Mainland Residents' Hong Kong Status: TTPS, QMAS, ASMTP, IANG

Mainland residents can obtain Hong Kong status mainly through the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) (TTPS), the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) (QMAS), the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP), and the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG) (IANG). The New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES) New CIES is open only to specified categories such as Chinese nationals who have acquired foreign permanent resident status, and is not generally open to ordinary mainland residents. They may also bring their spouse and children to Hong Kong under the dependant arrangement (dependant arrangement). After ordinarily residing in Hong Kong continuously for seven years, a person may apply under the law to verify their permanent resident status (seven-year permanent residency). The information in this article is current as of 7 October 2026 and is compiled from the prevailing rules of official departments including the Immigration Department.

What Exactly Does “Hong Kong Status” Mean? The Difference Between Temporary and Permanent

Hong Kong status is generally divided into two types: the limit of stay of a non-permanent resident, and the right of abode of a permanent resident. Under the Immigration Ordinance, a Chinese citizen who has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong continuously for seven years or more is a permanent resident of the HKSAR and enjoys the right of abode (eligibility list).

Permanent residents enjoy the right of entry to the HKSAR and are not subject to any condition of stay (including a limit of stay) in Hong Kong, nor can they be removed or deported. To exercise the right of abode, a person must hold a valid permanent identity card, a valid Certificate of Entitlement to the right of abode affixed to a travel document, or a valid HKSAR passport (definition).

“Ordinarily resident” means that a person resides in Hong Kong lawfully, voluntarily and for the purpose of settling there (for example, by studying, working or residing), and is regarded as ordinarily resident regardless of the length of time; temporary absence from Hong Kong is still regarded as ordinary residence. A person is not regarded as ordinarily resident if they remain in Hong Kong by unlawful entry, in breach of a condition of stay, as a contract worker from outside Hong Kong or a foreign domestic helper, as a refugee, as consular staff, as a member of the garrison, as a holder of a travel document issued by the Central People’s Government, or while serving a prison sentence (definition).

For the difference between temporary and permanent status and the one-way permit, please refer to the relevant comparison.

What Routes Are Available for Mainland Residents to Come to Hong Kong?

Mainland residents may obtain Hong Kong status through talent and employment schemes, the stay-and-employment arrangement, capital investment schemes, the dependant arrangement and the one-way permit. The eligible persons and core requirements of each route are set out below.

Route	Eligible persons (mainland residents)	Prior job offer required	Initial limit of stay	Extension pattern
TTPS	High-income individuals or graduates of qualifying universities	No	Category A: 36 months; Categories B and C: 24 months	Generally not more than three years or until the expiry of the employment contract; top talent: six years
QMAS	Highly skilled talents or outstanding professionals	No	General Points Test: 36 months; Achievement-based Points Test: eight years	General Points Test: “3+2” years; top talent: five years
ASMTP	Persons with special skills, knowledge or experience needed in Hong Kong but lacking locally	Must have a confirmed job offer	36 months or the employment contract period (whichever is shorter)	Generally “3-2” years; top talent: five years
IANG	Non-local graduates of Hong Kong full-time degree programmes (including mainland students)	Fresh graduates: no; non-fresh graduates: yes	24 months	Generally “3-3” years; top talent: six years
New CIES	Limited to Chinese nationals who have acquired foreign permanent resident status, etc. (not generally open to ordinary mainland residents)	Not applicable (investment category)	Not more than 24 months	Generally not more than three years

The dependant arrangement and the one-way permit are covered in dedicated sections below.

How to Choose Between the TTPS, QMAS and ASMTP?

The positioning and entry requirements of the three schemes differ markedly, and the choice may be made according to whether one already has a job, as well as one’s academic qualifications and income.

Scheme	Prior job offer required	Main eligibility	Initial limit of stay	Extension pattern
TTPS	No need to find a job first	Category A: annual income of HK$2.5 million or above in the preceding year; Category B: bachelor’s degree from a qualifying university plus at least three years’ experience within the five years immediately preceding the application; Category C: bachelor’s degree from a qualifying university but less than three years’ experience (subject to an annual quota, allocated on a first-come, first-served basis)	Category A: 36 months; Categories B and C: 24 months	Generally not more than three years or until the expiry of the employment contract; top talent: six years
QMAS	No need to be employed first	General Points Test: meeting 6 of the 12 assessment criteria; or Achievement-based Points Test: possessing exceptional talent and outstanding achievements	General Points Test: 36 months; Achievement-based Points Test: eight years	General Points Test: “3+2” years; top talent: five years
ASMTP	Must have a confirmed job offer	Possessing special skills, knowledge or experience needed in Hong Kong but lacking locally; the post is genuinely vacant and not readily filled by a local person	36 months or the employment contract period (whichever is shorter)	Generally “3-2” years; top talent: five years

Neither the TTPS nor the QMAS requires a prior local employer; the ASMTP requires a prior job offer.

Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS)

The TTPS is for high-income individuals and graduates of the world’s top universities from around the world. Applicants need not have found a job in Hong Kong at the time of application, but it is not open to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba or North Korea (scheme details).

Category A/B/C Eligibility and Initial Limit of Stay

Category A: an annual income of HK$2.5 million or above (or its equivalent in foreign currency) in the full year preceding the application. Category B: a bachelor’s degree awarded by a qualifying university, with at least three years’ accumulated work experience within the five years immediately preceding the application. Category C: a bachelor’s degree awarded by a qualifying university within the five years immediately preceding the application, but with less than three years’ work experience; this category is subject to an annual quota and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Category A may be granted an initial stay of 36 months, and Categories B and C 24 months, neither being subject to other conditions of stay. Under the TTPS, each person may be approved for this “initial stay arrangement” only once.

Annual income refers to assessable employment or business income, including salaries, allowances, share options and profits from a company the applicant owns; personal investment income is not counted. Qualifying universities are based on the consolidated list of the Labour and Welfare Bureau; honorary bachelor’s degrees are not accepted, and an academic certification from a third-party accreditation body or the awarding institution must be submitted.

Mainland residents must attach a “consent letter for working in Hong Kong” (issued by their current employer or the relevant mainland authority) to their application, and upon approval must apply to the relevant mainland authorities for an Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao and complete the relevant procedures for going to Hong Kong.

Extension of Stay Requirements and Time Limits

An application to extend the stay may be made online within three months before the limit of stay expires, and should be submitted at least six weeks before expiry. At the time of application, the applicant must show that they are employed in Hong Kong and earning a stable income, or have established or are participating in a business in Hong Kong.

An extension is generally granted for not more than three years, or until the expiry of the employment contract (whichever is shorter). The Immigration Department generally takes about two to three weeks to process. Not every application for an extension of stay is necessarily approved.

Top Talent Category (Six Years)

A person who has been approved under the TTPS to stay in Hong Kong for not less than two years and whose assessable income for salaries tax in the preceding tax assessment year reached HK$2 million or above may apply for an extension under the top talent category; successful applicants are generally granted an extension of six years. Category B and C applicants who have not submitted an academic certification of their bachelor’s degree must submit it together with the extension application.

Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS)

The QMAS aims to attract highly skilled talents or outstanding professionals to settle in Hong Kong, and applicants need not have a prior local employer (scheme details). Applicants must first meet four basic eligibility requirements: aged 18 or above; able to support their living expenses in Hong Kong without relying on public assistance; no criminal record or adverse immigration record; and possessing good academic qualifications (normally a recognised university degree). Those who fail to provide proof will have their application rejected immediately.

Current Assessment Mechanism: General Points Test or Achievement-based Points Test

Eligible applicants may choose to be assessed under the “General Points Test” or the “Achievement-based Points Test”; only one may be chosen, and only one application may be submitted at a time (assessment mechanism).

The current eligibility threshold is meeting 6 of the 12 assessment criteria; only those who meet the threshold may submit online. The threshold may change from time to time without prior notice. The official page contains no wording of “points” or “annual quota”; applicants who meet the Talent List requirements may, after assessment, be given priority consideration under the General Points Test.

The 12 Criteria of the General Points Test

The 12 assessment criteria of the General Points Test cover six areas:

Aged 50 or below.
Holding a master’s or doctoral degree awarded by a qualifying university; whether the degree is related to a STEM subject (science, technology, engineering, mathematics).
Good writing and speaking ability in two languages; good English writing and speaking ability.
Not less than five years’ work experience at degree level or expert level; three years’ experience in a multinational corporation or renowned enterprise; three years’ experience in a specified field (innovation and technology, finance, international trade); two years’ international work experience.
Annual income of HK$1 million or above in the year immediately preceding the application.
Currently owning a business entity whose annual profit in the year immediately preceding the application reached HK$5 million or above; or currently owning a listed company.

Achievement-based Points Test

The Achievement-based Points Test is for those with exceptional talent or skills and outstanding achievements, and the requirements are extremely high. An applicant must have won an outstanding achievement award (such as an Olympic medal, a Nobel Prize, or a national or international award), or have work recognised by peers and making a major contribution to the field, in order to be regarded as eligible; those who do not qualify will have their application rejected immediately. Those approved under this route are generally granted an initial stay of eight years.

Limit of Stay and Extension

Those approved under the General Points Test are generally granted an initial stay of 36 months. For an extension, the applicant must show that they have taken steps to settle in Hong Kong (such as taking up employment or establishing a business); approvals are generally granted on a “3+2” year basis. Those who have stayed in Hong Kong for not less than two years and whose assessable income for salaries tax in the preceding tax assessment year reached HK$2 million or above are generally granted an extension of five years. The application must be made online within three months before the limit of stay expires.

Meeting the threshold does not equal approval. Applications meeting more assessment criteria receive higher priority; the Director of Immigration has absolute discretion to approve or reject any application under either assessment mechanism without giving reasons.

Mainland residents must submit a “consent letter for residence in Hong Kong” issued by their mainland employer or personnel file authority, and upon approval must apply for an Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao and complete the relevant procedures for going to Hong Kong. The applicant must also demonstrate that their net personal assets are sufficient to cover the living and accommodation expenses of themselves and their dependants in Hong Kong for the first 12 months.

Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP)

Mainland Chinese residents with special skills, knowledge or experience needed in Hong Kong but lacking locally may apply to work in Hong Kong under the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP). The scheme has no quota restriction and is not limited by industry; its technical talent category (non-degree specialists aged 18 to 40) is subject to a quota and limited to designated technical trades in selected industries.

The General Employment Policy (GEP) expressly does not apply to Chinese residents in the mainland, who should apply under the ASMTP (General Employment Policy).

Application Eligibility (Prior Employment Required)

The applicant must have a confirmed job offer, and the work must be related to their academic qualifications or work experience and cannot be readily filled by a local person. The remuneration package must be broadly comparable to the market level for professionals in Hong Kong at the time. Academic qualifications normally mean a bachelor’s degree in the relevant field, though in special circumstances proven professional ability and experience may be accepted.

The applicant, accompanying dependants and employer must submit the application online, together with a consent letter for working in Hong Kong issued by the mainland employer or authority.

Processing Time, Initial Stay and Extension

After receiving all required documents and the application fee, the Immigration Department generally takes four weeks to process. The first stay is generally granted for 36 months as an employee, or according to the valid period of the employment contract (whichever is shorter).

An extension may be applied for within three months before expiry, and is generally granted on a “3-2” year basis. Successful applicants may only take up the approved employment, and a change of job requires prior approval from the Director of Immigration. Mainland residents currently staying in Hong Kong as visitors cannot rely on submitting an application as a reason to extend their stay.

Those who have been employed in Hong Kong under the scheme for not less than two years and whose assessable income for salaries tax in the preceding tax assessment year reached HK$2 million or above may have their extension assessed under the top talent category, and are generally granted five years. Where the recruited post is a profession listed on the Talent List, or the post has an annual salary of HK$2 million or above, the employer need not prove difficulty in local recruitment (facilitation measures).

IANG: Stay of Non-local Graduates

Non-local students (including mainland students) who have completed full-time, locally accredited programmes in Hong Kong and obtained a bachelor’s degree or above, as well as graduates of full-time programmes offered by collaborative institutions in the mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, may apply under IANG to stay in or return to Hong Kong for work. This arrangement has no quota restriction and is not limited by industry.

Fresh and Non-fresh Graduates

Those who submit an application within six months from the date of graduation are non-local fresh graduates, who need not have found a job when applying and may stay in Hong Kong for 24 months. Those who submit after six months are non-fresh graduates, who must first secure employment (the post is normally held by a degree holder and the salary is at market level), and may also stay in Hong Kong for 24 months.

Fresh graduate applications take about two weeks to process, and non-fresh about four weeks. June to August each year is the peak application period, when processing times may be longer.

Extension (“3-3” Years) and the Top Talent Category

An extension application must be made online within three months before expiry, and the applicant must have secured employment or shown proof of business. Approval is generally granted on a “3-3” year basis. Those who have stayed in Hong Kong for not less than two years and whose assessable income for salaries tax in the preceding tax assessment year reached HK$2 million or above may apply under the top talent category and are generally granted an extension of six years.

Approved persons are subject only to a limit of stay, and may freely take up and change jobs without prior approval from the Director of Immigration.

New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES): Asset and Investment Thresholds

The New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES) is open only to foreign nationals, Chinese nationals who have acquired foreign permanent resident status, residents of the Macao Special Administrative Region, and Chinese residents of Taiwan. Ordinary mainland residents (those who have not acquired foreign permanent resident status) are not within its scope.

Asset and Investment Thresholds

The applicant must have continuously and beneficially owned net assets with a net value of not less than HK$30 million (or its equivalent in foreign currency) throughout the entire six-month period preceding the net asset review application. They must also invest a net value of not less than HK$30 million in permitted investment assets wholly and beneficially owned by them.

Of this, at least HK$27 million must be invested in permitted financial assets and/or real estate, and a further HK$3 million must be placed into the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES) Investment Portfolio. Permitted financial assets include stocks, debt securities and subordinated debt (with no investment cap); qualifying collective investment schemes, limited partnership funds, certificates of deposit, non-residential and/or residential real estate are subject to caps.

Real Estate Investment Caps (from 17 September 2025)

The overall cap on real estate counting towards the minimum investment threshold is HK$15 million, of which the cap on residential real estate investment is HK$10 million. The transaction price threshold for a single residential property was lowered from HK$50 million to HK$30 million. The amendments apply only to real estate investments with a completion date of 17 September 2025 or later. The combined cap on private open-ended fund companies and private limited partnership fund interests is HK$10 million; the cap on certificates of deposit is HK$3 million.

Application Process and Limit of Stay

First apply to InvestHK for a net asset review, then apply to the Immigration Department. Those granted “approval in principle” may stay in Hong Kong as visitors for not more than 180 days to make the investment. After completing the investment and having it verified by InvestHK, they receive “formal approval” and are generally granted a stay of not more than 24 months; extensions generally do not exceed three years.

For net asset review applications submitted on or after 1 November 2026, financial assets purchased through a non-designated account will not meet the investment requirement review; transfers from a non-designated account to a designated account will no longer be accepted (scheme website).

Dependants: How Spouses and Children Can Accompany

The general dependant entry arrangement does not apply to Chinese residents in the mainland, unless their sponsor is a person who came to Hong Kong under a designated scheme (dependant arrangement).

Which Sponsors May Bring Dependants

Persons who came to Hong Kong under designated schemes such as the TTPS, QMAS, ASMTP, IANG and New CIES may bring their spouse (or recognised partner) and unmarried dependant children under 18. A Hong Kong permanent resident or a sponsor not subject to a limit of stay may additionally bring parents aged 60 or above (mainland spouses and parents reuniting with Hong Kong residents do so through the one-way permit).

Dependants must be able to provide reasonable proof of the relationship; the sponsor must be able to maintain the dependant’s living conditions in Hong Kong above a basic level and provide suitable accommodation. The Immigration Department generally takes six weeks to process an application for a dependant to reside in Hong Kong.

TTPS dependants may work and study in Hong Kong without restriction, and their limit of stay is generally tied to that of the sponsor.

The Difference Between the One-way Permit and Talent Schemes

Mainland residents who wish to come to Hong Kong to reunite with family must apply to the relevant authorities in their place of household registration in the mainland for an Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to Hong Kong and Macao (commonly known as the “one-way permit”). The one-way permit policy is intended to allow mainland residents to come to Hong Kong to reunite with family in an orderly manner; it is approved by the mainland authorities, and the Hong Kong Immigration Department does not handle such applications (LegCo reply).

The daily quota of 150 one-way permits is an upper limit; the mainland authorities process applications according to the actual number of eligible applications and strictly according to the approval criteria, and do not necessarily use up all 150 quotas. Mainland spouses need to wait a certain number of years before becoming eligible to come to Hong Kong on a one-way permit.

Talent and employment schemes differ in nature from the one-way permit: the former are based on the applicant’s own qualifications, academic background, income or investment, while the latter is based on family reunion. For the difference between the two, please refer to the comparison of permanent and temporary status and the one-way permit.

After Seven Years of Ordinary Residence: Verifying Permanent Resident Status

Persons who came to Hong Kong under the QMAS, ASMTP or New CIES and have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong continuously for not less than seven years may apply under the law for the right of abode in the HKSAR (eligibility list). A New CIES participant who has complied with the scheme’s requirements continuously for not less than seven years but fails to meet the ordinary residence requirement may, after seven years, apply to stay in Hong Kong without conditions of stay.

Verification Procedure and Forms

Before registering for a permanent identity card, a person must first apply to “verify eligibility for a permanent identity card”. At the time of submission, the applicant must be physically present in Hong Kong and lawfully staying; a person claiming the right of abode bears the burden of proof.

A Chinese citizen claiming continuous residence for seven years must provide documentary proof of continuous ordinary residence for seven years (such as school documents, employment proof, official receipts, bank statements, salaries tax demands, etc.) and travel documents showing the date of arrival and conditions of stay. Once verified, the conditions of stay are cancelled, and those aged 11 or above must attend the Registration of Persons Office in person to obtain a permanent identity card.

As for forms: persons aged 18 or above holding a one-way permit use Form ROP169, children under 18 holding a one-way permit use Form ROP170, and other applicants use Form ROP145. Applications may be submitted by post, through a drop box, or online (verify eligibility).

Children of Permanent Residents Born in the Mainland

Chinese children born outside Hong Kong to a Hong Kong permanent resident may apply for a Certificate of Entitlement to the right of abode if, at the time of birth, the father or mother was a Chinese citizen born in Hong Kong or ordinarily resident in Hong Kong continuously for seven years or more. Mainland residents apply through the exit-entry administration department of the public security authority in their place of household registration; the certificate is affixed to the one-way permit for entry, and no fee is charged for the application. Under normal circumstances, 95% of applications can be processed within three months after the Immigration Department receives the required documents.

For documents and procedures relating to the verification of permanent resident status, please refer to permanent resident document application and process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Apply for Hong Kong Status Without a Job?

Yes. The TTPS, QMAS and IANG fresh graduate category all require no prior job offer. Conditions: you must meet the respective eligibility criteria of each scheme; the ASMTP requires a confirmed job offer first.

How Long Before Hong Kong Status Becomes Permanent?

You must have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong continuously for not less than seven years before you may apply under the law to verify your permanent resident status. Condition: the seven years must be lawful, voluntary residence for the purpose of settling; periods spent in Hong Kong as a contract worker from outside Hong Kong, a foreign domestic helper, or in breach of a condition of stay, etc., do not count.

Can Mainland Residents Apply for the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme?

Ordinary mainland residents are not within the scope of the scheme. Condition: you must belong to a designated category such as a Chinese national who has acquired foreign permanent resident status, a foreign national, a Macao resident, or a Chinese resident of Taiwan.

Can Mainland Residents Use the General Employment Policy?

No. The General Employment Policy expressly does not apply to Chinese residents in the mainland. Condition: mainland residents should apply to work in Hong Kong under the ASMTP.

Does the QMAS Still Have an Annual Quota and Points System?

Under the current mechanism, the “General Points Test” requires meeting 6 of the 12 assessment criteria, or the two criteria of the “Achievement-based Points Test”. Condition: the official page contains no wording of “points” or “annual quota”, and the eligibility threshold may change from time to time.

What Is the Fastest Way for Mainlanders to Move to Hong Kong?

Routes that require no prior job offer and have shorter processing times include the TTPS (generally four weeks after the Immigration Department receives all documents) and the IANG fresh graduate category (generally about two weeks). Conditions: the TTPS requires meeting Category A, B or C eligibility, and IANG requires being a graduate of a Hong Kong full-time degree programme and submitting within six months of graduation.

Official Sources

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