Talent admission and the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme.
Route map, corporate transfers, talent and founder routes, family, compliance, timelines and a mobility capital analysis, in one guide with official sources.
Each service area leads to its own programme selection and detailed guidance.
The New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme links admission to an eligible applicant, verified net assets and the required qualifying investments. It is separate from operating a business or obtaining investment returns.
Explore WG Private ↗Top Talent Pass categories A, B and C use different income, university and experience tests. The Quality Migrant Admission Scheme applies its own current assessment and selection arrangements.
Explore WG Signature ↗Programme guides with eligibility, evidence, steps and a mobility capital analysis.
Explore WG Corporate ↗An entry route for high-income talent and qualifying university graduates to explore employment or business opportunities in Hong Kong without an initial local job offer. The three categories have different evidence tests, and the first permission is granted only once.
Available / category-specific criteriaRequirements, process & FAQsA selection-based route for skilled and accomplished people who intend to settle and contribute in Hong Kong. The General Points Test now uses twelve yes/no assessment criteria; it should not be presented using the superseded item-by-item points table.
Available / current 12-criterion frameworkRequirements, process & FAQsAn investment-linked residence route with distinct financial verification and immigration decisions. The HK$30 million commitment is divided between permissible investments and the CIES Investment Portfolio, with continuing account, portfolio and reporting obligations.
Available / HK$30 million commitmentRequirements, process & FAQsThe General Employment Policy (GEP) is the standard route for an overseas professional to take up a confirmed job in Hong Kong. The Immigration Department tests whether the vacancy is genuine, whether the role can be readily filled locally and whether the package matches the market. Group companies transferring managerial or professional staff benefit from published facilitation measures, but the same substance tests apply.
Established employment route; quota-free, not sector-specificRequirements, process & FAQsThe ASMTP mirrors the General Employment Policy for Chinese residents of the Mainland. The employer sponsors a confirmed professional post, and the Immigration Department applies the same three substance tests: a genuine vacancy, a role that cannot readily be taken up by the local workforce, and a package broadly commensurate with the market. It is the usual mechanism for Mainland group companies staffing a Hong Kong platform.
Established employment route for Mainland residents; quota-freeRequirements, process & FAQsTechTAS lets a Hong Kong company engaged in research and development in specified technology areas obtain a quota from the Innovation and Technology Commission and then sponsor non-local STEM talent for employment. The quota decision sits with ITC; the visa decision sits with the Immigration Department. The Government lifted the former local employment requirement and widened the technology list at the end of 2022.
Established quota-based employment route for R&D employersRequirements, process & FAQsThe IANG allows non-local students who complete a full-time, locally accredited degree-level programme in Hong Kong to stay and work for 24 months without an initial job offer. Graduates of Hong Kong universities' Greater Bay Area campuses are covered by a pilot arrangement that the Government has extended twice. Extension depends on degree-level employment at market pay or a genuine business.
Established post-study route; quota-free, not sector-specificRequirements, process & FAQsA founder, partner or key researcher may apply to enter Hong Kong to establish or join a business under the General Employment Policy. The Immigration Department asks whether the applicant is in a position to make a substantial contribution to the economy, looking at the business plan, turnover, financial resources, investment, local jobs and any new technology. A start-up supported by a government-backed programme with rigorous vetting is assessed with that support in view.
Established business route under the General Employment PolicyRequirements, process & FAQsHong Kong permanent residence is a statutory status, not a visa. A non-Chinese national who has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years immediately before applying, and who has taken Hong Kong as their place of permanent residence, may apply for verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card. The Immigration Department looks at the reason, duration and frequency of absences, habitual residence, employment and where the family lives.
Statutory status under Schedule 1, Immigration OrdinanceRequirements, process & FAQsHong Kong's dependant policy lets eligible sponsors bring a spouse or recognised civil partner and unmarried children under 18, and lets permanent residents also sponsor parents aged 60 or over. The Immigration Department tests whether the relationship is genuine, whether the dependant has any adverse record, and whether the sponsor can support them at a standard well above subsistence with suitable accommodation. Dependants of employment, investment and talent-scheme sponsors are not prohibited from working.
Established residence route for family members of eligible sponsorsRequirements, process & FAQs