Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Elizabeth Quat and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (July 23):
 
Question:
 
     At present, there are nine schemes mainly for attracting talents and capital to Hong Kong, including the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS), the General Employment Policy (GEP), the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP), the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates, the Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents, the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, the Technology Talent Admission Scheme and the Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme (such talent admission schemes). In addition, the Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Visitors Participating in Short-term Activities in Designated Sectors (the STV Scheme) was introduced on June 1 last year to provide immigration facilitation to visitors invited/sponsored by authorised host organisations for undertaking specified short-term activities which are beneficial to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the respective numbers of applications received and approved by the authorities under such talent admission schemes from June to last month, as well as the respective incomes involved;

(2) of the distribution of the regions or countries of applicants admitted to Hong Kong each year since the implementation of the TTPS;

(3) among applicants admitted to Hong Kong through such talent admission schemes in each of the past three years, of the respective numbers of those who were engaged in the area of innovation and technology, with a breakdown by such talent admission schemes;

(4) of the respective numbers of persons who were approved to take up short-term employment in Hong Kong through the GEP and the ASMTP in each of the past five years, as well as the respective distribution of their industries/sectors; apart from these two schemes, whether the Government will explore the introduction of other measures or schemes to enable non-Hong Kong residents to apply for short-term employment in Hong Kong (i.e. the limit of stay is not more than 180 days);

(5) of the respective numbers of applicants admitted to Hong Kong since the implementation of the STV Scheme, the distribution of their regions or countries and their designated sectors;

(6) whether the authorities have plans to expand the list of authorised host organisations and/or designated sectors under the STV Scheme; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(7) as it is learnt that the introduction of a series of new policies by the United States (US) Government in recent years, including tightening the visa regime and substantially reducing research funding, has led to a large number of local scientific researchers (especially Chinese scientists) considering leaving the US, of the Government’s measures (including whether it will introduce targeted talent admission schemes or measures) to support local universities in striving to attract such top-notch overseas scientists to Hong Kong for development?

Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Government has been implementing various admission schemes to attract talents and capital investors, actively trawling for professionals, entrepreneurs and individuals with substantial assets. This is to enrich the local talent pool and bring in more new capital to Hong Kong, so as to enhance Hong Kong’s overall competitiveness, and promote the diversified and innovative development of the local economy.
 
     Our reply to the Member’s question, in consultation with the Security Bureau (SB), the Education Bureau (EDB), the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, and the Immigration Department (ImmD), is as follows:

(1) Since June 1 last year and up to end-June this year, more than 190 000 applications were received under the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS), the General Employment Policy (GEP), the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP), the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS), the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates, the Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents, and the Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS). Among them, nearly 140 000 applications were approved. A breakdown of the relevant statistics is at Annex 1. The Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme will only begin to accept applications from mid-2026 onwards upon graduation of the first batch of students from eligible full-time Higher Diploma programmes.

     Under the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES), Invest Hong Kong is responsible for assessing whether the applications fulfil the relevant financial requirements, and the ImmD is responsible for assessing the applications for visa/entry permit, extension of stay and unconditional stay. From June 1 last year to end-June this year, the ImmD received a total of 1 295 applications under the New CIES, of which 673 were approved. The ImmD does not maintain the statistics on the income generated from applications and visa fees under various schemes mentioned in the question.

(2) The TTPS, which aims to attract individuals with high-income or bachelor’s degree graduates from top universities, has received enthusiastic responses since its launch in end-2022. As at end-June this year, about 135 000 applications were received, of which nearly 109 000 were approved. About 40 per cent (about 32 000) applicants in Categories B and C graduated from bachelor’s degree programmes offered by top overseas universities. The breakdown of the numbers of the applications approved under the TTPS by regions of the applicants and the eligible universities from which they graduated is at Annex 2.

(3) In the past three years, among the around 76 000 and 57 000 applications approved under the GEP and the ASMTP respectively, the numbers of approved applicants working in innovation and technology (I&T) related fields are 1 654 and 4 006 respectively. Under the QMAS, among the around 27 000 approved cases which successfully passed the selection exercise in the past three years, 8 021 applicants were in I&T-related fields. As for the TechTAS, which aims to attract technology talents to come to undertake research and development work in Hong Kong, a total of 334 applicants were approved in the past three years, all working in the I&T field.

     Regarding the TTPS, the ImmD adjusted the application procedures on March 1, 2023, requiring applicants with work experience to declare the sectors of their occupations. From March 2023 to end-June this year, 26 211 applicants out of nearly 100 000 approved applications declared that their previous occupations were in I&T-related fields.

     For other talent admission schemes referred to in the question, applicants are not required to have secured offers of employment in Hong Kong upon application, nor are they required during the validity period of the first visas to notify the ImmD after they are employed or have established/joined in business in Hong Kong. Given the nature of the scheme, the New CIES does not require applicants to declare their occupational backgrounds. The ImmD does not maintain the statistics on the industries engaged by successful applicants under other schemes when they first arrived in Hong Kong.

(4) In the past five years, over 112 000 applications were received under the GEP with over 103 000 approved. Of which, about 63 000 concerned short-term positions with contract duration of less than 12 months. The ASMTP received nearly 88 000 applications in the past five years. Of which, more than 77 000 were approved, and about 31 000 applications concerned short-term positions. The breakdown of the numbers of cases approved for short-term positions under the two schemes by industry/sector are at Annex 3.

     Enterprises with job vacancies and facing difficulties to fill the vacancies in local recruitment may apply under the above two employment-tied schemes to employ outside talents with special skills, knowledge or experience not readily available in Hong Kong to take up short-term or long-term employment in Hong Kong.

     With a view to facilitating business, promoting the development of the relevant sectors and raising Hong Kong’s international profile, the Government also launched the Pilot Scheme on Immigration Facilitation for Visitors Participating in Short-term Activities in Designated Sectors (Pilot Scheme) in June 2022, and regularised the Pilot Scheme to the Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Visitors Participating in Short-term Activities in Designated Sectors (STV Scheme) in June 2024. Under the Pilot Scheme/STV Scheme, organisations authorised by the relevant government bureaux or departments can issue invitation letters to relevant non-local talents in their sectors. Invited persons may come to Hong Kong to participate in specified short-term activities as visitors without the need to apply for employment visas or entry permits from the ImmD. They may participate in the specified short-term activities for up to 14 consecutive calendar days during each trip to Hong Kong, and receive remuneration for the specified activities concerned.

     The above schemes have already met the needs of local enterprises in recruiting outside talents to take up short-term employment in Hong Kong. There is no plan now to introduce more measures or schemes for non-local residents to apply for short-term positions in Hong Kong.

(5) and (6) At present, the STV Scheme covers 12 sectors with a total of some 400 authorised organisations. As of end-March 2025, the Pilot Scheme/STV Scheme had benefited a total of nearly 34 000 non-local talents, facilitating their entry into Hong Kong as visitors to participate in various short-term events and activities. The statistics by sector and the beneficiaries’ place of origin are at Annex 4.

     The SB indicates that to ensure the scheme keeping pace with the times, the Government reviews the coverage of the Pilot Scheme/STV Scheme from time to time, with a view to ensuring that it can continue to effectively achieve the relevant policy objectives. Since the launch of the Pilot Scheme, the Government expanded the scheme twice in February 2023 and June 2024, by adding two new sectors, namely “Finance” and “Development and Construction”, to the original 10 designated sectors, with the addition of authorised organisations to over 400 at present. The Government will continue to monitor the implementation of the STV Scheme and the views of relevant departments and the sectors, as well as to review the coverage of the STV Scheme in a timely manner.

(7) In the light of the changes in the global higher education landscape, the EDB has promptly called on all universities in Hong Kong to introduce facilitation measures for affected students and scholars with a view to safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests. As for the affected researchers, the EDB has all along been encouraging various institutions to attract top-notch talents in accordance with their diversified talent policies. The EDB is pleased to see that the local universities have been responding proactively and closely monitoring the situation, and have fully utilised the Government’s facilitation initiatives that support the capacity expansion and quality enhancement of post-secondary institutions in Hong Kong. The Government will continue to keep an eye on the development and, having regard to their needs, consider support measures in a holistic approach, including gradually increasing the number of places under the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme to attract more top scholars to Hong Kong, so as to give full play to Hong Kong’s role as an international post-secondary education hub.

     Meanwhile, the Government is committed to promoting Hong Kong’s development into an international I&T centre and has been adopting a multi-pronged approach in providing more quality employment and development opportunities to pool together global I&T talents. For instance, the InnoHK Research Clusters (InnoHK) have pooled together about 2 500 researchers locally and from all over the world. The Government is taking forward the establishment of the third InnoHK research cluster, SEAM@InnoHK, focusing on sustainable development, energy, advanced manufacturing and materials, which is expected to bring in more talents.

     Besides, the Government has secured funding approval from the Legislative Council in May 2025 for the establishment of the $3 billion Frontier Technology Research Support Scheme (FTRSS), which is aimed at supporting, through matching funds, the eight universities funded by the University Grants Committee to attract international top-notch researchers for conducting research projects on frontier technology in Hong Kong and enhance basic research facilities. It is the plan to launch the FTRSS in September 2025. The Government has also set aside $6 billion to support local universities to set up Life and Health Technology Research Institute(s) to foster multi-disciplinary co-operation among universities/research institutions from Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas, and attract top-notch scholars and scientists to Hong Kong.

     At present, top international scholars, scientists and researchers can apply for entry into Hong Kong under suitable talent admission schemes according to their own circumstances. There is no need to set up a separate talent admission scheme. If meeting the relevant professional qualifications in the Talent List, they can also enjoy immigration facilitation when applying for entry into Hong Kong under the relevant schemes. Among the various schemes, the TechTAS specifically targets the admission of non-local technology talents to Hong Kong for research and development work, and processes applications from eligible companies expeditiously.

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