Friday, June 28, 2013

Indonesian maid passport and work permit renewal

It's been a year since our helper, Dwi, has been with us. How time flies!
I recently had her Work Permit and passport renewed, so if your Indonesian maid's passport needs renewal, here are the steps you need to undertake:


1) Prepare photocopies of the following: your NRIC front & back, your maid's WP front & back, and her current passport's first and last 2 pages.

2) Go to Indonesian Embassy at Chatsworth Road near Gleneagles Hospital.
Embassy opening hours: 09:00AM - 12:00PM Mondays to Fridays.
You must be dressed in proper attire: no flip flops, no singlet or camisole, no shorts and bermudas.

3) Take Q number inside the embassy first, the rest can wait.
Then fill up the Passport renewal form while waiting for your turn. If you forgot items in Point 1, take this waiting time to go and get these photocopied at SGD$1.
We arrived at 9:30am and our Q was already 40. The counter was serving Q12.

4) After you have submitted the necessary documents at the counter, you will be issued a payment slip of $35 for your maid's passport renewal.

5) Your maid will then be called by name into their office to take her photograph.

6) Proceed to Level 2 for an interview (you and your helper will be interviewed by one of the Embassy staff) where you will talk about her new contract terms. According to MOM and the Indonesian Embassy, wef Jan 2013, all Indonesian helpers must be entitled 1 day off per week.
After discussion at the interview, Dwi's new contract states her salary as $450 per month (up from $420), and 1 day off a month (as per her current contract).

7) Your helper's new passport will be ready in 3 days' time.

We arrived at 9:30AM and was done at 11:30AM.

Dwi came to us as a transfer maid so although the standard contract states 2 years, hers was only 1 year. That is the reason why we have to get her documents renewed after her working 1 year with us.
Work-wise, I think Dwi is still considered above-average.
- She is clean in her work and honest.
- We can put our wallets lying around the tables and not worry that our money will go missing.
- She washes her hands before handling the kids.
- She can cook and follows instructions well.

However, according to my MIL, whenever they go to the market (when Andy & I are at work), when she speaks to other helpers or people they meet at the market, she would tell them she's going home next year (at the end of her 2 years contract with us).
I think she misses her home because by the end of her contract with me, she would have been working in Singapore for close to 4 years without any home leave (because of her Transfer status).
So if she wants to go home, I have to let her go. And my problem of maid-searching and shortlisting will begin.
Maids. Most of us can't stand them, but more of us can't do without them either.



By the way, *someone* woke up bright and early and insisted on putting on his gawky Angry Birds YELLOW cap with his Spiderman sunnies and his matching BLUE Mickey Mouse slippers (all accessories bought by different Grandparents. Dohh).

 When we got to the Embassy, it became apparent that he must've heard me mentioning to Dwi and Andy in passing about "passport", because he kept asking if we are boarding the plane yet.
Are we boarding the plane yet?? Er hello dear son, why you so cute one?!

8 comments:

  1. thanks veron,

    exactly what i am looking for!

    ReplyDelete
  2. hi veron

    thks! exactly what i am looking for

    ReplyDelete
  3. hi veron

    you said the new contract states........
    you mean embassy will prepare the new contract or we have to prepare and bring?

    thks :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kama,
      During the interview the Embassy staff would have prepared for you the new contract.

      Regards,
      V

      Delete
  4. hi veron

    THKS for the prompt response:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. HI VERON

    THKS for the prompt response :)

    only i hv problem sending my response

    ReplyDelete
  6. hi veron

    thks for your prompt response, only i hv problem sending mine, this is the 5th one!

    ReplyDelete

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