Moving to Hong Kong: visa routes compared

The main routes from outside Hong Kong to residency are the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS), the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS), the General Employment Policy (GEP) and its Mainland counterpart the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP), the Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS), the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG), and the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES). Each permits a qualifying person to live in Hong Kong and, after ordinarily residing for a continuous period of not less than seven years, to apply for the right of abode. Information in this article is as of 7 October 2026 and reflects the current rules published by the Hong Kong Immigration Department and related official bodies.

Which Hong Kong visa routes lead to residency?

The schemes below all lead to lawful stay in Hong Kong and, through the seven-year ordinary residence rule, to the right of abode. They differ in who may apply, whether a job offer is needed, and the length of the first stay.

Each scheme is described in its own section below. The pathways overview lists all routes in one place.

Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS)

The 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. It does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Persons who wish to apply are not required to have secured an offer of employment in the HKSAR upon application. See the Top Talent Pass Scheme and the TTPS pathway page.

Categories and initial stay

The scheme has three categories.

• Category A: persons with annual income reaching HK$2.5 million or above, or its equivalent in foreign currency, in the year immediately preceding the date of application.
• Category B: degree graduates of the eligible universities with at least three years of work experience over the past five years immediately preceding the date of application.
• Category C: degree graduates of the eligible universities within five years but with less than three years of work experience, subject to an annual quota allotted on a first-come, first-served basis. Category C does not apply to non-local students who have obtained the undergraduate qualification in a full-time and locally-accredited programme in the HKSAR.

Successful applicants are normally granted an initial stay of 36 months (Category A) or 24 months (Categories B and C) on time limitation only without other conditions of stay. Each applicant can only be granted such initial stay once.

Income and academic definitions

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. Honorary bachelor’s degrees are not accepted, and applicants must submit verification proof issued by a third-party credential verification organisation or the awarding institution regarding their academic qualifications.

Processing and extension

It normally takes four weeks to process applications under the TTPS upon receipt of all the required documents and the relevant application fee. The application fee paid is non-refundable in any circumstance irrespective of the application result, and the Director of Immigration reserves absolute discretion to refuse any application even if the application meets all eligibility criteria.

Submit an application for extension of stay within three months before the limit of stay expires. Apply at least six weeks before the limit of stay expires. Prove either that you have taken up employment in the HKSAR with a stable income, or that you have established or joined in a business in the HKSAR. Successful applicants are normally granted an extension for not more than three years, or until the expiry of their employment contract in the HKSAR, whichever is shorter.

Top-tier employment stream

A TTPS entrant who has been permitted to remain in the HKSAR for not less than two years and has an assessable income for salaries tax of not less than HK$2 million in the previous year of tax assessment may apply under the top-tier employment stream and is normally granted an extension of stay for a period of six years.

Chinese citizens holding PRC passports overseas

A Chinese citizen holding a PRC passport must either have permanent residence overseas, or have been residing overseas for at least one year immediately before the submission of application and submit the application from overseas. “Overseas” means countries or territories outside the Mainland, the HKSAR, the Macao SAR and Taiwan.

Working freedom and permanent residence

Persons admitted under the TTPS, who are on time limitation only without other conditions of stay, are free to take up and change employment or to establish or join in business without the need to seek prior approval. Persons who have ordinarily resided in the HKSAR for a continuous period of not less than seven years may apply for the right of abode in accordance with the law. See the seven-year residency test.

Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS)

The QMAS seeks to attract highly skilled or talented persons to settle in Hong Kong. Applicants are not required to have a local job offer first. The scheme is not applicable to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. See the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme and the QMAS pathway page.

Prerequisites and assessment routes

Applicants must first fulfil a set of prerequisites, then be assessed via one of two routes.

The prerequisites are that the applicant is aged 18 or above, has no criminal record or adverse immigration record in Hong Kong or elsewhere, and is able to demonstrate the ability to support and accommodate himself or herself and any dependants on his or her own financial resources without relying on public assistance during the stay in Hong Kong.

There are two assessment routes: the General Points Test, which has 12 assessment criteria, and the Achievement-based Points Test, which has two assessment criteria. The prevailing passing threshold for the General Points Test is 6 out of 12. Only applicants meeting the passing threshold may submit applications via the online system, and the passing threshold is subject to change without prior notice. See QMAS assessment routes and the QMAS calculator.

General Points Test criteria

The 12 criteria cover six areas. Relevant thresholds include whether the applicant is aged 50 or below, has a master’s or doctoral degree awarded by an eligible university, has no less than five years’ graduate or specialist level work experience, has an annual income reaching HK$1 million or above in the year immediately preceding the application, currently owns a business entity with an annual profit reaching HK$5 million or above, or currently owns a listed company.

Achievement-based Points Test

This route is for persons of exceptional talent or technical skill with outstanding achievements, and the requirements are very high. An applicant passes if he or she has received an award of exceptional achievement such as an Olympic medal, Nobel prize, or national or international award, or if his or her work has been recognised by peers and has made a major contribution to the field. Those who meet none of the criteria fail and their applications are refused immediately. Persons admitted through this route are normally granted a stay of eight years on time limitation only without other conditions of stay.

Stay and extension

Persons admitted through the General Points Test are normally granted an initial stay of 36 months on time limitation only without other conditions of stay upon entry. Extensions, if approved, normally follow the “3+2” year pattern. An entrant who has been permitted to remain for not less than two years and has an assessable income for salaries tax of not less than HK$2 million in the previous year of assessment is normally granted an extension for a period of five years. Apply for extension within three months before the limit of stay expires.

Mainland Chinese residents

A Chinese resident of the Mainland who is selected must submit a letter of consent from the present working unit or relevant Mainland authorities agreeing to release him or her to reside in Hong Kong, and after approval must obtain an Exit-Entry Permit (EEP) and a relevant exit endorsement from the relevant Mainland authorities. The Director of Immigration has absolute discretion to approve or refuse any application without giving any reason, and scheme details may be changed without prior notice.

Permanent residence

Persons admitted under the QMAS who have ordinarily resided in the HKSAR for a continuous period of not less than seven years may apply for the right of abode in accordance with the law.

General Employment Policy (GEP) and ASMTP

The GEP is a quota-free and non-sector specific employment admission arrangement for professionals. It is not applicable to Chinese residents of the Mainland, nor to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Mainland Chinese residents possessing special skills, knowledge or experience of value to and not readily available in the HKSAR should apply under the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP) instead. See the General Employment Policy and ASMTP.

Eligibility

To be admitted under the GEP, the applicant must show that there is a genuine job vacancy, that he or she has a confirmed offer of employment in a job relevant to academic qualifications or work experience that cannot be readily taken up by the local work force, and that the remuneration package including income, accommodation, medical and other fringe benefits is broadly commensurate with the prevailing market level for professionals in the HKSAR. The ASMTP applies the same substance for Mainland Chinese residents and is also quota-free and non-sector specific.

The Technical Professionals Stream of the GEP and ASMTP targets experienced non-degree professionals aged between 18 and 40 with relevant professional and technical skills, and is subject to quota. There is an overall quota of 10 000 in the first three years of its implementation, with the quota for each specific skilled trade limited to 3 000, allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. See GEP and ASMTP Technical Professionals Stream.

Stay and extension

Persons admitted as professionals under the GEP or ASMTP are normally granted an initial stay of 36 months on employment condition, or in accordance with the duration of the employment contract (whichever is shorter), upon entry. Under the GEP, successful applicants are normally granted an extension following the 3-2 year pattern, also on employment condition, or in accordance with the contract (whichever is shorter). An entrant employed in the HKSAR for not less than two years with an assessable income for salaries tax of not less than HK$2 million in the previous year of assessment is normally granted an extension for a period of five years.

Under the ASMTP, any change in employment requires prior approval from the Director of Immigration.

Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS)

The TechTAS provides a fast-track arrangement for eligible companies to admit non-local technology talent to undertake research and development (R&D) work in the HKSAR. The employing company must hold a valid quota approved by the Innovation and Technology Commission. The applicant must be employed as a full-time employee by the employing company, mainly engaged in R&D in technology, and hold a STEM degree with the awarding institution ranked among the top 100 in STEM-related subjects in one of four specified world university rankings. It normally takes two weeks to process applications under the TechTAS upon receipt of all the required documents and the relevant application fee. See the Technology Talent Admission Scheme.

Mainland residents must provide a letter of consent from the present working unit or relevant Mainland authorities and obtain an EEP and exit endorsement after approval. Initial stay is normally 36 months on employment condition or in accordance with the contract (whichever is shorter), with extensions following the 3-2 year pattern. If a new employer does not hold a TechTAS quota, the applicant must reapply under the GEP or ASMTP. Persons who have ordinarily resided for a continuous period of not less than seven years may apply for the right of abode.

Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG)

The IANG is quota-free and non-sector specific. It applies to persons who have obtained an undergraduate or higher qualification in a full-time locally-accredited programme offered by a Hong Kong higher education institution, and to graduates of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) campuses established jointly by Mainland and Hong Kong universities under the relevant PRC regulations. See the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates and the IANG pathway page.

Recent and non-recent graduates

Non-local graduates who submit applications within six months after the date of graduation are classified as non-local recent graduates and are not required to have secured an offer of employment upon application. Those who apply more than six months after graduation are non-recent graduates and are required to secure an offer of employment upon application. Both groups may be granted 24 months’ stay on time limitation only without other conditions of stay provided normal immigration requirements are met.

Processing normally takes about two weeks for recent graduates and about four weeks for non-recent graduates. Processing takes longer during the peak period from June to August.

Extension

Upon applying for extension, the graduate must have secured an offer of employment at a level commonly taken up by degree holders with remuneration at market level, or provide proof of the establishment of a business. Successful applicants are normally permitted to remain on the 3-3 year pattern. Persons who have ordinarily resided for a continuous period of not less than seven years may apply for the right of abode.

New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES)

The New CIES is administered by the New CIES Office under Invest Hong Kong, which assesses financial assets and investment and monitors compliance, while the Immigration Department assesses applications for visa, extension of stay and unconditional stay. The scheme applies only to foreign nationals, Chinese nationals who have obtained permanent resident status in a foreign country, Macao SAR residents, and Chinese residents of Taiwan. See the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, the New CIES official site and the New CIES pathway page.

Asset and investment thresholds

The applicant must have net assets of a market value of not less than HK$30 million (or equivalent in foreign currencies) throughout the six months preceding the date he or she lodged the application for net asset assessment. The applicant must make investment of not less than HK$30 million (or equivalent) in permissible investment assets to which he or she is absolutely beneficially entitled, of which a minimum of HK$27 million must be invested in permissible financial assets and/or real estate, and each applicant is required to place HK$3 million into the CIES Investment Portfolio set up and overseen by the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited.

Real estate counts towards the minimum investment subject to an aggregate cap of HK$15 million, of which residential real estate is capped at HK$10 million, and a single residential property must have a transaction price of HK$30 million or above. For property with a completion date before 17 September 2025, the aggregate cap remains HK$10 million and the single residential property must still be HK$50 million or above. Interests in private open-ended fund companies and private limited partnership funds are subject to an aggregate cap of HK$10 million. See the Rules for the New CIES and the New CIES guidebook.

Application process and stay

Apply to Invest Hong Kong for net asset assessment. Receive Approval-in-Principle, after which the Immigration Department grants a visa or entry permit on visitor status for not more than 180 days to make the committed investment. Complete the investment and receive formal approval, after which the applicant and dependants are normally granted permission to stay for not more than 24 months on time limitation only. Extensions of stay are normally granted for not more than three years.

Change from 1 November 2026

For all applications for net asset assessment submitted on or after 1 November 2026, financial assets acquired through non-designated account(s) will not be considered as meeting the investment requirements, and only assets transacted through designated account(s) count towards the committed investment.

Permanent residence and unconditional stay

Persons admitted under the New CIES who have ordinarily resided in the HKSAR for a continuous period of not less than seven years may apply for the right of abode. An entrant who has continuously satisfied the portfolio maintenance requirements for not less than seven years but cannot fulfil the continuous ordinary residence requirement may apply for unconditional stay following the end of the seventh year.

Dependants

A sponsor admitted to take up employment or permitted to remain as an entrant under the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, QMAS, the Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents, the TTPS or the New CIES may bring his or her spouse (or recognised partner) and unmarried dependent children under the age of 18 to reside in Hong Kong. A sponsor who is a permanent resident or is not subject to a limit of stay may additionally bring parents aged 60 or above. See the Dependants page and the dependant visa page.

It normally takes six weeks to process a dependant visa application. The applicant must show reasonable proof of a genuine relationship with the sponsor, and the sponsor must be able to maintain the dependant at a standard well above the subsistence level. Dependants are not prohibited from taking up employment or studies in the HKSAR under the existing policy.

The arrangement does not generally apply to Chinese residents of the Mainland unless the sponsor has been admitted under a specified scheme such as the GEP, ASMTP, IANG, the Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme or the TechTAS, or as an entrant under the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, QMAS, the Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents, the TTPS or the New CIES. Mainland residents who wish to settle in Hong Kong for family reunion must instead apply for Permits for Proceeding to Hong Kong and Macao from the relevant Mainland authorities.

One-way Permits for Mainland residents

Mainland residents who wish to settle in Hong Kong for family reunion must apply for Permits for Proceeding to Hong Kong and Macao, commonly known as One-way Permits (OWPs), from the relevant authorities at the place of their household registration on the Mainland. The policy objective of the OWP scheme is to allow Mainland residents to come to Hong Kong for family reunion in an orderly manner. The current 150 daily quota for OWPs is the upper limit, and the Mainland authorities issue OWPs in accordance with the actual number of eligible applications submitted; in 2023 an average of 112 persons per day arrived in Hong Kong under the scheme. See LCQ5: Permits for Proceeding to Hong Kong and Macao.

From visa to permanent resident status

The right of abode in the HKSAR is acquired through a continuous period of ordinary residence, not automatically by the passage of time.

The seven-year rule

A Chinese citizen who has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years is a permanent resident. A non-Chinese person must have entered Hong Kong with a valid travel document, ordinarily resided for a continuous period of not less than seven years, taken Hong Kong as his or her place of permanent residence, have the seven years immediately before the date of application, and make a declaration that Hong Kong is his or her permanent home.

A person has ordinary residence in Hong Kong if he or she remains in Hong Kong legally, voluntarily and for a settled purpose such as education, employment or residence, whether of short or long duration. Temporary absence does not change that status. Periods spent in breach of conditions of stay, as a foreign domestic helper, as a contract worker under a Government labour importation scheme, under refugee status, as consular or garrison staff, or during imprisonment are not counted as ordinary residence.

The rights of abode include the right to land in the HKSAR, freedom from any condition of stay including a limit of stay, and not to be deported or removed from the HKSAR. See Eligibility for the Right of Abode and Meanings of Right of Abode and other terms.

Verifying eligibility

Before obtaining a permanent identity card, a person must apply for verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card. The applicant must be staying in Hong Kong legally when submitting the application, and bears the burden of proving the claim to the right of abode. Holders of One-way Permits aged 18 or above use Form ROP169, children below 18 use Form ROP170, and other applicants use Form ROP145. After eligibility is verified, any condition of stay is cancelled, and a person aged 11 or above must attend the Registration of Persons Office in person to obtain a permanent identity card. See Apply for Right of Abode and the seven-year permanent residency page.

Talent List and support

The Talent List was first drawn up in 2018 and, upon the 2025 review, comprises 60 professions under 9 industry segments. Professionals on the list are eligible for immigration facilitation under the GEP, ASMTP and QMAS. Under the GEP and ASMTP, employers filling vacancies on the Talent List are exempt from the market availability test; under the QMAS, eligible applicants meeting the Talent List requirements are favourably considered under the General Points Test. Hong Kong Talent Engage, an office under the Labour and Welfare Bureau, promotes Hong Kong’s talent admission schemes and provides support services for incoming talent. See Talent List, Hong Kong Talent Engage and Supporting Services.

FAQ

What is the easiest way to move to Hong Kong?

There is no single easiest route, because the appropriate route depends on a person’s qualifications, income, employment and nationality, and the Immigration Department applies its eligibility criteria and absolute discretion to each application. The Director of Immigration may refuse any application even if all eligibility criteria are met.

Do I need a job offer to move to Hong Kong?

Not for every route. The TTPS and QMAS do not require a job offer on application, and IANG recent graduates who apply within six months of graduation are not required to have secured an offer, while the GEP, ASMTP, TechTAS and non-recent IANG applicants must have a confirmed offer of employment.

How long before I can become a permanent resident?

A person may apply for the right of abode after ordinarily residing in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years, provided the residence meets the legal definition of ordinary residence. Periods spent in breach of stay conditions, as a foreign domestic helper or contract worker, or during imprisonment are not counted.

Can I bring my family under these schemes?

A sponsor admitted under schemes such as the TTPS, QMAS, GEP, ASMTP, IANG, TechTAS or the New CIES may bring a spouse (or recognised partner) and unmarried dependent children under 18, and a permanent resident sponsor may additionally bring parents aged 60 or above. Mainland Chinese residents may only be sponsored where the sponsor was admitted under a specified scheme, and otherwise rely on the One-way Permit route.

Is the New CIES open to everyone with HK$30 million?

No. The New CIES applies only to foreign nationals, Chinese nationals with permanent resident status in a foreign country, Macao SAR residents, and Chinese residents of Taiwan. The applicant must also meet the net asset and investment thresholds and comply with the designated account requirement taking effect on 1 November 2026.

Official sources

• Top Talent Pass Scheme
• Quality Migrant Admission Scheme
• QMAS assessment routes
• General Employment Policy
• Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals
• Technology Talent Admission Scheme
• Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates
• New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme
• New CIES official site
• Dependants
• Eligibility for the Right of Abode
• Meanings of Right of Abode and other terms
• Apply for Right of Abode
• LCQ5: Permits for Proceeding to Hong Kong and Macao
• Talent List
• Hong Kong Talent Engage

This article summarises official policy information, is not legal advice, and policy should be checked against the latest Immigration Department notices.