Working in Hong Kong
Professionals with special skills, knowledge or experience of value to and not readily available in Hong Kong, and business people who can make substantial contributions to Hong Kong's economy are welcome to work in Hong Kong. Persons coming to work in Hong Kong are required to obtain an appropriate visa or entry permit before arrival. Click here for general information on working in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has established the Talents Service Unit since December 2022 for formulating strategies to recruit talents from the Mainland and overseas and co‑ordinating relevant work, as well as providing one‑stop support for incoming talents. For more details of the Talents Service Unit, please click here.
Admission Schemes for Talent, Professionals and Entrepreneurs
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has introduced various measures to welcome global talents to Hong Kong. These include our Top Talent Pass Scheme, General Employment Policy, Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates, Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS), and Technology Talent Admission Scheme. More details including eligibility and incentives can be found here.
Quality Migrant Admission Scheme
In particular, QMAS is our primary entrant scheme for top global talents to settle in Hong Kong. The scheme has attracted tens of thousands of applications from around 100 countries and territories since its introduction in 2006.
Unlike other general admission schemes, successful applicants for QMAS are not required to have secured an offer of local employment before their entry to Hong Kong for settlement. They may bring in their spouse or the other party to a civil union, as well as unmarried dependent children under the age of 18 to Hong Kong. Moreover, applicants who meet the requirements of the Talent List of Hong Kong will enjoy bonus points under QMAS. More details of QMAS can be found here.
Talent List
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region announced on 16 May 2023 the expanded Talent List that increases the coverage from 13 professions to 51 and that immediately applies to the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS), the General Employment Policy and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, with a view to attracting more high-quality talent to come and meeting Hong Kong's development needs.
The updated List covers nine industry segments: business support; creative industries, arts and culture, performing arts; development and construction; environmental technology services; financial services; healthcare services; innovation and technology; legal and dispute resolution services; and maritime services. More details can be found here.
Working Holiday Scheme
Through participating in the scheme, young Japanese aged between 18 and 30 can visit Hong Kong for holiday and as part of their stay, take up short-term employment so as to acquire a better understanding of the cultural and social developments of the city.
The Hong Kong/Japan Working Holiday Scheme was established on 1 January 2010, with both sides currently providing an annual quota of 1,500. Participants of the Scheme should not work for the same employer for more than six months during their stay in Hong Kong. They may enrol in any number of study or training courses of which the cumulative duration should not be more than six months. More information can be found here.
Case Study
The Pursuit of Love, Music & Applause in Hong Kong
Yusuke Hatano, Co-Founder, Composer and Creative Director, Neo Music Production