Hong Kong Top Talent Pass Scheme: 3 Categories of Foreign Workers Who Can Apply

• Hong Kong has opened its doors to skilled foreign nationals through a structured talent scheme with three distinct entry categories
• Applicants do not need a job offer before arriving, giving them freedom to explore opportunities in the city first
• Depending on the category, successful applicants can secure between 24 and 36 months of initial stay in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is actively courting global talent through its Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS), a programme administered by the Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region that targets high-income professionals and university graduates from around the world.

One of the scheme's more notable features is that prospective applicants are not required to secure employment before submitting their application, giving them the flexibility to arrive in the city and explore career options freely.

The scheme is structured around three categories, each with its own set of eligibility conditions and length of permitted stay.

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Category A is designed for high earners. To qualify, an applicant must have received an annual income of at least HK$2.5 million in the year immediately before the date of application. Those who meet this threshold are granted an initial stay of 36 months.

Category B targets university graduates who have built up meaningful professional experience. Eligible candidates must hold a degree from a recognised institution and have accumulated at least three years of work experience within the five years prior to applying. Successful applicants under this category receive an initial stay of 24 months.

Category C caters to more recent graduates from eligible universities who completed their degree within the past five years but have fewer than three years of work experience.

This category operates under an annual quota, distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Importantly, it excludes non-local students who studied full-time in an undergraduate programme accredited within Hong Kong. Category C applicants are also granted 24 months of initial stay.

Across all three categories, the initial stay period can only be granted once per applicant, regardless of which route they used to enter the scheme.

There are also nationality-based restrictions in place. Nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are not eligible to apply under any category.

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All applicants must additionally satisfy standard immigration requirements and must not have a record of serious criminal or security-related concerns. For Category C applicants specifically, available quota slots must still exist at the time of submission.

Source: YEN.com.gh