Hong Kong’s Labour Department (LD) has slapped Hong Kong-Shenzhen Vehicle Services Ltd. with a two-year ban on using the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS) after an investigation revealed the company skipped mandatory local-recruitment steps and provided false interview records while trying to hire a cross-border driver. The ESLS, re-launched in 2023 to ease manpower shortages in construction, logistics and elderly care, requires employers to advertise vacancies locally for at least four weeks and interview all qualified applicants before seeking approval to import workers. The offending firm failed to interview a shortlisted Hong Kong candidate and then misrepresented the outcome to officials—actions the LD deemed serious enough to trigger an “administrative sanction”. For global mobility managers, the case underscores heightened enforcement around employer-sponsored work visas. ESLS applications surged 40 per cent in 2025, prompting authorities to warn that any breach—ranging from under-payment of wages to submitting inaccurate documents—could lead to suspension from the scheme and withdrawal of already-issued visas. Companies relying on imported drivers or technicians should audit recruitment records and ensure interview notes, advertising logs and MPF enrolment proofs are complete and readily producible. Industry associations caution that the two-year bar may disrupt cross-border delivery schedules, as logistics firms already face a limited pool of drivers licensed for both Hong Kong and mainland roads. Some operators are exploring talent-sharing arrangements under the GBA Youth Employment Scheme, but these remain pilot-stage and subject to Mainland approval. The LD says it will continue random inspections and encourages whistle-blowers to report abuses. Employers currently processing ESLS applications should expect longer vetting times as the department tightens document checks in the wake of the case.
