Hong Kong

Work Assignment

(rather short-term, ie some months to three years, contract and social security as far as possible abroad and intended return to origin)

Top Talent Pass Scheme (“TTPS”)

The TTPS allows foreign professionals with higher incomes or strong academic qualifications to enter Hong Kong to take up employment or establish a business in Hong Kong for an initial period of two years.

Conditions:

The applicant:

• must have no criminal record.
• must meet the criteria of one of the following categories:
  
  • Category A: Earned an annual income of at least HK$2.5 million in the previous year.
  • Category B: Holds a bachelor's degree or equivalent from one of the eligible universities and has a minimum of three years of work experience within the last five years.
  • Category C: Holds a bachelor's degree or equivalent from one of the eligible universities and has less than three years of work experience, subject to an annual quota of 10,000, allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
• cannot be a national of Afghanistan, Cuba or North Korea.

The TTPS offers greater flexibility, as it does not require the applicant to secure a job offer prior to application and dispenses with the requirement to notify the Immigration Department of a change of employment after the visa has been granted. Applicants who secure employment can apply for an extension of stay to extend their visa for three years within four weeks before expiry of the initial limit of stay.

General Employment Policy (“GEP”) / Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (“ASMTP”)

The GEP/ASMTP allows foreign and Mainland professionals respectively to enter Hong Kong to take up a genuine job position that cannot be filled by a local professional, the remuneration package for which must be broadly commensurate with the prevailing market standard for Hong Kong professionals. The initial permitted length of stay will be granted, depending upon the duration of the employment contract, and is subject to a maximum period of 36 months.

Conditions:
The applicant:

• must not be subject to any security objection or have a known record of serious crime.
• must have a good educational background, technical qualifications or proven professional abilities and/or relevant experience and achievements.
• must have accepted a job offer for a position that is relevant to his/her academic qualifications or work experience, and the position cannot be readily filled by a local professional.
• cannot be a national of Afghanistan, Cuba or North Korea.

Under current relaxation measures, employers recruiting for positions in certain professions are not required to provide proof to substantiate their difficulties in recruiting locally or if the job pays an annual salary of HK$2 million or above.

Any change of employment after a visa has been granted is subject to the prior approval of the Immigration Department. Applicants who continue to meet the above conditions can apply for an extension of stay to extend their visa for three years within four weeks before expiry of their limit of stay.

Technology Talent Admission Scheme (“TechTAS”)

The TechTAS allows non-local technology talent to undertake research and development work in high-tech industries in Hong Kong. The initial permitted length of stay will be granted, depending upon the duration of the employment contract, and is subject to a maximum of 36 months.

Conditions:

• The employing company must have a valid approved quota allotted by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC).
• The remuneration for the job must not be lower than the prevailing market standard for comparable jobs.
• Both the employing company and the applicant must be bona fide.

Further, the applicant must:

• not have a criminal record.
• be employed as a full-time employee and engaged in R&D in a high-tech industry.
• hold a degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics from one of the world’s top 100 universities for STEM-related subjects, or alternatively must have good technical skills and proven professional abilities and/or relevant experience and achievements.
  if he/she holds a bachelor degree have at least one year of working experience in a technology area.
• not be a national of Afghanistan, Cuba or North Korea.
• meet the particular criteria set out in the quota allotment letter issued by the ITC.

Working experience requirement is not mandatory for a Master or Doctoral Degree holder.

Limitations:

The employing company is required to first apply for annual quota and engage in a specific industry. Any change of employment after a visa has been granted is subject to the prior approval of the Immigration Department. Applicants who continue to meet the above conditions can apply for an extension of stay to extend their visa for three years within four weeks before the expiry of the limit of stay.

Training Visa

The training visa allows for a short-term visit for training purposes to acquire special skills not available in the applicant’s country of domicile. The permitted length of stay will be granted, depending upon the duration of the training programme, and is subject to a maximum of 12 months.

Conditions:

• The applicant must have no criminal record.
• The sponsoring company and the applicant must be bona fide with proof of a signed contract.
• The sponsoring company must be a well-established company.
• The duration and content of the training program must be justified.
• The sponsoring company must provide a written guarantee of the maintenance and repatriation of the applicant and that the applicant will receive training in the sponsor's premises until the end of the agreed period, after which the applicant will return to his/her place of residence.
• The applicant must not be a national of Afghanistan, Cuba or North Korea.
• The applicant must not be a resident of Mainland China residing in Macao unless he/she has acquired residence through the One-Way Permit Scheme.
  
  

Employment Immigration

(rather long-term or indefinite, local contract and social security)

Permanent Residence

Any applicant who has entered Hong Kong with a Work Assignment visa (except for the training visa) or an Employment Immigration visa, has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years, and has taken Hong Kong as his/her place of permanent residence can apply for verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card. Once permanent residence has been established, the applicant is no longer bound by any conditions of stay (i.e., length of stay or conditional employment).

Quality Migrant Admission Scheme
(“QMAS”)

The QMAS is a quota-based entrant scheme that allows highly skilled or talented persons to settle in Hong Kong to explore employment and business start-up opportunities.

Conditions:

1. The applicant must first satisfy the following prerequisites:
   
   • Must be aged 18 or above.
   • Must be able to support and accommodate himself/herself and his/her dependants (if any) using personal financial resources without relying on public assistance during the period of stay in Hong Kong.
   • Must have no criminal record or adverse immigration record.
   • Must be proficient in written and spoken Chinese or English.
   • Must have a good educational background or good technical qualifications, proven professional abilities, and/or experience and achievements.
   • Must not be a national of Afghanistan, Cuba or North Korea.
     
     
2. The applicant must then choose to be assessed under one of the following points-based tests.
   • The General Points Test considers:
     • age
     • academic / professional qualifications
     • work experience
     • inclusion on the talent list
     • language proficiency
     • family background
   • The Achievement-based Points Test applies where :
     • the applicant has received an award of exceptional achievement, or
     • the applicant’s work has been acknowledged by his/her peers or has contributed significantly to his/her field.
       
       
3. After satisfying both the prerequisites and passing the points-based test, the applicant will be shortlisted for further assessment, and successful applicants will be issued a visa.

Applicants admitted through the General Points Test will be granted a stay of 36 months (which can be extended). Applicants admitted through the Achievement-based Points Test will be granted a stay of 8 years.

Capital Investment Entrant Scheme
(“CIES”)

The CIES will be re-launched in June 2024.

The CIES allows applicants to apply for residence by making capital investments in permissible assets in Hong Kong.

Conditions:
The applicant must:

1. be a foreign national or a Chinese national who has obtained permanent resident status in a foreign country, or be a Macao or Taiwan resident;
2. be aged 18 or above.
   3
3. have net assets of not less than HK$30 million to which he/she is absolutely beneficially entitled throughout the two years preceding the application
4. make an investment of a minimum of HK$27 million in permissible investment assets, and place HK$3 million into a new CIES Investment Portfolio to be set up and managed by the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited, making up a total investment of HK$30 million.
5. be able to support and accommodate themselves and their dependents (if any) on their own financial resources without relying on public assistance in HK.

The initial permitted length of stay will be granted for not more than 24 months. Applicants who continue to meet the above conditions can apply for an extension of stay to further extend their visa for three years within four weeks before their limits of stay expire.

Investment as Entrepreneur (under GEP Scheme)

The Investment as Entrepreneur Scheme allows individuals to enter/stay in HK for the purposes of investment, and to establish or join a business.

Conditions:

• The applicant must have no criminal record.
• The applicant must possess a good educational background, good technical qualifications, proven professional abilities, and/or notable experience and achievements.
• The applicant must be capable of either: (1) making a substantial contribution to the economy (factors considered include a sound business plan, projected business turnover, robust financial standing, investment sum sufficient to support business operations, and the number of jobs created locally); or (2) joining or establishing a start-up business.
• The applicant must not be a national of Afghanistan, Cuba or North Korea.
• The applicant must not be a Chinese resident of Mainland China.

The maximum initial length of stay granted will be 36 months. Applicants who continue to meet the above conditions can apply for an extension of stay, which would extend their visa for a further three years. This application should be made within four weeks before the current limit of stay expires.

Limitations:
The applicant is required to submit a detailed two-year investment plan, along with proof of business activities and financial standing. The applicant will be subject to conditions of stay, and if he/she wishes to join or establish a business other than the one approved, he/she must seek prior approval from the Immigration Department.