This webpage provides information about the Hong Kong immigration permanent residency visa. It applies to individuals planning to move to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Applicants must apply under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme.

Scheme Objective

The Scheme is a quota-based entrant scheme. It seeks to attract highly skilled or talented individuals to settle in Hong Kong, thereby enhancing the City’s economic competitiveness. Successful applicants do not need to secure a local job offer before entering Hong Kong for settlement.

Applicants must meet specific prerequisites before earning points. Authorities assess candidates under either the General Points Test or the Achievement-based Points Test. Applicants then compete with others for quota allocation.

Successful applicants may bring their spouse and unmarried dependent children under 18. They must prove they can support and accommodate dependents independently. Applicants must not rely on public assistance in Hong Kong.

Scope of the Scheme

The Scheme does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba, Laos, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Nepal and Vietnam.

Selection Mechanism of Hong Kong

Stage 1: Prerequisites

Applicants under the Scheme must meet a set of prerequisites before they earn points under either of the points-based tests.

Stage 2: Points-based test

Applicants who have met all the prerequisites may choose to be assessed under either the General Points Test or the Achievement-based Points Test. There are five point-scoring factors under the General Points Test and one point-scoring factor under the Achievement-based Points Test.

A minimum passing mark is set under the General Points Test. Persons who choose the Achievement-based Points Test are advised to assess whether their credentials are adequate to meet the minimum passing mark before applying.

Stage 3: Selection exercise

Immigration authorities conduct selection exercises regularly to allocate quotas to applicants. During each selection exercise, applicants who satisfy both the prerequisites and the minimum passing mark (under the General Points Test) or the one-point-scoring factor (under the Achievement-based Points Test) will be ranked according to scores awarded. Immigration officers shortlist high-scoring applications for further assessment.

The Director of Immigration may consult the Advisory Committee during application evaluation. The committee advises on point scoring and quota allocation under the scheme. The Advisory Committee comprises official and non-official members appointed by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR. The Advisory Committee will consider the socio-economic needs of Hong Kong, the sectoral mix of candidates, and other relevant factors.

It will recommend to the Director of Immigration how best to allocate available quotas in each selection exercise. Meeting the minimum passing mark or achieving a high score does not necessarily secure a quota allotment. Results of each selection exercise will be published on the Immigration Department website. Application processing takes time. Applicants should assume their applications remain under review unless the Immigration Department issues a refusal notice.

Stage 4: Approval-in-principle

Immigration authorities issue an Approval-in-Principle letter to applicants who receive a quota. These applicants must travel to Hong Kong for an in-person interview. They must also present original documents to the Immigration Department for verification.

They may enter Hong Kong on visitor conditions for this purpose. The issuance of an Approval-in-principle letter to an applicant does not automatically guarantee approval of their entry to or their remaining in Hong Kong under the Scheme.

Stage 5: Issue of visa/entry permit

After authorities verify all original documents and complete application procedures, they issue a visa or entry permit under the Scheme.

Prerequisites for Hong Kong

All applicants must satisfy all of the following prerequisites:

• Age – Applicants must be at least 18 years old when applying under the Scheme.
• Financial requirement – The applicant must be able to demonstrate that they are capable of supporting and accommodating themself and their dependants, if any, on their own financial resources without relying on public assistance during their stay in Hong Kong.
• Good character – The applicant should not have any criminal record or adverse immigration record in Hong Kong or elsewhere.
• Language proficiency – The applicant should be proficient in written and spoken Chinese (Putonghua or Cantonese) or English.
• Basic educational qualification – The applicant must have a good academic background, usually a first degree from a recognised university or a tertiary educational institution. In exceptional cases, authorities may consider strong technical qualifications, proven professional skills, or notable achievements, provided that the documents supporting them are available.

If applicants fail to submit satisfactory supporting documents, the authorities will immediately stop processing the application and refuse it.

Hong Kong Important Notice

The Director of Immigration has absolute discretion to award points under the two points-based tests to applicants as the Director thinks fit and to approve or refuse any application without giving any reason. The Scheme or its details may also be subject to change at the Director’s discretion, without prior notice.

Entry of Dependants in Hong Kong

Applicants under the Scheme may apply to bring in their spouse and unmarried dependent children under the age of 18 to Hong Kong under the prevailing dependant policy. Persons admitted or applying for admission under the Scheme will be the sponsors of their accompanying dependants to Hong Kong. The sponsor’s length of stay usually determines the length of stay for dependants.

Authorities advise applicants to submit dependent visa or entry permit applications together with their own entry applications. If an applicant is claiming points based on the educational level of the accompanying married spouse and/or the number of accompanying unmarried dependent children under the age of 18 under the General Points Test, they must submit dependent visa/entry permit applications for the accompanying family members concerned together with their application under the Scheme.

Applicants for a dependent visa/entry permit should complete Application Form ID 997. Indoz Overseas is a leading Hong Kong Immigration Consultant that provides PR Visa and other Immigration Services.