Immigration boost: Hong Kong opens doors to foreign talent, adds 9 professions to fast-track talent admission

Hong Kong has broadened its Talent List to attract skilled foreign workers in key industries facing local shortages. Effective March 1, the updated list now includes 60 professions, streamlining the immigration process for qualified applicants under various entry schemes.   

Foreign professionals who meet the eligibility criteria can benefit from immigration facilitation under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS), General Employment Policy (GEP), and Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP). Employers hiring under the GEP and ASMTP no longer need to prove difficulties in local recruitment, reducing hiring delays.   

Since the revamp of QMAS on November 1 last year, applicants qualifying under the Talent List receive preferential treatment in the scheme’s General Points Test. The QMAS aims to attract highly skilled individuals to enhance Hong Kong’s economic competitiveness, allowing successful applicants to settle in the city without securing prior employment. They can also bring their spouse along.   

The latest update introduces nine new professions across financial services, innovation and technology, legal and dispute resolution, and aviation and shipping. These include accountants, financial professionals with Islamic market expertise, commodities trading specialists, systems architects, patent professionals, legal knowledge engineers, ship surveyors, green shipping professionals, and aircraft maintenance engineers.   

Applications for these admission schemes can be submitted via the Immigration Department’s electronic platform. Additionally, from February 26, 2025, at 11 a.m., a revised fee structure will apply, introducing a new application fee and a two-tiered visa issuance fee to attract top talent and capital investment.