsor. If the previous employer has left the country this could get a little difficult. The maid’s permit needs to be cancelled at the immigration department that it was originally processed. Bare in mind that each Immigration department works independently. Once your maid’s permit has been cancelled she is considered illegal and some Immigration departments will enforce that she leaves the country and will not be allowed to re-enter for 6 months. This is definitely when you need an agent.

If it gets too difficult then employ an agent to act on your behalf but this will cost ~4500rm but no trips to immigration. If your maid’s permit has expired then she is considered illegal and you will need to use an agent. They will issue her with a new passport and there will be an additional fine depending on the length of time she has stayed without a permit. Some agencies will be more helpful than others depending on their contact. A new permit will cost 6500rm. The agents are expensive but to go to immigration takes time plus there is a long queue and it might take a couple attempts due to incorrect or missing documents. The staff at the immigration department are never helpful and will provide little assistance. Below is a list of maid agencies approved by the Filipino Embassy. I have used FR Gardens and they were very helpful.

Accredited Filipino Agencies KL

Accredited Filipino Agencies Selangor

Accredited Filipino Agencies Other Areas

‘To Live In or Not To Live In’ that is the Question

When I first came to Malaysia from Australia the thought of having a stranger living in my house with my family seemed absurd. My husband was not particularly fond of the idea either because he did not like the thought of not being able to walk naked around the house whenever he wanted to. However, hiring a part-time maid can be very expensive especially when they spend a whole day working and then last minute babysitting due to an unexpected work dinner which I must attend (my darling husband was certain he told me last week), it all adds up. I also found myself looking forward to those days when I did not have to worry about cleaning up and I could go grocery shopping without the children. After my husband considered cutting back my part-time maid to two days a week, I did a few mental calculations and decided that  a live-in would be more economical and practical with little children. Rather than paying 15rm an hour I was paying 1400rm a month which included babysitting whenever needed. In the mornings if I had a rough night with my 9 month old I knew I could leave him with my maid for a few hours while I tried to catch up on my lost sleep. I did not have to clean up after meals especially the evening meals. It was now possible to make last minute decisions to go out to dinner without children. If the children woke up at 6am my maid would give them breakfast and start getting them ready for school. The list goes on about the positives to having an extra pair hands around the house when you have little children.

However, there are cons. The con to having a full-time live in is lack of privacy. Having a stranger in the house all day and all night is very hard if you are not used to it. The number of people in the family becomes plus one which means that five mouths to feed becomes 6. This means the household bill increases which includes her monthly salary. Valuables must also be kept hidden and if things go missing it is usually the maid who we blame first whether she is innocent or guilty (not that we would accuse her of taking things). In addition there is also the hassle of training a maid to do the cleaning and cooking the way we like it. Plus it is really important that they bond with the children and when the maid leaves it is really upsetting for the children. However, after a week they forget who the maid was and seem happy to have a new maid in the house.

Oh darn, my husband cannot cook naked anymore - cons with live-in

Full-time live out maids are generally more expensive and not easy to find. They are usually older, experienced maids who have married a local. They generally have public holidays off (Malaysia has many public holidays) and will carry their own permit. Notice is usually needed if babysitting at nighttime is required. Their usual day starts at 8am and finishes at 6pm or 7pm.  Some maids will charge extra if they are needed at nighttime or will change their start times for example start at 11am and finish at 11pm. Otherwise part-time maids are live out and they charge by the hour.

It really depends on your family what will suit your needs better, live out or live in.

Finding Maid

How do you find a maid? There are many ways

First, ask someone you know who is either local or an expat who has been living in Malaysia for a few years and has a maid. Finding a maid generally requires using word of mouth. That is if you want a free lance. This is someone who has been a maid in Malaysia for more then two years and does not want to be linked to an agent. There are pros and cons using these maids. Firstly she will sometimes demand high salaries due to her experience. Just because she has been working in Malaysia does not mean she is good at her job. Generally it means she has a great network of friends and she knows how to con the expats. I generally find that the younger the maid the more energy she has to clean the house and interact with the children. The older experienced maid will tell you what she will and will not do and try to control the household. She will give you advice whether you ask for it or not. This does not mean all experienced maids are like what I have mentioned and some are probably worth paying extra. My advice is to interview and trial. Depending on how much time her permit allows make sure you trial for a week or a month and then commit. Also, make sure when she starts that everyone is clear on the workplace conditions and do not allow her to change any like taking Saturday night off when you agreed to only Sunday. Once you start bending the rules then you can only blame yourself when your maid starts making your life difficult. Remember at the end of the day you are providing her with free board and food and a good tax free salary. Also, when you go on a four week holidays back home etc your maid will probably do part-time work until you get back so she will be earning two salaries. Or she will use that four week holiday to do as she pleases and only clean the house when she knows you will be back.

The maid you wish to hire

The maid you actually hired

Second, remember they are your employee and not your new best friend. Treat them like an employee and they will respect you. Remember your maid already has family and she has worked with many families. Her main interest is to earn money to support her family who are living in the Philippines. Second will be her attachment to your children. It is very important that you trial and if there is something or anything that does not feel right then do not extend their trial time. Remember she will be working in your house and babysitting your children. First impressions are the most important.

Another option is to use an agent. The best way to find an agent besides doing an internet search is to contact the Filipino embassy who has a list of agents they approve. This means that they follow the rules set in place by the Filipino government and your money will not be squandered. The agent will show you a folder full of biodata of maids using their agency. They will provide some advice when selecting but they will try not to influence you just incase there are any problems. They will then provide you with all the forms and provide any help to fill them out. The agent will lodge all the forms on your behalf and take you to immigration if needed or they will drop the girl off at your house. They then usually provide one week trial and then all the documents are processed. If after three months there are any problems they will help to locate a replacement maid. However they will try their hardest to make sure she stays with you. Before you proceed with the application the agent will provide you with a list of all the costs and what the employment conditions will be.

Newbie information for hiring maid

Maid wife hired

Maid husband imagined

When I first moved to Kuala Lumpur I did not know anything about employing a maid. The concept was completely foreign to me. However, through hiring and firing, runaway maids and dodgy agent dealings I have now developed a broad knowledge base for dealings with maids. The following is a guideline as to what I have learnt over the years. However, every household is different and you should really view it at your own discretion.

1. The legal wage for a filipino maid is $400 US which usually equates to 1400 rm and one day off a week which is usually 8am – 8pm.

2. This is all negotiable. Everything is negotiable.  You can agree to pay her more so she does not have a day off or you pay her less and she has the weekend off etc.

3. She does not need a night off and most agents advise against giving her a night off because this can lead to problems like prostitution etc. (Yes I employed a Sunday prostitue).

4. As an employee you must provide her with adequate accommodation and food. (This usually means a supply of mi sup noodles)

6. Her day off is for her own use but she will say it is for pray.

7. To pay for a new permit it is cheaper to do it yourself but the maid must be legal.

8. If their permit or social pass has expired then they are illegal and an agent must be used to get around the system.

9. It is cheaper to do a visa transfer paperwork yourself and this will cost less then 1500 rm.

10. An illegal maid will incur extra costs.

11. A new permit through an agent will cost roughly 5500 rm to 6500 rm.

12. You can negotiate with a maid to pay half of the permit. Sometimes if you hire a maid directly through an agent the maid will have a salary reduction to contribute towards the permit.

13. An agent usually provides a three month warranty. If the maid plays up or she does not suit your household you can send her back to the agent and they will replace with a new maid. This will incur extra costs.

14. If you send her back you must pay for her ticket unless negotiated otherwise.

15. If the maid runs away you must lodge a police report and go to immigration to cancel her permit. This does not cost anything unless you use an agent.

15. If immigration cancel her permit make sure they issue you letter stating this for evidence if needed later.

16. If a maid’s name is on your permit then you are responsible for her.

17. If a maid is working in your household and your name is not on her permit then she is considered illegal.

18. If you pay for a maids permit then make sure your name is on her permit otherwise she has no loyalty to you at all and will leave when she feels like it.

19. Do not get the freelance maid to organise the permit because there is no guarantee that she will put your name on it.

20. Most agents recommend to transfer money into an account rather then paying the maid cash. The only problem is most banks apart from Western Union will not allow you to open an account for her unless she has been working with you for more than 6 months.

21. If you pay her cash then her day off is the day that she uses to transfer her money to her family.

22. If she asks for an advance then only give her a small amount never the full wage as it could be a sign that she is intending to runaway.

23. Some maids are “live-outs” and they will usually ask for a higher salary to cover travel expenses.

24. You do not need to pay your maid extra money to do additional babysitting.

25. You can take your maid with you overseas but you will usually need to apply for a special visa to the country and abide by their laws.

26. She should not be telling you what jobs she can and cannot do.

27. Most filipinos are employed to manage household, children and cooking (or help with the cooking) which is why they demand the higher salary.

28. There is no rule that states the maid must have public holidays as days off. Most maids do not get public holidays unless they are a free lance and demand it.

29. If you move into a house that was employing a maid you do not have to employ them. It is the persons name on the permit that need to organise a visa transfer or send her back.

30. Some people advise you to keep their passports so they do not runaway. If they ask for their passport and you do not give it to them there is a 1000 rm fine to the employee however this does not seem to be enforced. Keeping their passport does not stop them from running away. They can easily apply for a new one and some maid agencies will use it as a way to force the maid to use them for their visa applications.

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