The Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) seeks to attract top talents with rich work experience and good academic qualifications from all over the world to explore opportunities in Hong Kong. These include high-income talents and graduates of the world's top universities. Applicants are not required to have secured an offer of employment in Hong Kong when they apply.
The three categories
Category A: high-income talents
Annual income of HK$2.5 million or above (or its equivalent in foreign currency) in the year immediately preceding the date of application. Annual income means taxable employment or business income, including salary, allowances, stock options and profits from self-owned companies. Income generated from personal investment is not taken into consideration. An initial stay of 36 months is normally granted.
Category B: graduates of eligible universities with work experience
Degree graduates of eligible universities with at least three years of work experience over the five years immediately preceding the date of application. An initial stay of 24 months is normally granted.
Category C: graduates of eligible universities with less than three years of work experience
Degree graduates of eligible universities in the five years immediately preceding the date of application, with less than three years of work experience. This category is subject to an annual quota, allotted on a first-come, first-served basis. Category C does not apply to non-local students who obtained their undergraduate qualification in a full-time, locally accredited programme in Hong Kong. An initial stay of 24 months is normally granted.
The eligible universities are those on the aggregate list of eligible universities compiled by the Labour and Welfare Bureau. Academic qualifications must be verified by a third-party credential verification organisation or the awarding institution, and must be equivalent to the recognised Hong Kong standard of a bachelor's degree.
Extension and right of abode
An application to extend your stay can be made online within three months before your limit of stay expires. You must show that you are employed in Hong Kong with a stable income, or that you have set up or joined a business in Hong Kong. If approved, you can generally be granted an extension of not more than three years, or until your employment contract expires in Hong Kong, whichever is shorter. After seven years of continuous ordinary residence in Hong Kong you may apply for the right of abode in accordance with the law.
Points to note
The Immigration Department may revise the eligibility criteria from time to time without prior notice, and not every application for an extension of stay is necessarily approved. The latest requirements are those published by the Immigration Department.