Top Talent Pass Scheme: Answers to 18 Practical Questions
1. What are the eligibility requirements and processing time for the Top Talent Pass Scheme?
Applications are divided into three categories:
- Category A: No educational requirement; applicants must have an annual income of HKD 2.5 million or more in the past year.
- Category B: Graduates of a globally top 100 university who have accumulated at least three years of work experience within the five years prior to application.
- Category C: Graduates of a globally top 100 university within the five years prior to application who have less than three years of work experience. This category is subject to a quota and processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Additionally, Category C does not apply to non-local students who graduated from a Hong Kong institution.
Processing Time: Approval is expected within approximately four weeks.
2. How do I prove that my income in the past year reached HKD 2.5 million or more?
Applicants under Category A can submit supporting documents issued by the relevant local authority (e.g., tax bureau).
3. What is the definition of a "globally top 100 university"?
It refers to universities/institutions included in the comprehensive list of the world's top 100 universities. However, qualifications obtained from continuing and professional education colleges, branch campuses, extension schools, or affiliated institutions of these universities will not be accepted by the Immigration Department.
4. For Category C applications, how is "within five years of graduation" calculated?
The Immigration Department will calculate based on the applicant's "year of graduation."
For example, a person who graduated from a globally top 100 university in 2018 must submit a Category C application on or before December 31, 2023.
5. What are the academic requirements for graduates of a globally top 100 university?
The qualification obtained from a globally top 100 university must be equivalent to a bachelor's degree standard recognized in Hong Kong. Honorary degrees will not be accepted by the Immigration Department.
6. If I hold a master's or doctoral degree from a globally top 100 university but not a bachelor's degree, am I eligible to apply under Category B or C of the Top Talent Pass Scheme?
No. Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree conferred by a globally top 100 university.
7. Can I submit an application before receiving my graduation certificate?
Applications submitted without a graduation certificate will not be accepted by the Immigration Department.
8. Are there any specific requirements for the "three years of work experience" under Category B?
The relevant work experience must be full-time or self-employment experience accumulated after graduation.
9. If I obtained a bachelor's degree from a local university listed as a globally top 100 university within the past five years and am eligible to apply for work in Hong Kong under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG), am I eligible to apply under Category C of the Top Talent Pass Scheme?
No.
10. If I obtained a bachelor's degree from a local globally top 100 university within the past five years and am eligible to apply for work in Hong Kong under the IANG, and I also obtained another bachelor's degree from a globally top 100 university outside Hong Kong within the past five years, am I eligible to apply under Category C of the Top Talent Pass Scheme?
As long as the bachelor's degree used for the Category C application was conferred by a globally top 100 university within the past five years, and that bachelor's degree does not qualify for the IANG, the applicant may still submit a Category C application under the Top Talent Pass Scheme.
11. If my bachelor's degree program was jointly offered by two universities, do I meet the academic qualification for Category B or C?
As long as all awarding institutions/universities listed on the applicant's graduation certificate are globally top 100 universities, the application may be submitted.
12. What is the annual quota for Category C applications?
The annual quota for Category C applications is 10,000.
13. Are the conditions of stay the same for applicants approved under Categories A, B, and C?
Generally, first-time entrants are granted permission to stay in Hong Kong for 24 months without other conditions of stay.
14. If I have come to Hong Kong under the Top Talent Pass Scheme and have found a job, do I need to notify the Immigration Department if I change jobs?
During the permitted stay, you are free to change jobs without prior approval from the Immigration Department.
15. Do I need a return visa to come back to Hong Kong?
Non-permanent residents of Hong Kong do not need a return visa, provided their status as Hong Kong residents remains unchanged and they return within the validity period of their permitted stay.
16. If I am approved to come to Hong Kong under the Top Talent Pass Scheme, can my spouse and children accompany me?
The applicant's spouse and unmarried dependent children under the age of 18 may apply to come to Hong Kong as dependents. The applicant must demonstrate the ability to support the dependents at a standard of living far above the basic level in Hong Kong and provide suitable accommodation.
17. If I have already been approved to come to Hong Kong under the Top Talent Pass Scheme, can I still apply for my dependents to join me?
Yes.
18. If I am approved to come to Hong Kong under the Top Talent Pass Scheme, can my dependents work in Hong Kong?
Persons admitted as dependents may take up employment or study in Hong Kong without restrictions.