Foreign nationals who possesses special skills, knowledge or experience of value to and not readily available in Hong Kong and is not a non-local graduate may apply to come to work in Hong Kong under the scheme.

• Foreign nationals, EXCEPT: Nationals of Afghanistan, Cambodia, Cuba, Laos, Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of), Nepal and Vietnam
• The applicant has no criminal record
• The applicant has a good education background or possesses relevant technical qualifications and experience
• There is a genuine job vacancy
• The applicant has a confirmed offer of employment and is employed in a job that cannot be readily taken up by the local work force
• The remuneration package is broadly commensurate with the prevailing market level for professionals in Hong Kong
• Overseas Chinese nationals holding People’s Republic of China (PRC) passports must have permanent residence overseas; or have resided overseas for at least one year before the submission of applications

Chinese residents of the Mainland who possess special skills, knowledge or experience of value to and not readily available in Hong Kong may apply for the scheme to work in Hong Kong.

• Mainland residents
• The applicant has no criminal record
• The applicant holds a bachelor’s degree or above, or possesses relevant technical qualifications, professional expertise, working experience and achievements
• There is a genuine job vacancy
• The applicant has a confirmed offer of employment and is employed in a job relevant to his academic qualifications or experience that cannot be readily taken up by the local work force
• The remuneration package is broadly commensurate with the prevailing market level for professionals in Hong Kong

Non-local graduates here refer to persons from outside Hong Kong who have obtained degrees or higher qualifications in full-time and locally accredited programmes in Hong Kong.

• Non-local graduates who submit applications within six months after the date of their graduation are classified as “fresh graduates”
• Non-local graduates who submit applications beyond six months of the date of their graduation are classified as “returning graduates”
• Non-local fresh graduates are not required to secure an offer of employment upon applications, provided that normal immigration requirements are met
• Returning non-local graduates are required to secure an offer of employment upon applications

In order to overcome talent shortages and to nurture local talents, the Innovation and Technology Commission introduced the ‘Technology Talent Admission Scheme’ (TechTAS). TechTAS is a three-year scheme which aims to provide a fast-track arrangement for eligible companies/institutes to admit overseas and Mainland technology talents. Under TechTAS, the applicant technology companies/institutes are not required to demonstrate the talent shortage in each case. As a result, the actual admission procedure will be streamlined and the duration of employment visa application will be shortened.

• The applicant company/institute:
  
  A tenant/incubatee of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTPC) or Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited (Cyberport) engaged in the area of biotechnology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics, data analytics, financial technologies or material science is eligible to submit the quota application under TechTAS.
• The non-local technology talent:
  • must be employed as a full-time employee in Hong Kong by the applicant company/institute;
  • must be engaged principally in conducting R&D in the area of biotechnology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics, data analytics, financial technologies or material science;
  • must be a degree-holder in STEM subjects from a well-recognised university (Work experience is not required for those holding a Master’s or Doctoral degree, whereas a minimum of one year of work experience in relevant technology areas is required for those holding a Bachelor’s degree only) ;
  • must be offered a remuneration similar to the prevailing market rates for the comparable jobs in Hong Kong.

The Supplementary Labour Scheme is implemented in Hong Kong, allowing employers with genuine difficulties in finding suitable employees locally to import workers at technician level or below from outside Hong Kong.

• The applicant is suitably qualified and experienced for the job in question
• The terms and conditions of employment are comparable to those in the local market
• The applicant will remain under the direct employment of the employer for a specific job and will not be contracted out to other companies or sub-contractors
• There is no adverse record to the detriment of the applicant and the employer
• The employer is financially capable of employing the applicant, providing him/her with suitable accommodation and of guaranteeing his/her maintenance and repatriation upon termination of his/her contract

Applicants admitted under the GES, ASMTP or IANG may apply for dependant’s visa for their spouses and unmarried dependent children under the age of 18. Dependants are not prohibited from taking up employment in Hong Kong.

• There is reasonable proof of a genuine relationship between the dependant and the sponsor
• There is no criminal record of the dependant
• The sponsor is able to support the dependant’s living at a standard above the subsistence level and provide him/her with suitable accommodation in Hong Kong