Hong Kong to launch pilot program importing trained foreign elder-care helpers in 2027

Chris Sun, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, said Hong Kong will start a pilot program in the latter half of next year to import foreign domestic helpers with specialised elderly-care experience. The plan targets a few hundred workers annually, paying them 10-20% more than standard wages and mandating a minimum of 150 training hours, compared with the existing 10-hour basic course. Applicants must secure accreditation abroad before joining.

Sun also referenced a separate pilot that will let privately run, self-financed care homes operate in middle-class districts, while subsidised services will remain in poorer areas. He noted that only about 1,000 government-subsidised training slots exist for the city’s roughly 380,000 foreign domestic helpers.