Hong Kong Work Visas: GEP vs ASMTP Eligibility and Application

As of 7 October 2026, people planning to come to work in Hong Kong may apply under the General Employment Policy (GEP) or the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP). The GEP does not apply to Chinese residents of the Mainland, who must instead apply under the ASMTP. Both schemes are open to applicants with special skills, knowledge or experience that Hong Kong needs but lacks; neither has a quota limit or restricts sectors. Applicants must already have been genuinely offered a job, and must meet criteria covering academic qualifications, job vacancies and market-rate pay.

Which schemes can I use to come to work in Hong Kong?

There are 2 main immigration arrangements for professionals who wish to work in Hong Kong. The GEP allows applicants with special skills, knowledge or experience needed in Hong Kong but in short supply to come and work here, with no quota limit and no sector restriction. The ASMTP is designed specifically for Chinese residents of the Mainland who meet the same kind of conditions, and likewise has no quota limit or sector restriction.

Both the GEP and the ASMTP also have a technical talent category. That category is for non-degree-holding technical talent aged 18 to 40 with relevant professional technical skills and experience; it is subject to a quota limit and restricted to designated technical trades.

General Employment Policy (GEP): eligibility, who it does not apply to, and the process

The GEP does not apply to Chinese residents of the Mainland, or to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and North Korea. Mainland Chinese residents must apply to come and work in Hong Kong under the ASMTP. Chinese citizens holding a People’s Republic of China passport who live overseas may apply under the GEP, but must meet the criteria and must either already hold permanent resident status overseas, or have lived overseas for not less than 1 year immediately before the application and submit the application from overseas; “overseas” does not include Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan.

Applicants must meet 5 criteria before their application can be considered for approval. The applicant has no security reason for refusal and no known record of serious crime. The applicant has a good educational background, normally meaning a bachelor’s degree in the relevant field; in special cases this may be replaced by good technical qualifications, proven professional ability and/or documented relevant experience and achievements. There is genuinely a vacancy for the position. The applicant has been genuinely offered the job, the work must relate to their academic qualifications or work experience, and the position must not be easily filled by a local. Pay and benefits (including income, housing, medical and other fringe benefits) must be broadly comparable to the prevailing market rates for specialists in Hong Kong.

Applications are submitted online, as follows:

The applicant, accompanying dependant(s) and employer submit the application online.
The applicant, accompanying dependant(s) and employer upload all supporting documents.
The applicant, accompanying dependant(s) and employer pay the relevant application fee.
The Immigration Department begins processing once all required documents and the application fee have been received.
After approval, the applicant pays the visa issuance fee through the link in the notification of result.
Once payment succeeds, the applicant downloads or prints the “e-Visa” themselves.

Regardless of the outcome, application fees paid are non-refundable. The Director of Immigration reserves the absolute discretion to refuse individual applications, even where the application meets all eligibility requirements.

For full eligibility details and process, see General Employment Policy – Immigration Department.

Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals: a dedicated arrangement for Mainland residents

The ASMTP allows Chinese residents of the Mainland with special skills, knowledge or experience that Hong Kong needs but lacks to come and work in Hong Kong. The scheme has no quota limit and no sector restriction. Its 5 eligibility criteria are the same as those under the GEP: no security reason for refusal and no record of serious crime, good educational background, a genuine vacancy, a genuine job offer for work that cannot be easily filled by a local, and pay and benefits broadly comparable to market rates.

Mainland residents must submit additional documents. The applicant must submit a letter of consent for working in Hong Kong issued by their current employer or by the relevant Mainland authority (see the appendix to the Guide for Entry for Employment as Professionals in Hong Kong, ID(C)991). After approval, the applicant must apply to the relevant Mainland authorities for an Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao and the relevant endorsement for entry to Hong Kong. Mainland Chinese residents currently staying in Hong Kong as visitors cannot request an extension of stay on the grounds that they have submitted an ASMTP application.

For full details, see Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals – Immigration Department.

What is the difference between the General Employment Policy and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals

The 2 schemes have broadly the same application criteria, limit of stay, extension pattern and fee structure. The main difference is who they apply to: the GEP does not apply to Chinese residents of the Mainland, while the ASMTP is designed specifically for them and includes Mainland-specific arrangements such as the letter of consent for working in Hong Kong and the exit-entry permit.

Item	General Employment Policy (GEP)	Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP)
Who it applies to	Applicants with special skills, knowledge or experience that Hong Kong needs but lacks; includes Chinese citizens holding a Chinese passport who live overseas and meet the conditions	Chinese residents of the Mainland with special skills, knowledge or experience that Hong Kong needs but lacks
Who it does not apply to	Chinese residents of the Mainland; nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and North Korea	—
Quota and sectors	No quota limit, no sector restriction	No quota limit, no sector restriction
Application criteria	5 criteria	The same 5 criteria
Extra requirements for Mainland residents	Not applicable	Letter of consent for working in Hong Kong; exit-entry permit and endorsement after approval

How the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) and Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) divide roles

The key difference between the 3 schemes is whether a job must already be in place, and how free you are to change jobs once approved. Both the GEP and the ASMTP require the applicant to have been genuinely offered a job, and ordinary holders must obtain the Director of Immigration’s approval in advance to change jobs. Once approved, TTPS holders may freely take up or change employment and establish or participate in a business; QMAS holders may freely take up and change employment; neither requires prior approval.

Item	GEP/ASMTP	TTPS	QMAS
Must secure a job before applying	Must have been genuinely offered a job	No need to have found a job in Hong Kong first	No need to be hired by a local employer first
Changing jobs	Prior approval generally required; top talent category need only notify	Free to change, no approval needed	Free to take up or change employment
Initial stay	Generally 36 months, or as per the contract (whichever is shorter)	Category A: 36 months; Categories B/C: 24 months	Generally 36 months under the General Points Test
Extension for top talent	Generally 5 years	Generally 6 years	Generally 5 years (General Points Test)
Processing time	Usually 4 weeks	Usually 4 weeks	Selection exercises held periodically

For TTPS and QMAS eligibility and renewal details, see Top Talent Pass Scheme and Quality Migrant Admission Scheme.

Technical talent category: a quota-limited alternative route

The technical talent category targets a different group from the professionals described above and is subject to a quota. It is for non-degree-holding technical talent aged 18 to 40 with relevant professional technical skills and experience, and is restricted to designated technical trades.

The technical talent list covers 8 designated technical trades: new industrialisation technicians, nurses, aircraft maintenance technicians, marine technicians (local vessels), information technology technicians, lift/escalator technicians, building information modelling coordinators, and electrical installation technicians. During the first 3 years (30 June 2025 to 29 June 2028), a total of 10 000 application quotas are set aside, with each designated technical trade capped at 3 000 quotas; quotas are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

There are separate rules on pay and stay. Pay and benefits must be broadly comparable to the market, and must not be lower than the median income of persons in Hong Kong holding post-secondary non-degree qualifications at the time (whichever is the higher). On first entry, holders may generally stay for 36 months; those who have not yet obtained the required local professional registration or licence generally get 24 months. Extensions are generally granted for no more than 36 months, or for the remaining contract validity period (whichever is shorter). Technical talent may not change technical trades; after the contract ends they must depart within 2 months or before the limit of stay expires, whichever is earlier.

For details, see Technical talent category – Immigration Department and Technical Talent List.

Application documents, processing time and limit of stay

The applicant, dependant(s) and employer must each upload documents. The applicant must upload a recent photograph, Hong Kong Identity Card (if any), proof of academic qualifications and relevant work experience; Chinese citizens holding a Chinese passport who live overseas must additionally upload proof of overseas residence. The employer must upload the employment contract or letter of appointment (stating the position, salary, other benefits and period of employment), the Business Registration Certificate, proof of the company’s financial standing, and company background documents; a company incorporated within the past 12 months must also submit a detailed business plan. Each accompanying dependant must upload a recent photograph, a valid travel document, and proof of their relationship to the applicant (such as a marriage certificate or birth certificate). For the document list, see the visa pathway document checklist.

Facilitation measures can reduce some documents. If, within the 24 months immediately before a new application is submitted, the sponsoring company has had 1 non-local employee successfully granted an employment or training visa/entry permit, or if the sponsoring company is listed on the Main Board or Growth Enterprise Market of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, there is no need to submit the Business Registration Certificate, proof of the company’s financial standing, company background details, business plan or staff list. For an intra-company transfer (the transferee comes from an office outside Hong Kong, the position is managerial or professional, they have worked for the company for not less than 1 year, pay is equivalent to market rates, and the number of sponsorships is reasonable), there is no need to submit proof of local recruitment.

Facilitation measures can also reduce some proofs. Where the position is a profession on the Talent List, or the total annual package reaches HK$2 million or more, there is no need to prove that local recruitment is difficult. Applicants holding a bachelor’s degree or above from an internationally known institution, or a master’s or doctoral degree relevant to the field of work, do not need to submit proof of work experience. Those previously approved under the GEP (employment or investment category), the ASMTP, the Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS) or QMAS (except dependant applications) do not need to submit proof of academic qualifications and work experience. The Immigration Department may still require proof on a case-by-case basis.

“Internationally known institutions” has a separate definition. Officially, it means a university/institution ranked in the top 100 in at least 1 of 4 rankings — the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the QS World University Rankings, the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Academic Ranking of World Universities, and the U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings — or the top 30 institutions on the U.S. News & World Report National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking.

Processing time is usually 4 weeks. Once all required documents and the relevant application fee have been received, the Immigration Department generally needs 4 weeks to process; if the documents and fee are not all received, processing cannot begin.

The limit of stay is based on the employment contract. On first entry, successful applicants are generally permitted to stay for 36 months as an employee, or for the validity period of the employment contract, whichever is shorter. Extensions for successful applicants are usually granted on a “3-2 years” basis, or according to the contract validity period (whichever is shorter).

For details of the facilitation measures, see Facilitation measures under the General Employment Policy and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals – Immigration Department; for the full guide, see Guide for Entry for Employment as Professionals in Hong Kong ID(C)991.

Talent List and exemptions from the market supply test

Where a position falls within an industry or professional field listed on the Talent List, it may be exempt from the market supply test. The employer may therefore apply directly, without having to prove that local recruitment is difficult; eligible positions are set out in the official guidance. The Talent List also applies to QMAS, but with a different function: QMAS applicants who meet the Talent List requirements, once assessed, may be given priority under the General Points Test, and must provide documents proving they meet the qualification and experience requirements of the corresponding profession.

The exemption guidance sets out general criteria. The position must be filled by an applicant holding a qualification no lower than a bachelor’s degree. The position should be at supervisory, managerial or professional level and filled by someone with relevant work experience; vacancies that can be filled by fresh graduates generally are not eligible. Pay must be broadly commensurate with the market, and vacancies with a monthly salary below HK$30,000 generally are not eligible (salary refers to the total remuneration package, which may include a housing allowance and so on).

Fee structure: new fees for specified schemes

The GEP and the ASMTP are both “specified schemes” under Schedule 2 of the Immigration Regulations (Cap. 115A). The application fee is HK$600 per application for the principal applicant or a dependant. After approval, the visa issuance fee is charged on a 2-tier basis: HK$1,300 where the relevant period exceeds 180 days, and HK$600 where it does not exceed 180 days. The new fees apply from 11:00 am on 26 February 2025, and application fees are non-refundable regardless of the outcome.

For fee details, see New fee structure for visa applications under specified schemes – Immigration Department.

Extension of stay and changing employer

Extensions must be applied for within the permitted window. An applicant may apply to extend their limit of stay within the 3 months before it expires. An extension application should in all cases be submitted at least 6 weeks before the limit of stay expires. Once the documents and application fee have been received, processing generally takes about 2 to 3 weeks. Not all extension applications are necessarily approved.

The extension process is as follows:

The applicant applies within the 3 months before the limit of stay expires.
The applicant submits at least 6 weeks before expiry.
The applicant must be in Hong Kong when submitting.
Where no change of job is involved, the applicant uploads a valid travel document, the Hong Kong Identity Card and a letter from the current employer.
Where a change of job is involved, the applicant submits the supporting documents set out in Part VII(B) of the Guide for Entry for Employment as Professionals in Hong Kong, ID(C)991.
The Immigration Department processes the application in about 2 to 3 weeks once the documents and application fee have been received.

Changing jobs requires prior approval. Holders approved under the GEP or the ASMTP may only take up employment approved by the Director of Immigration, and must obtain approval in advance to change jobs. Members of the top talent category (those subject only to the limit of stay) need only notify the Immigration Department through its online services system to change jobs.

The extension conditions for the top talent category are clear. An applicant who has been approved under the scheme to take up employment in Hong Kong as a professional for not less than 2 years, and whose assessable income for salaries tax in the preceding year of assessment reached HK$2 million or more, may apply for extension under the top talent category, and will generally be granted an extension of stay of 5 years free of other conditions of stay. The applicant must provide documents issued by the Inland Revenue Department, such as a notice of assessment, as proof.

Dependant arrangements

GEP and ASMTP applicants may act as sponsors and bring their family to Hong Kong. An applicant may bring their spouse (or the other partner in a civil union or partnership recognised locally) and unmarried dependant children under 18. The conditions are that reasonable proof of the relationship can be provided, the dependant has no known adverse record, and the sponsor is able to provide the dependant with a standard of living well above the basic level and suitable accommodation in Hong Kong.

Dependants’ limit of stay is generally tied to that of the sponsor. Under current policy, dependants in the above categories may work and study in Hong Kong without restriction. A dependant may apply to extend their limit of stay within the 3 months before it expires, provided the applicant remains eligible to reside in Hong Kong as a dependant and the sponsor remains a genuine Hong Kong resident residing in Hong Kong; for a child born in Hong Kong to parents who are Hong Kong non-permanent residents, the first application additionally requires a birth certificate, Form ID 235B and the parents’ marriage certificate. For dependant visas, see Dependant visa.

Right of Abode and arrangements for returning to Hong Kong

Apply for the Right of Abode after 7 years of continuous ordinary residence. A person who has taken up employment in Hong Kong under the GEP or the ASMTP and has been ordinarily resident in Hong Kong continuously for not less than 7 years may apply according to law for the Right of Abode in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. For the relevant pathway, see Seven-year permanent residency.

Non-permanent residents do not need a return visa to come back to Hong Kong. Non-permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including GEP and ASMTP holders and their dependants) do not need a return visa to enter Hong Kong, provided their basis for obtaining resident status in Hong Kong has not changed and they return within their approved limit of stay.

Frequently asked questions

Can Mainland residents apply under the General Employment Policy?

No. The GEP does not apply to Chinese residents of the Mainland. Mainland Chinese residents with special skills, knowledge or experience that Hong Kong needs but lacks must apply to come and work in Hong Kong under the ASMTP.

Do I need a job first for a talent professional visa?

Yes, a job is needed first. Both the GEP and the ASMTP require the applicant to have been genuinely offered a job, where the work relates to their qualifications or experience and cannot be easily filled by a local.

Can I bring my family on a work visa?

Yes — a spouse and unmarried dependant children under 18 may be brought. The applicant must act as sponsor and prove the relationship, show that the dependant has no adverse record, and show that the sponsor can provide a standard of living well above the basic level and suitable accommodation.

What are the conditions for renewing a work visa?

The application must be made within the 3 months before the limit of stay expires and submitted at least 6 weeks before expiry, and the applicant must be in Hong Kong when submitting. Whether it is approved is decided by the Immigration Department on a case-by-case basis; not all extension applications are necessarily approved.

Is changing jobs more flexible after approval under TTPS or QMAS than under GEP/ASMTP?

More flexible. Once approved, TTPS holders may freely take up or change employment and establish or participate in a business within their limit of stay, and QMAS holders may freely take up and change employment, neither requiring prior approval; ordinary holders of the GEP/ASMTP must obtain the Director of Immigration’s approval in advance to change jobs.

Official sources

This article is a compilation of policy information and does not constitute legal advice; policies are subject to the latest announcements from official departments such as the Immigration Department.