LCQ9: Enhancing talent admission schemes
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Question:
At present, Hong Kong attracts global talent to pursue development in Hong Kong through seven talent admission schemes (including the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS), the General Employment Policy (for non-Mainland residents), the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (for Mainland residents), the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the Technology Talent Admission Scheme, the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates, and the Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents). It is reported that among the talent admitted to Hong Kong through these schemes in the past few years, a relatively large proportion came from the Mainland, while the proportion of overseas talent was comparatively small. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the respective numbers and percentages of Mainland applicants and overseas applicants from places other than the Mainland among those admitted to Hong Kong through the seven talent admission schemes in each of the past three years, with a breakdown by the applicants' regions or countries of origin (in particular Association of Southeast Asia Nations countries and the Belt and Road countries); whether the authorities have assessed the reasons for the relatively high proportion of Mainland applicants under the various talent admission schemes;
(2) whether the authorities have plans to enhance the various talent admission schemes and related supporting measures in order to attract more overseas talent from places other than the Mainland to come to Hong Kong, such as by adjusting the eligibility criteria according to the talent shortage situation, facilitating the approval process or providing living support for overseas applicants, conducting research studies on Hong Kong's future talent needs in phases, and collaborating with higher education institutions to develop talent pools for relevant industries; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) as there are views pointing out that talent admitted to Hong Kong under TTPS will be granted an initial stay of 24 months or 36 months, during which there is no requirement on the number of days of stay in Hong Kong, and that, upon applying for extension of stay, applicants are only required to prove that they have taken up employment or established/joined a business in Hong Kong, whether the authorities will consider, among other things, introducing a minimum stay requirement for such talent, tightening the conditions for granting extension of stay or requiring applicants to submit records of the number of days they have stayed in Hong Kong when applying for extension of stay, so as to ensure that the talent coming to Hong Kong will stay for a prolonged period to contribute to the local economy; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Outside talent coming to Hong Kong for development can help alleviate manpower shortage, enrich the local talent pool and spur industry development, thereby making contribution to our economy. The Government has been implementing various talent admission schemes with different positioning to proactively trawl for talent with diversified backgrounds to come to Hong Kong to build a quality talent pool for meeting Hong Kong's development needs. The Government has since late 2022 implemented an array of talent attraction measures. As at end-February this year, more than 280 000 worldwide talent from diversified industries have been attracted to work and pursue development in Hong Kong under the various talent admission schemes. In the World Talent Ranking 2025 published by the International Institute for Management Development, Hong Kong leaped to fourth globally, marking the highest-ever ranking. This is clear evidence that the talent attraction policy measures implemented by the current-term Government are in the right direction.
Our reply to the Member's questions, in consultation with the Immigration Department (ImmD), is as follows:
(1) In the past three years, nearly 600 000 applications were received and over 410 000 applications were approved under the various talent admission schemes. Of these, around 300 000 are from the Chinese Mainland, whilst nearly 110 000 are non-Mainland passport holders, i.e. about one quarter of them are from countries/regions other than the Mainland. As for the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS), which aims to attract individuals with high income or bachelor's degree graduates from top universities, over 150 000 applications have been received in the past three years, with more than 120 000 approved. About 40 per cent (about 38 000) applicants under Categories B and C graduated from bachelor's degree programmes offered by top overseas universities. They possess international perspectives and strong professional capabilities.
The breakdown of the numbers of the applications approved under the various talent admission schemes by the regions of the applicants is at Annex.
The proportion of Mainland applicants under certain talent admission schemes is relatively high, primarily reflecting the frequent economic and trade exchanges between Hong Kong and the Mainland, as well as the close linguistic, cultural, and geographical ties that promote the southbound and northbound two-way talent flow. Additionally, the active promotion of integration within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and deepened co-operation between the Mainland and Hong Kong by the Central Government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in recent years, has contributed to the increase in the number of relevant applications. However, as an international hub for high-calibre talent, Hong Kong's unique strengths hold great appeal for worldwide talent. Hong Kong Talent Engage will continue to proactively promote the city's strengths globally and attract international talent.
(2) The Government first drew up the Talent List in 2018 with a view to attracting high-quality talent from different industries and professional sectors in a more effective and focused manner. In drawing up the Talent List, the Government has considered whether talent of the professions concerned are readily available in the local employment market and whether the talent in demand cannot be nurtured by local training in good time. The Government completed the latest round of update of the Talent List on March 1, 2025 to include the industries required for the development of the "eight centres". The number of professions covered was expanded to 60 by including nine newly-added professions. At present, the Talent List is applicable to the General Employment Policy (GEP), the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals and the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS). Applicants admitted through the above schemes can enjoy immigration facilitation if their professions are covered by the Talent List. Under the GEP, employers who seek to fill vacancies falling under the professions on the Talent List are not required to provide proof to substantiate their difficulties in local recruitment when making applications, thus shortening the time to recruit outside talent. Furthermore, eligible applicants from the Mainland and overseas who meet the requirements of the Talent List will be favourably considered under the General Points Test of the QMAS after assessment.
The Government has been closely monitoring the development of the local labour market. In November 2024, the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) published the report on the 2023 Manpower Projection, with 2023 as the base year, to provide a detailed analysis of the manpower situation, occupations in demand and essential skills in 17 selected industries through 2028. The projection results have been passed to various policy bureaux and departments for reference, assisting in the formulation of corresponding strategies and measures to address the challenges of manpower shortages. Furthermore, the findings can help the education sector formulate medium-term talent training strategies for industries facing manpower shortages, in line with Hong Kong's development needs.
The LWB has commenced a mid-term update of the Manpower Projection based on the latest situation in 2025. The update will focus on analysing the impact of recent global and local developments, including changes in the economic environment, the rapid adoption of AI and digitalisation in business operations, on Hong Kong's future manpower prospects. The results of the mid-term update of the Manpower Projection are expected to be released in Q4 2026.
The Government will continue to dynamically monitor manpower changes in Hong Kong through the Manpower Projection and the follow-up survey, and review the Talent List and enhance the various talent admission schemes from time to time based on the demand for talent. At the same time, the Government will actively step up outreach and overseas promotion efforts to continue to attract and support more worldwide talent with diversified backgrounds to pursue development in Hong Kong.
(3) A person admitted to Hong Kong under the TTPS will normally be granted an initial stay of three years (Category A) or two years (Categories B and C) without other conditions of stay upon entry. Such arrangement aims to attract talent to come to Hong Kong to explore opportunities, hence for persons admitted under the TTPS, no requirement is imposed on the duration of stay in Hong Kong in the first two or three years.
When a TTPS talent applies for extension of stay, the applicant is required to provide the ImmD with concrete supporting information and documents, including employment contracts, proof and accounts of their business operation or tax demand notes, thereby proving either that they have taken up employment in Hong Kong with a stable income, or they have established or joined a business in Hong Kong. The ImmD will follow the established mechanism in examining whether an applicant meets the relevant eligibility criteria for extension of stay. In assessing an application, the ImmD will take into account various factors, including the applicant's remuneration packages, or the operation and development of the business, the economic benefits (e.g. tax paid in Hong Kong) brought about by his/her work or business, and the duration of his/her stay in Hong Kong. The Government will continue to closely monitor the progress in relation to the applications of extension of stay under the TTPS, as well as understand the employment trends and development status of talent coming to Hong Kong.
Ends/Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Issued at HKT 11:47
Issued at HKT 11:47
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