What are the requirements from expat to bring house maid?

Mac Saif
By Mac Saif

What are the requirements from expat to bring house maid?

Any experiences?

By sefri• 18 Aug 2009 16:21
sefri

deedee,

I treated my maid as my own daughter, but the least I expected was some respect from her towards her contract!

I brought her everything she requested (mobile phone, telephone card, paid her international and national calls, got her special shampoo, hand cream, body lotion, toothpaste and brush, Abaya-because she always wanted one. I took her to all places we went to, ordered any dish she wanted... etc.)

Literally, I was the buying slave... and then what?!

She rebelled against us because her aunt (here in Doha) and her sister (in Syria) both told her that they were working with another 4 or 5 maids at least, in a big villa, where food is cooked by a special maid and they had almost nothing to do all day except to chat!

Her aunt taught her how to drive us crazy, because when we took her to the agency at the end of 4 months, they made her confess!

Her new requirements:

1- She wants at least another maid with her.

2- Doesn't want to clean toilets.

3- Wants to eat rice at lunch and dinner (she told the agency she was starving because we didn't cook rice everyday).

4- She said she wanted to go out on her own without telling us where! (remember I am the sponsor and assume all responsibility for her actions!)

and the list goes on...

SO PLEASE DON'T JUDGE ME BASED ON WHAT YOU READ UNTIL YOU LEARN ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE!

I thought what everyone told me at first was wrong, but I turned out to be wrong and everyone was right: most of these maids from east asian countries will take full advantage of your kindness and interpret it as stupidity!

The agency literary told us to hit her or they could do it if we like, but I ended up sending her back to her country instead of treating her at the same animal level she treated my daughters eventually...

One more thing: she begged me to buy her a plane ticket back to her home town from Manila-what cool nerves!

The problem is that after initially refusing, I couldn't help think she was a 23 year old girl on her own in Manila trying to catch a boat back to her home island, so I bouht her the ticket and bought my self a BIG FIGHT with my wife!

I hope you have a nice day... deedee.

By deedee• 18 Aug 2009 10:47
deedee

serfi-you sound like a slave owner

not a benevolent employer. No mobile? No having friends? Trying living like that yourself and see how you like it. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

By sefri• 18 Aug 2009 10:30
Rating: 4/5
sefri

Ahmody012,

You can contact some cleaning agencies and they will charge you around 100-150 QAR per day approximately.

I have never used this service before, so I can't tell you much...

By ahmody012• 17 Aug 2009 19:38
ahmody012

SEFRI,

CAN U TELL ME F A SINGLE CAN BRING PART TIME HOUSEMAID ?

By sefri• 16 Aug 2009 13:57
Rating: 5/5
sefri

I dealt with "Al-Jasem" Agency.

They are near passport authorities in Medinat Khalifa.

If you are coming from Markhia roundabout (this is the roundabout after TV round about directly), don't go under the tunnel way, go to the roundabout just below the bridge and above the tunnel and go straight forward.

You will see the passport authorities at your right side followed by a gas station. Go forward slowly for another 500 feet, you will see some barbershops at your right.

Ask for the agency, it is in the 2nd floor.

I paid a total of 6,500 QAR for a maid from the Philippines. But this price is from last year.

Currently, you have to pay 8,000 QAR for maids from Philippines.

The cheapest are from Nigeria and Indonesia (6,500 - 7,000 QAR).

If I remember well, I think this includes the 1800 QAR fees but I am no longer sure. You should negotiate the price anyway.

If you are non Muslim, I would advise to get a christian maid from the Philippines.

Whatever you get, try to have someone who needs the money and certainly not single. Avoid those with previous experience in the gulf, as they tend to be lazy and not very clean and want other maids to be around with them to chat.

If and when you bring a maid, do not be too generous. They take this as a sign of stupidity not goodness!

Tell her your rules in the agency before she goes home with you and some rules you should always apply are:

NO MOBILE PHONE! She can call occasionally from yours to her homeland and you can deduce the expenses.

NO GOING OUT OR HANGING OUT IN DOHA WITH FRIENDS. These only tend to tell her how to get more out of you for less work.

I have had the above problems and they have ruined our relationship with our maid, leading her to hit one of my daughters and screaming at my wife, for which I put an end to it by sending her back. It was her wish at the end and she got us to do it...!

Good luck.

Should you need any further help, please don't hesitate to ask.

By Mac Saif• 16 Aug 2009 12:03
Mac Saif

Appreciate your answer and tips sefri, it was very helpful

many thanks

By anonymous• 16 Aug 2009 11:42
anonymous

Sefri: how much did you pay the agency that you used? will you recommend them? I am looking for an agency but confused, and i am just as confused as which nationality to sponser as everyoen speaks from their expereince, so whats good fo someone didn't work out for the other...

By sefri• 16 Aug 2009 11:19
Rating: 5/5
sefri

I have applied for one previously.

You need:

* An approval from your sponsor.

* To have a good bank account record with a considerably good salary to show you can afford a maid.

* To be married (singles not allowed to bring maids).

* Marriage certificate with wife's residency in Qatar.

You have to decide what nationality you will apply for as you shall be given a visa for that nationality only.

The visa fee is 1,800 QAR for non-Qatari's

Then you have to find a local agent for employment of maids (plenty around), you look up a photo catalogue and pick your choice.

The agency will take between 7,000 QAR up to 9,000 QAR depending on the agency and the nationality of the maid.

This includes bringing her to Doha.

You pick her up from the agency and you have three months as a trial period before you have to do the residency and medical procedures for the maid. This will cost an additional 500 QAR.

Maids from Indonesia and Nigeria have the minimum cost.

The monthly salary range is 200 US$ (700-750 QAR).

You sign a two year contract and need to pay her return ticket after the two year period.

A friendly advise:

Bring a maid who has kids and has to pay for them, because she will be dedicated to her work for her kids. single maids usually have tricky moves and will cause plenty of problems to make you send them back...

Also, try to bring a maid that has no previous experience in gulf countries. These need a lot of teaching but serve you better than those with previous negative experience who are very lousy...

I have dealt with Al-Jasem near passport building at Medinat Khalifa.

Try to bring an Indonesian maid if you can...

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