Visa and Immigration Pathways for Talent, Entrepreneurs, and Businesses

Seamless Hong Kong Work Visa and Employment Opportunities

Hong Kong is a dynamic international hub that offers abundant work opportunities across diverse industries. Renowned for its thriving financial services, technology, trading, and professional services sectors, it provides ample scope for talented individuals to excel. The city’s business-friendly environment, world-class infrastructure, and cosmopolitan lifestyle make it an ideal location for professionals to advance their careers.

Hong Kong's equally business-friendly immigration policies make it an attractive destination for global talent and enterprises. Visitors from over 170 countries and territories can enjoy visa-free entry to Hong Kong, staying for 7–180 days.

For longer-term work and residency, the city offers a range of visa and entry permit options to cater to diverse needs:

Investment and Entrepreneurship

  • New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES): The New CIES is open for applications from qualified individuals who aged 18 or above. This includes foreign citizens, Chinese citizens with permanent residency in a foreign country, residents of Macao Special Administrative Region, and Taiwan's Chinese residents. Each applicant is required to demonstrate that they have a net worth of at least HK$30 million, which they have fully and beneficially owned for the two years prior to the application.

    They must invest a minimum of HK$30 million in permissible investment assets, including investing a minimum of HK$27 million in permissible financial assets and non-residential real estate, and placing HK$3 million into a New CIES Investment Portfolio. The portfolio will be set up and managed by the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited to invest in companies/projects with a Hong Kong nexus, with a view to supporting the development of innovation and technology industries and other strategic industries that are beneficial to the long-term development of the city’s economy.
  • Investment as Entrepreneurs: Aspiring entrepreneurs may obtain Hong Kong residency by making a substantial contribution to the economy through their businesses. For startup businesses, the Immigration Department may consider the application favourably, if the business is endorsed by a government-sponsored initiative that has a rigorous screening and selection procedure.

Talent Admission

  • Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS): This programme is crafted to draw in elite global professionals with vast work experience and academic qualifications to explore prospects in Hong Kong, including high-earning talents and alumni from the world's top universities.
  • Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS): This scheme aims to attract highly skilled professionals to live in Hong Kong, thus enhancing the city's economic competitiveness. Those who are successful in their applications are not obligated to have a confirmed local job offer prior to their arrival in Hong Kong for residency. All candidates need to fulfil specific initial criteria before they can accumulate points via one of the two points-assessed evaluations, namely the General Points Test and Achievement-based Points Test, and compete for quota allocation against other applicants.
  • Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP): This programme facilitates the entry of Chinese residents from Mainland China with specialised skills and expertise that are not readily available in Hong Kong. The ASMTP is open to all sectors and does not have any quotas.
  • Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS): TechTAS offers an expedited process for qualified firms to bring in foreign tech professionals to conduct research and development (R&D) tasks for them in Hong Kong. A firm that has been granted a quota by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) can subsequently endorse a suitable individual to apply for a work visa/entry permit within the 24-month quota validity timeframe. It also has to fulfil the requirement to employ new local employees in technology-related work.
  • Sector-specific Labour Importation Schemes: Sector-specific schemes handle applications for importation of labour for specific sectors. Administered by the relevant bureaux and departments of the HKSAR Government, or by statutory organisations of the HKSAR in conjunction with the specific sectors, these schemes allows employers with genuine difficulties in recruiting suitable labour locally to bring in labour from outside Hong Kong.
  • General Employment Policy (GEP): The GEP allows employers to hire overseas staff with special skills, knowledge, or experience not readily available in Hong Kong. The GEP has no quota and non-sector specific.

Visa recipients can also relocate their spouse and children under the age of 18 to Hong Kong, given they have adequate financial resources and appropriate housing.

Simplify Your Hong Kong Business Registration

Hong Kong's business-friendly environment extends beyond immigration policies. The city offers a straightforward Business Registration process to help you establish your presence here.

Explore the diverse visa and entry permit options available and unlock the vast potential of Hong Kong for your talent, startup, or business.

For the latest enrollment schemes for skilled individuals, professionals, and business owners, kindly click here.

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