Expansion of Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Visitors Participating in Short-term Activities in Designated Sectors announced
******************************************************************************************
With a view to facilitating business, promoting development of relevant sectors and raising Hong Kong's international profile, the Government launched the 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 STV Scheme in June 2024. As of end-September 2025, the Pilot Scheme/STV Scheme had benefited over 38 000 non-local talent, enabling their entry into Hong Kong as visitors to participate in various short-term activities, including the International Chinese New Year Night Parade, the Asian Financial Forum, the Hong Kong Sevens, the Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo and other major events. The STV Scheme enables more talent to visit Hong Kong for exchanges, giving full play to Hong Kong's strength as a "super connector" under the "one country, two systems" framework.
Upon review, the Government decided to further expand the STV Scheme to cover five new sectors, namely "Environment", "Occupational Safety and Health", "Maritime", "Think Tanks" and "Others", with the addition of more authorised organisations and specified short-term activities in seven existing sectors. For more details, please refer to the Annex. Among them, the Government will introduce the "Others" sector, enabling relevant policy bureaux/departments to invite non-local talent to come to Hong Kong under the scheme to participate in events or activities they host, cohost and/or support as necessary. This will inject greater flexibility into the STV Scheme, thereby helping more non-local talent to visit Hong Kong for exchanges. Other arrangements will remain unchanged after the expansion.
The expanded STV Scheme will cover the following 17 sectors with a total of some-490 authorised organisations:
- Medical and Healthcare;
- Higher Education;
- Arts and Culture;
- Sports;
- Heritage;
- Creative Industries;
- Innovation and Technology;
- The Hong Kong Laureate Forum;
- Aviation;
- International/Mega events;
- Finance;
- Development and Construction;
- Environment;
- Occupational Safety and Health;
- Maritime;
- Think Tanks; and
- Others.
Under the STV Scheme, organisations authorised by relevant government bureaux/departments can issue invitation letters to relevant non-local talent in their sectors. Invited persons may come to Hong Kong and participate in specified short-term activities as visitors without the need to apply for employment visas/entry permits from the Immigration Department (ImmD). Participation of the non-local talent in specified activities in Hong Kong must be conducive to economic development or achieving relevant policy objectives, without displacing the local workforce. They may participate in the specified short-term activities for up to 14 consecutive calendar days upon each arrival, and receive remuneration for the specified activities concerned. Through an established mechanism, all participating bureaux/departments would assist in ensuring that the implementation of the scheme consistently meets relevant policy objectives and will neither displace the local workforce nor constitute a risk of abuse (including illegal employment).
For more information on the STV Scheme, please visit the ImmD's website (www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/stv.html).
Ends/Friday, October 31, 2025
Issued at HKT 15:00
Issued at HKT 15:00
NNNN