Who can qualify

Eligibility requirements

  • A former non-local student who held a student visa or entry permit and has obtained a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree, or a QF Level 5 or above qualification with 120 or more QF credits, from a full-time, locally accredited programme of at least one academic year at a Hong Kong degree-awarding institution.
  • Or: an undergraduate or higher qualification from a full-time programme at a participating university campus jointly established in a Mainland city of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
  • Recent graduates applying within six months of the graduation date on the certificate need no job offer.
  • Non-recent graduates applying later must hold an offer for a job at a level commonly taken up by degree holders, with remuneration at market level.
  • Nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are not eligible; nationals of Laos, Nepal and Vietnam are eligible only through specified programmes and the GBA campus arrangement.
  • Normal immigration requirements apply; approval is discretionary.

Build the evidence

Prepare records that substantiate the relevant criteria. The final checklist depends on the applicant, route and filing authority.

  • Travel document, current Hong Kong identity card and the student visa or entry permit label held during study.
  • Graduation certificate or official letter from the institution stating the award and the graduation date; transcript where requested.
  • For non-recent graduates: offer letter or contract showing a degree-level post and the remuneration package.
  • For GBA campus graduates: the award from the participating campus and the institution's confirmation of programme mode.
  • For extension: employment contract, payslips, tax demand notes or, for business owners, business registration, accounts and evidence of operations.

How to apply

  1. 01

    Check the award and the window

    Confirm the programme is full-time and locally accredited (or a participating GBA campus programme) and whether the application falls within six months of the certificate date.

  2. 02

    Apply online

    Submit through the ImmD online service with the award evidence. ImmD states that recent-graduate applications normally take about two weeks, and non-recent ones about four weeks, with longer times between June and August.

  3. 03

    Take up work or business freely

    The 24-month stay is on time limitation only. The holder may take up and change employment, or establish or join a business, without prior approval.

  4. 04

    Build the extension record

    Keep contracts, payroll and tax records showing a degree-level job at market pay, or business records showing a genuine operation. Apply within three months and at least six weeks before expiry; extensions normally follow a 3-3 pattern.

  5. 05

    Consider the top-tier stream

    After two years under the IANG and HK$2 million or more assessable salaries tax income in the previous year, a six-year extension may normally be granted.

After approval & family planning

  • A spouse or recognised civil partner and unmarried children under 18 may apply as dependants and may work or study.
  • Extension is not automatic: the Director tests whether the employment is at degree level and market pay, or whether the business is real. Unpaid or token roles will not support extension.
  • Time under the IANG is ordinary residence for a settled purpose; seven continuous years, counted together with prior lawful student residence where applicable, may support verification of permanent-resident eligibility.
Mobility capital analysis

What this route builds, and what it opens

WG assesses every route on three returns: the knowledge it adds, the cognitive capability that sustained work abroad develops, and the institutional opportunity it opens or closes. Real work is the mechanism in each case.

Knowledge

The IANG converts a Hong Kong degree into two years of unrestricted labour-market access. Its knowledge return depends on the first job: a degree-level role in finance, law, technology or trade builds credentials; a role below degree level will not support extension and adds little.

Cognition

Early-career work in a bilingual, common-law city with Mainland and international exposure builds adaptive capacity at the point it compounds most. Graduates who use the condition-free period to move between employers gain breadth; those who stay nominally employed gain nothing.

Opportunity

No employer tie, dependants may work, and the residence clock runs from study. Extension requires substance. Seven years may lead to permanent residence; Chinese nationals may then obtain an HKSAR passport. A later move to the Mainland, Singapore or the UK is helped by documented Hong Kong professional experience.

Programme context. Where a graduate later holds a genuine managerial role with a qualifying affiliate for a year, the IANG period may be assessed as the entry step, provided the role and the employer relationship are documented. Read the framework ↗

Frequently asked questions

Does time as a student count towards the seven years?

Lawful residence as a student in Hong Kong is residence for a settled purpose under ImmD's definition. The seven-year calculation and any absences are assessed when the right-of-abode application is made; keep records from the first day of study.

Can I apply after the six-month window?

Yes, as a non-recent graduate, but you must then hold a degree-level job offer at market remuneration. The page sets no outer cutoff for this group.

Which GBA campuses are covered?

ImmD defines the group as graduates of full-time programmes at university campuses jointly established in GBA Mainland cities, under a pilot arrangement. The published page does not list campuses; confirm with ImmD or the institution before relying on it.

Can I start a business instead of taking a job?

Yes. The initial stay has no employment condition, and extension can be supported by evidence of a business you have established or joined.

Do I need to leave Hong Kong while the extension is pending?

ImmD requires applicants to leave before the limit of stay expires even while an extension is pending, unless the Director approves otherwise. Apply early.

Can my employer sponsor me under the GEP instead?

A graduate with a job offer may be assessed under the GEP or ASMTP, but the IANG is condition-free and does not require the employer to justify local unavailability.

Points to consider

  • The IANG is granted on a discretionary basis and the Director may refuse any application.
  • Peak-season processing (June to August) and institutional confirmation letters are the usual delays; plan around the certificate date.

Sources & further reading

Editorial review: 21 October 2026. Official rules, forms, fees and entry restrictions can change. Check the linked authority before an application or investment decision.

  1. ImmD: Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates ↗
  2. LegCo reply LCQ19 (11 June 2025): IANG and GBA campus graduates ↗
  3. Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address, Chapter 3 ↗
  4. ImmD: right of abode, meaning of ordinary residence ↗

General information, not an individual eligibility decision or legal, tax or investment advice. The competent authority determines the outcome. WG’s engagement and any regulated professional work are scoped separately.