April 27, 2011

foreign domestic helper part 1

hmm. i could voulunteer to be a runner for this. haha.

my domestic helper arrived from Indonesia recently via visitor's pass. so earlier today (and yesterday) i ran around the immigration offices in Shah Alam and Putrajaya to settle her JP Visa application before her visiting visa expires (in exactly one months' time from her arrival date).

why JP visa? i learnt from the immigration offices today that they've recently reinforced the ruling that calling visas are temporarily freezed for Indonesia. meaning that the only way that you can enlist domestic help from Indonesia is by getting them here first, then only send in your application. i know because a lady came in with all her forms intact only to be rejected because of this ruling.

also, Filipino maids are only obtainable via agents only and will not entertain applications by individuals (don't ask me why. i just simply read all the signs they pasted onto the walls). my friend says Filipino maids are superb, just highly expensive, huhu (tunggu i gaji 10k dulu ok haha).

anyhooo... applying for JP visa is basically the same as applying for a domestic helper, with the additional letter of an appeal letter. all the other documents needed i obtained from the Immigration website. here's a list for quick reference of what i actually submitted (for new PRA application):

1.Borang permohonan baru (PRA1)
2.Borang IM 12. (Permohonan PLKS)
3.Borang IM 38. (Permohonan Visa)
4.Borang Personal Bond yang dimatikan setem RM10.00
5.Perjanjian Pekerjaan oleh pembantu rumah asing yang dimatikan setem RM10.00 (4 sets handwritten by you, but only 3 needs stamping, the 4th one is your own personal copy, i got this information by calling Putrajaya office)
6.Salinan Pasport pembantu rumah asing (and also the original)
7.Laporan Perubatan bakal PRA dari negara asal oleh panel yang dilantik oleh Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia
8.Borang perakuan daripada majikan yang tidak menggunakan agensi berdaftar bagi majikan yang mengemukakan permohonan secara individu
9.Bukti pendapatan tetap suami isteri:
Penyata KWSP dan slip gaji (3 bulan terkini)
10.Salinan kad pengenalan suami isteri
11.Dokumen sokongan untuk tujuan permohonan PRA (Seperti sijil kelahiran anak, pengesahan pegawai perubatan mengenai keluarga sakit) - my children's birth cert in this case
12.Sijil perkahwinan

(for non Muslim majikan, i think there's an extra form you need to fill up if you're taking a Muslim domestic helper)

easy peasy write? well if you know what to fill up in the form lah. make extra print outs if you fill up wrongly as to avoid having to go home and obtaining the necessary documents and signatures again and again @_@. oh and usually the majikan would always be the husband, no matter what. i initially filled up my name since i'd be the one running around to settle the application, pffft.

also prepare glam passport photos of youself, the spouse and the domestic helper. i made 4 copies but i think i only used one each of ours and 2 for the domestic helper. i had to drag the maid to get her picture taken (i forgot to tell her to bring copies along with her), alang2 i took mine too for future use =P. i had to grab a scanned copy of Significant Other's photo, buruk pun buruk laa haha.

get your forms stamped at LHDN first. they'd cost rm10 per stamp, so that's a total of rm40 - three contracts and one personal bond (you don't have to stamp your own copy of the contract unless you want to =P). i went to the LHDN branch at Plaza Perangsang, Level 9.

then only you make your way to Immigration in Presint 2, Putrajaya.

i called up Shah Alam branch, they said i could also apply for JP visa there but at the end of the day they still had to forward it to the Putrajaya HQ. so what the heck i drove all the way to Putrajaya to hand in the forms. thanks to GPS, without it i might've gotten lost just getting there, the buildings are pretty intimidating. more spacious, parking was free and the place seem to bring the illusion of less people here compared to the branch in Shah Alam. haha.

i think i spent more time just getting there than actually being there, haha. saw some other people bringing a whole bunch of passports, but one of the ladies look too pretty to be a runner. or she might be a pretty rich majikan to be able to employ many2 domestic helpers (one to look after the house, one to take care of the kids, one to do gardering, etc etc hoho).

after submitting my documents i was told to wait after 7 days before calling them up to get the decision. oh well. so i guess i can continue with my rambling next week. lol.

i love Putrajaya. well driving through that is. i feel like i'm in another country. haha jakun sekejap. doesn't feel as stuffy as KL is. pffft.

i would recommend you apply for JP visa immediately after the domestic helper's arrival because processing time takes awhile and you won't have to pay extra to extend her visa. i made that mistake, she arrived at a point when i kept going home late from the office hence only applying for it almost 2 weeks later, sigh.

ok, that's it for now. errands to run, tax returns to submit. ttyl!

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