This document outlines the admission requirements for person who seeking employment under the Top Talent Pass Scheme (hereinafter "TTPS") and wishing to enter the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

In general, unless a person has the right of abode or right to land in Hong Kong, he/she requires a visa permit for work in Hong Kong. Foreigners who wish to take up any short-term or long-term employment (whether paid or unpaid) in Hong Kong, he/she must obtain an employment visa/permit from Hong Kong Immigration Department before take-up the employment.

The TTPS aims to entice elite people with extended working experience and excellent academic credentials to explore opportunities in Hong Kong. High-earning individuals and graduates from the world's top universities are among these elite talents.

Through the Top Talent Pass scheme, applicants who have been granted admission to Hong Kong may start employment upon arrival. They are also eligible to apply for dependent visas for their spouses and/or unmarried dependent children under the age of 18. Additionally, it is worth noting that individuals who hold visas may legally petition for the right of permanent residency provided they have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a period of not less than seven (7) years.

1.

Hong Kong Top Talent Pass Handling and Application Fees

Our fee for handling a TTPS application is divided into 3 categories:

1. Category A - Partial Shareholding: HKD 39,980
2. Category A - Sole Shareholding/Employee: HKD 29,980
3. Category B/C – Top 100 universities degree graduates: HKD 13,980

An additional HKD4,990 will be charged for each dependent visa. For corporate pricing, please contact Kaizen’s Mobility and Migration team (info@kaizenvis.com).

In particular, our fees cover the following services:

1. Continuous advice regarding the application for work visa in Hong Kong;
2. Assistance with the preparation of the required documentation;
3. Review of application documents prepared by applicant(s) and employing company;
4. Preparation of TTPS authorization letter(s) and application form(s);
5. Submission of application to the Hong Kong Immigration Department;
6. Liaison with the Hong Kong Immigration Department regarding the application;
7. Report of application status to the client;
8. Arranging the payment of fees and collection of the approved TTPS visa;
9. Forwarding of work visa to the client’s specified address; and
10. Guidance with the application of Hong Kong ID cards (appointment times depend on availability and cannot be guaranteed by Kaizen or the ImmD).

1. The fees quoted above include the government fee;
2. The fees stated are exclusive of delivery charges, if any

2.

Eligibility Criteria

There is no prerequisite for applicants wishing to apply for the HKSAR under the TTPS to have an employment offer in the region. If the eligibility criteria are met, they may be granted a 24-month stay with no extra restrictions.

Applicants may choose to apply for the TTPS under one of the categories as listed in paragraphs (a) to (c) below:

(a)  persons with HK$2.5 million or more in annual income, or its equivalent in foreign currency, in the year that ended on the date of application (Category A);

(b)  degree holders from the top 100 universities in the world with at least three years of work experience accrued within the five years prior to the application date (Category B); or

(c)   degree holders from among the top 100 universities in the world who graduated within the five years prior to the application deadline and had no more than three years of work experience (Category C); however, this category does not apply to non-local students who completed their undergraduate degree in a full-time, locally accredited program in the HKSAR.

A visa or entry permit application to enter the HKSAR under the TTPS may be given favorable consideration if:

(1)  there is no security objection and no known record of serious crime in respect of the applicant; and

(2)  the annual quota is available for allotment (applicable to Category C’s applicants only).

Chinese nationals living abroad with PRC passports who meet the eligibility criteria stipulated above and normal immigration requirements may apply to enter the HKSAR for employment under the TTPS if:

(1)  the applicant has permanent residence overseas; or

(2)  The applicant should have lived outside of the Mainland, the HKSAR, the Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR), or Taiwan for at least one year before submitting the application, and the application should be submitted from overseas.

Generally, in order to be admitted in the HKSAR, a person needs a visa or entrance permission unless they already have the right of abode or the right to land there. While each application is evaluated on its own merits, an applicant should meet the standard immigration requirements (such as having a valid travel document that allows for adequate return to the applicant's country of residence or citizenship, having a clear criminal record that poses no security or law enforcement risks to the HKSAR, and not having any likelihood of burdening the HKSAR, etc.).

3.

Payment Term and Method

Kaizen currently accept Hong Kong Dollar check, cash or TT and credit card through PayPal only. If payment is settled through PayPal, extra 5% services fee will be charged. Upon receipt of your order, we will issue an invoice to you for your settlement. According to nature of services, payment must be fully settled in advance. No refund can be applied once services provided.

If China or Taiwan official tax invoice is required, Value-Added Tax or Business Tax at the prevailing rate in the respective jurisdiction will be charged.

4.

Procedures and Timeline

In general, the processing time of a TTPS application takes approximately 4 weeks after the submission of a complete application package to the Hong Kong Immigration Department. The Hong Kong Immigration Department will verify the validity of the information submitted and may request additional evidence documents. In such case, the processing time will be prolonged.

If the application is approved, the Hong Kong Immigration Department will issue an electronic Entry Permit to the applicant or an authorized representative. In the case of a refusal of the TTPS visa application, an appeal can be filed with the Department.

5.

Documentary Evidence and Information Requirements

The applicant is required to provide the following documents and information for the purpose of the Hong Kong Top Talent Pass Scheme application:

1. The applicant’s recent photograph
2. Photocopy of valid travel document containing personal particulars, date of issue, date of expiry and/or details of any re-entry visa held (if applicable)
3. The applicant's Hong Kong identity card (if any)
4. Supporting document of the bachelor's degree from any eligible universities or tertiary institutions that are listed on the global ranking of the top 100 universities, such as an official transcript of academic records (for Category B and C)
5. Documentary proof of the applicant’s work experience (for Category A and B)
6. Documentary proof that the applicant had annual income of at least HK$2.5 million in the year before to the application date, such as a notice of salaries tax assessment, documentation that stating the value of the stock options granted to the applicant, and documentation that the applicant's self-owned businesses (if applicable)
7. Letter of consent from the applicant’s present working unit or relevant Mainland authorities
8. The applicant’s Macao identity card [for Macao SAR residents only]
9. The applicant’s household registration in Taiwan and Taiwan identity card [for Taiwan residents only]
10. Supporting documentation demonstrating the applicant's foreign residency, such as official documents attesting to the applicant's duration of stay and circumstances of stay abroad (applicable only to overseas Chinese traveling on PRC passports)

All documents submitted must be in English or Chinese, or translated into English or Chinese by a certified translation body.

Please note that the Hong Kong Immigration Department reserves the right to demand further documents from the applicant or the employing company as and when necessary.

6.

Validity of Work Visa

Persons admitted under the TTPS will often be given a 24-month initial stay without additional conditions of stay. Within four weeks before the expiration of their limit of stay, they may submit an online application for an extension of stay in the HKSAR.

People should have obtained an offer of employment at a level typically accepted by degree holders or persons with good professional/technical qualifications, proven professional abilities, and/or relevant experience and achievements supported by documentary evidence, to be eligible to apply for an extension. The compensation package must also be at market level. Those who have started or joined a business in the HKSAR must present documentation of their business. Successful applicants are often only allowed to stay for a limited period on a 3-3-year pattern with no extra constraints.

Successful applicants in such scenario will normally be granted an extension of stay of 6 years without other conditions of stay.

Related Topics: Hong Kong Investment as Entrepreneur | Hong Kong Employment Visa | Hong Kong Verification of Eligibility for Permanent Identity Card (HKPR)

Should you wish to obtain more information or assistance, please visit our official website at www.kaizenvis.com or reach out to our professionals through the following means:

T: +852 2341 1444

M: +852 5616 4140, +86 152 1943 4614

WhatsApp / Line / Signal / WeChat: +852 5616 4140

Skype: kaizencpa

E: info@kaizenvis.com

You may also fill in this online assessment questionnaire and we will contact you within 24 hours.