Maid sponsor question

[EADG]

(apologies if this is covered in a buried thread somewhere, if so please point it out to me)

I have a maid who comes by once a week. She gets about $10/hour. I've using her for over 2 years.

She says she lost her sponsor and would I sponsor her. This would be some sort of independent sponsorship, and she would not be living with me, she'd continue living on her own, her nights at Insomnia and her cleaning apartment for 2 customers a day, mostly former colleagues of mine.

Outside of basic altruism, I don't see what I have to gain here and am concerned of where I may be at risk in such an arrangement.

Thoughts?

[sundaymorningstaple]

EADG,

If she had a sponsor it meant one of several things. She was here on a Dependents Pass, LTSVP, or she was moonlighting while employed as a full time maid who was paying her levy & insurance bond.

If she was on a Dependents Pass she would need you to apply for a Letter of Consent (which, if you are not a company I'm not sure if you can get one). If she was on a LTSVP she is not allowed to work. If she is moonlighting and gets caught, both of you are in a jam as Maids are not allowed to work for two employers so she could be deported and you could be fined rather heavily. Either way, doesn't sound good. You can get local part-time maids but they are considerably more expensive.

[skye]

Most likely she wants you to apply for a work permit as her legal employer, but to carry on living elsewhere and freelancing. My previous maid did this after she left us, against all our advice, and she referred to it as having her WP "sponsored". Hers was a commercial arrangement where she worked for the "sponsor" for free, paid her own levy and for her own rented room and food and freelanced for extra money elsewhere. I was worried for her that she could easily be exploited by the "sponsor" and she was. That can work both ways though and you would be taking on a big responsibility. You would legally be responsible for her bond, insurance and govt levy, but her intention is probably to pay those herself out of earnings. It's a completely illegal arrangement and you would both be in big trouble if caught.

[EADG]

thanks for the advice folks, it's exactly as you've described as as I thought - not worth the risk

now I probably gotta find another maid.....