Following is a question by Dr the Hon Hoey Simon Lee and a reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (October 15):
 
Question:
 
     It is reported that some individuals come to Hong Kong under the talent admission schemes but leave after giving birth to their children, with the sole purpose of obtaining the Hong Kong permanent resident status for their children, rather than a true intention to pursue their career in Hong Kong. There are views pointing out that such practice not only goes against the original intent of the talent policy, but also creates uncertainty to resource planning of various social services in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether there is any mechanism under the current talent policy to prevent situations where individuals come to Hong Kong under the guise of career development but actually just to give birth;
 
(2) to avoid the recurrence of a large number of doubly non-permanent resident children (i.e. children born in Hong Kong but whose parents are non-permanent residents of Hong Kong), whether the Government has considered establishing a mechanism requiring talent coming to Hong Kong and their dependants to sign a declaration confirming their intention to remain in Hong Kong for career development when making delivery bookings at public or private medical institutions in Hong Kong, or requiring them to submit supporting documents (such as proof of employment in Hong Kong or immigration records) to confirm that they have met the requirement of staying in Hong Kong for a certain number of days; and
 
(3) whether it has assessed the impact of the talent admission schemes on Hong Kong's long-term population scale and structure, with a view to precisely controlling the allocation of resources for public services such as social welfare, housing, healthcare and education?
 
Reply:
 
President,

     As an international talent hub, Hong Kong has been welcoming outside talent to come to the city for development, thereby enriching the local talent pool. To address the challenges posed by an ageing population and manpower shortage, the current-term Government has since end-2022 implemented a series of measures to trawl for talent. These include the launch of the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) targeting talent with high income and academic qualifications, as well as enhancement of the various existing schemes. To date, more than 240 000 global elites from diverse backgrounds have been attracted to come to Hong Kong for development. Among others, the TTPS has received enthusiastic responses, with over 90 000 talents having arrived in Hong Kong. Among the first batch of TTPS entrants whose visas have expired, more than half successfully secured extension of stay. Most of them have joined key industries and earn competitive salaries, demonstrating strong market competitiveness. In the World Talent Ranking 2025 published recently by the International Institute for Management Development, Hong Kong's ranking leapt markedly to fourth globally, marking the highest-ever ranking topping Asia. This is clear evidence that the talent attraction policies are in the right direction with effective outcomes.
 
     Nevertheless, after the talents have been successfully attracted to come to Hong Kong, the greater challenge lies in retaining them. In addition to continuing the efforts in boosting the economy and the growth of emerging industries to provide a favourable environment for the development of local and overseas talent, the Government is committed to providing the necessary support for talent, encouraging them to settle down and contribute to Hong Kong's development.
 
     In consultation with the Health Bureau (HHB), Housing Bureau (HB), Education Bureau (EDB), Immigration Department (ImmD) and Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), my reply to the Member's question is as follows:
 
(1) and (2) As mentioned earlier, in the global competition for talent, our real challenge lies in how to retain them.
 
     The majority of talents admitted to Hong Kong under the various admission schemes are very young, with 70 per cent under the age of 40. In particular, nearly all admitted under Category C of the TTPS are aged 30 or below. They are at critical stages in their careers and also within the prime age range for starting families. The Government's follow-up surveys have revealed that family considerations, such as arrangements for children's education, are among the top priorities for incoming talent when making a relocation decision. This reflects that talent retention is not only driven by career opportunities but also has to take into account the overall needs of their families. More comprehensive support should be offered to strengthen the sense of belonging of talent and their families to Hong Kong.
 
     Outside talents is a vital driving force for our economic development. Taking the TTPS as an example, the entrants are estimated to contribute directly to Hong Kong's economy by an amount of some HK$34 billion per annum, which is equivalent to about 1.2 per cent of the local Gross Domestic Product. We hope to regard these talents as part of our community, and therefore must address their family needs just as we do for other Hong Kong residents, so as to help them live and work in contentment in the city.

     The current dependant policy allows talent to bring their spouses and minor children to reside in Hong Kong. We also welcome them to start families and give birth to children in Hong Kong so as to establish roots in the city. These new additions to our population are and will continue to be an important source of the local labour force, which would help improve the demographic structure and alleviate the challenges posed by the local ageing population and the low birth rate, providing long-term manpower support for Hong Kong's sustainable development.
 
     I must emphasise that the various talent admission schemes with different positionings all have clear eligibility criteria and vetting procedures. Under current laws, anyone who furnishes false information or makes false representation to the ImmD are liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years. The ImmD has a rigorous and effective mechanism in place for assessing each application under the talent admission schemes in a rigorous manner. This is to ensure that only applicants meeting the relevant eligibility criteria and immigration policies will be admitted into Hong Kong for stay. The approved applicants are all talents with competitiveness that Hong Kong aims to attract. Based on our observations, talent who have not yet secured employment are genuinely interested in pursuing long-term development in Hong Kong. We are not aware of anyone coming to Hong Kong under the guise of career development just to give birth.
 
     The Government understands the public expectation about proper use of limited public resources. At present, the incoming talent represents only a small fraction of Hong Kong's overall population, and have not put pressure on local resources. The HHB has no plan at the moment to impose different restrictions or requirements on maternity service bookings based on the route through which individuals obtain their Hong Kong residency. However, the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) will continue to keep in view the settlement of incoming talents in Hong Kong, including collecting data on talent's childbirth, to facilitate better resource planning by relevant policy bureaux. If any abuse of the talent admission schemes is detected, the Government will take appropriate action.
 
(3) To provide the basis for the Government's planning in various policy areas and resource allocation, the C&SD and the LWB regularly compile updated population and manpower projection respectively to understand the trend of change in Hong Kong's population and manpower needs during the projection period. Currently, these two sets of projections have taken into account the impact of the major talent admission schemes. The next population census is scheduled to be conducted in 2026, and the LWB is now conducting a mid-term update on the manpower projection, with the results expected to be released in the fourth quarter of 2026. 
 
     The various policy bureaux will continuously review the implementation and effectiveness of the measures under their respective purviews in response to the latest demographic and manpower trends. For instance, the HB will continue to closely monitor the supply and demand of different types of housing and adjust the corresponding policies in a timely manner where necessary. The HHB will continue to deepen the reform of the healthcare system to ensure the viability of Hong Kong's healthcare system. The EDB will review education policies from time to time, with a view to meeting the needs of the society.

Ends/Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Issued at HKT 13:56

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