Worth Reading
Talent Admission in Hong Kong
Talent Admission
With liberal immigration policies, a vibrant cosmopolitan lifestyle and abundant opportunities for career advancement, Hong Kong offers attractive prospects for professionals and experts from around the world. Various talent admission schemes are in place to attract talent and drive Hong Kong’s development as a high value-added and diversified economy.
Quality Migrant Admission Scheme
The Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) is open to highly skilled or talented people who wish to settle in Hong Kong. There is no sectoral restriction under the QMAS and successful applicants are not required to have secured a job offer before entry into Hong Kong. There are two points-based tests under the QMAS, namely General Points Test and Achievement-based
Points Test. To attract more talents from all over the world to settle in Hong Kong, the scheme’s annual quota has been doubled to 4,000.
Talent List of Hong Kong
The Talent List of Hong Kong highlights specific priority professions in demand in Hong Kong. It covers 13 professions, which include waste treatment specialists; asset management professionals; marine insurance professionals; actuaries; fintech professionals; data scientists
and cyber security specialists; innovation and technology (I&T) experts; naval architects; marine engineers and superintendents of ships; creative industries and performing arts professionals; dispute resolution professionals and transactional lawyers; and the newly announced professionals in compliance in asset management; and financial professionals in Environmental, Social and Governance. The scope of some original professions has also expanded to include experts of medical and healthcare sciences; microelectronics; integrated circuit design; and art technology, while the requirements on legal and dispute resolution professionals have been refined. These updates complement Hong Kong’s future policy direction to develop the key areas
of finance, I&T, arts and culture, and dispute resolution services. Talents who meet the Talent List requirements will be awarded 30 bonus points under the General Points Test of the QMAS.
Innovation and Technology
To foster I&T development, the Government has introduced various initiatives to attract and facilitate recruitment of I&T expertise:
– The Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS) aims to attract and nurture research and development (R&D) talent. It provides a fast-track arrangement for eligible technology companies to admit overseas and Mainland R&D talent. The scheme was expanded to cover all companies conducting R&D activities in 13 designated technology areas in Hong Kong, namely, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cybersecurity, data analytics, financial technologies, material science, robotics, 5G communications, Internet of Things, integrated circuit design, microelectronics, digital entertainment and green technology.
– The Research Talent Hub provides funding support to each eligible company or organisation to engage up to four research talents to conduct R&D work.
– A Global STEM Professorship Scheme was launched in 2021 to attract more world renowned scholars to undertake I&T-related teaching and research activities in Hong Kong.
Non-local Graduates
The Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG) allows non-local graduates to stay or return and work in Hong Kong. Under the scheme, non-local students who have obtained an undergraduate or higher qualification in a full-time and locally-accredited programme in Hong Kong can apply to stay for one year after graduation without other restrictions on conditions of stay.
Overseas professionals
Overseas professionals may live and work in Hong Kong under the General Employment Policy (GEP), which enables local employers to recruit overseas talent not readily available in Hong Kong.
Professionals from the Mainland of China
The Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP) aims to attract qualified Mainland talent and professionals to work in Hong Kong to meet local manpower needs and enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness.
Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents
The Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents (ASSG) aims to attract the second generation of emigrated Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents from overseas to return to work in Hong Kong. Under ASSG, there is no sectoral restriction and no job offer is required upon application for entry.
Useful links
Quality Migrant Admission Scheme
http://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/quality_migrant_admission_scheme.html
Talent List of Hong Kong
https://www.talentlist.gov.hk/en/index.html
Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates
https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/IANG.html
General Employment Policy
https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/GEP.html
Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals
https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/ASMTP.html
Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents
http://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/secondgenerationhkpr.html
Technology Talent Admission Scheme
https://www.itc.gov.hk/en/techtas/index.htm
Research Talent Hub
https://www.itf.gov.hk/en/funding-programmes/nurturing-talent/research-talent-hub/index.html