LCQ4: Providing facilitation for visitors coming to Hong Kong to participate in short-term activities
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Question:
There are views pointing out that the Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Visitors Participating in Short-term Activities in Designated Sectors (STV Scheme) launched by the Government aims to provide immigration facilitation arrangements to visitors invited or sponsored by authorised host organisations to come to Hong Kong for undertaking short-term activities which are beneficial to the development of Hong Kong and allow them to participate in specified activities in 12 designated sectors during the period of their stay as visitor, which is of positive significance in promoting Hong Kong to develop the "eight centres". However, there are views pointing out that the 2025-2026 Budget proposes to introduce application fees for various talent admission schemes and increase visa fees, which will impose cost pressure on the organisations which have not been included in the list of authorised host organisations under the STV Scheme (unauthorised organisations). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the number of activities in which visitors coming to Hong Kong under the STV Scheme were allowed to participate in each of the past three years, with a breakdown by type of activities, duration of activities (i.e. 1 to 3 days, 4 to 7 days, 8 to 10 days, and over 10 days) and designated sector;
(2) since the introduction of application fees for talent admission schemes and increase in visa fees, whether the Government has assessed the financial burden imposed on unauthorised organisations by such arrangements, as well as the impact on the number of activities organised by such organisations, including the number of activities cancelled due to financial pressure arising from additional visa fees; if so, of the outcome;
(3) as some members of the industry have relayed that it may necessitate a reduction in international exchange activities due to the rising costs for visa application since organisations are required to apply for employment visas for visitors invited to Hong Kong to participate in short-term activities not covered by activities in the designated sectors under the STV Scheme, of the Government's specific measures in place to support such organisations, such as introducing extremely short-term employment visas at lower costs and streamlining visa application procedures;
(4) to ensure that the STV Scheme remains relevant to industry needs, whether the Government has established mechanisms for regular review, including consulting the representatives from the relevant sectors to update the list of authorised host organisations; whether it will step up efforts in promoting the STV Scheme to the industry, so as to clearly explain the application eligibility and requirements, as well as the specific requirements for activities in each designated sector; and
(5) as there are views that since only four organisations are recognised as authorised host organisations in the "art and cultural" sector under the STV Scheme (namely the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Hong Kong Arts Development Council and West Kowloon Cultural District Authority), it is difficult for many arts and cultural groups (arts groups) to benefit from the STV Scheme, which is contrary to the original intent of the Scheme, whether the Government will review the selection mechanism for authorised host organisations, including expanding the coverage of authorised host organisations in the "art and cultural" sector to include other recognised arts groups; if so, of the details and timetable?
Reply:
President,
To encourage more talent to come to Hong Kong for exchanges, the Government launched a two-year Pilot Scheme on Immigration Facilitation for Visitors Participating in Short-term Activities in Designated Sectors (Pilot Scheme) in June 2022, which was regularised as the Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Visitors Participating in Short term Activities in Designated Sectors (STV Scheme) in June 2024. Under the STV Scheme, organisations authorised by the relevant government bureaux/departments (B/Ds) can issue invitation letters to relevant non-local talent 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/entry permits from the Immigration Department (ImmD). They may participate in 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.
In consultation with the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) and the ImmD, my reply to various parts of the question raised by the Hon Kenneth Fok is as follows:
(1) As of end-June 2025, the Pilot Scheme/STV Scheme had benefited a total of 36 951 non-local talent, facilitating their entry into Hong Kong as visitors to participate in a total of over 6 200 short-term activities such as the International Chinese New Year Night Parade, the Asian Financial Forum, the Hong Kong Sevens and other major events. They participated in the relevant short-term activities in Hong Kong for about five days on average. The statistics by sector are at Annex. The ImmD does not maintain a breakdown of other statistics mentioned in the question.
(2) LWB indicates that in devising the fee levels for the various admission schemes for talent and capital investors, the Government has balanced various considerations, including the "user pays" principle, the fees charged for similar applications in overseas jurisdictions, and the impact on the applicants concerned. In particular, noting that some applications relate to short-term/one-off project-based employment, in addition to application fee, the Government has introduced two tiers of visa/entry permit issuance fee: $600 for visa/entry permit granted with a limit of stay of not more than 180 days, and $1,300 for those with a limit of stay of 181 days or more. The fee levels are modest and affordable.
Since the introduction of the relevant fees, the number of applications and visas/entry permits issued under the specified admission schemes in the past few months were comparable to those in the same period last year. The Government will closely monitor the relevant situation and review the fee structure as appropriate in accordance with the established mechanism.
(3) to (5) As above-mentioned, the Government will review the visa/entry permit fee structure for the various admission schemes for talent and capital investors as appropriate in accordance with the established mechanism.
On the other hand, to ensure that the STV Scheme keeps pace with the times, the Government reviews its coverage and operation mechanism from time to time, with a view to ensuring that it can continue to effectively promote the development of relevant sectors and raise Hong Kong's international profile while ensuring that the risks are manageable. Since the launch of the Pilot Scheme, the Government has 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. The number of authorised organisations has also increased by 18 per cent from around 350 when the scheme was first launched, to more than 400 at present. These authorised organisations include government B/Ds, public/statutory organisations, professional bodies and industry associations, etc. Through an established mechanism, all participating B/Ds would assist in ensuring that the implementation of the scheme consistently meets policy objectives. Relevant information of the STV Scheme, including the authorised organisations and specified short-term activities that are currently covered by the scheme, is available on the ImmD's website: www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/stv.html.
At present, different types of organisations can collaborate with authorised organisations under the scheme to organise eligible specified short-term activities, thereby benefiting from the relevant immigration facilitation. We welcome the industry to contact relevant B/Ds or authorised organisations in their respective sectors and consider co-organising eligible events, with a view to promoting more diverse forms of exchange and collaboration under the scheme.
In considering whether to further relax the scheme, the Government shall take into account two major principles, including that eligible individuals visiting Hong Kong for specified short-term activities under the scheme will not displace the local workforce, and there will not be a risk of abuse (including illegal employment). The Government will continue to closely monitor the implementation of the STV Scheme as well as the views of the relevant departments and the sectors concerned, and timely review the scheme's coverage to strike an appropriate balance between immigration control and facilitation.
Ends/Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Issued at HKT 14:42
Issued at HKT 14:42
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