Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS): R&D hires under a company quota

Eligibility requirements

• Employer: a company with substantive business in Hong Kong, a valid Business Registration Certificate, and R&D activity in one of the listed areas: advanced communication technologies, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cybersecurity, data analytics, digital entertainment, financial technologies, green technology, integrated circuit design, Internet-of-Things, material science, microelectronics, quantum technology and robotics.
• Quota: applied for through ITC, or through the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Cyberport or the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park for their tenants and incubatees. The quota letter specifies the number, technology areas, duties, qualifications and pay; a change needs ITC's prior written approval.
• Employee: a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree in a STEM subject from a university ranked in the top 100 for STEM-related subjects in the QS, Shanghai Ranking, Times Higher Education or US News tables. Bachelor's holders need at least one year of relevant work experience; master's and doctoral holders do not.
• Remuneration not lower than the prevailing market level for comparable jobs in Hong Kong.
• The employer should be able to show difficulty recruiting locally in the relevant technology area; advertising is one way to show this but ITC's FAQ states it is not mandatory.
• Nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are not eligible. Normal immigration requirements apply.

Legal framework

Build the evidence

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

• Quota application: Business Registration Certificate, description of the R&D activity and the technology area, the posts to be filled with duties, qualifications and pay, and evidence of difficulty recruiting locally.
• Park and incubator companies: the tenancy, incubation or grant relationship with HKSTP, Cyberport or the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park.
• Visa application: the valid quota allotment letter, the employee's degree certificate and transcript showing the STEM subject and awarding institution, and evidence of ranking eligibility.
• For bachelor's-only applicants, at least one year of relevant work experience evidenced by employment letters, payroll or tax records.
• Signed employment contract matching the quota letter on post, duties and pay; dependant relationship evidence where applicable.

How to apply

1. 01

   Confirm the technology area and the R&D substance

   Map the actual research or development work to one of the 14 areas and identify who performs it, where and with what budget. Marketing, sales or deployment roles do not fit the scheme.

2. 02

   Apply for quota

   File through the Government e-form portal (or through the park operator for tenants and incubatees). ITC states that quota processing normally takes two weeks after all information is received; site visits can add time. A quota is valid for 24 months and cannot be transferred.

3. 03

   Sponsor the visa under the quota

   Submit the employee's application to ImmD within the quota validity period. ImmD states that processing normally takes about two weeks after all documents and the fee are received.

4. 04

   Onboard and track the employment condition

   The initial stay is normally 36 months on employment condition. Any change of employer requires prior approval; if the new employer holds no valid quota, a fresh application under the GEP or ASMTP is needed.

5. 05

   Plan extension and top-tier eligibility

   Apply within three months and at least six weeks before expiry; extensions normally follow a 3-2 pattern. After two years under TechTAS with HK$2 million or more assessable income in the previous year, the top-tier stream may grant five years on time limitation only.

After approval & family planning

• A spouse or recognised civil partner and unmarried children under 18 may apply as dependants, and dependants of TechTAS employees are not prohibited from working or studying.
• Keep the role within the quota letter. A change of duties, pay or technology area needs ITC's written approval; a change of employer needs ImmD's approval and, usually, the new employer's own quota.
• Seven years of continuous ordinary residence may support verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card. The residence test is assessed on the person's circumstances, not on the scheme.

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.

Programme context. Where a participant leads an R&D function for a qualifying Hong Kong affiliate for a year, with the quota letter, payroll and project records aligned, this route may be assessed as the Hong Kong employment step. Read the framework ↗

Frequently asked questions

Points to consider

• Quota approval is not visa approval: each employee is assessed by ImmD against the scheme and normal immigration requirements.
• A company whose Hong Kong activity is distribution or support for R&D done elsewhere should expect scrutiny of whether R&D genuinely takes place in Hong Kong.