Under the general trend of global competition for talents, Hong Kong has launched the Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) since June 2006 to attract international technical talents. It is usually conducted on a quarterly basis, with the quota increasing to 4,000 per year starting from 2021, in addition according to the latest announcement from The Chief Executive’s 2022 Policy Address, there will be a two-year suspension of the yearly quota under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS). Applicants must meet the prerequisites and obtain points under one of the two points-based test to compete with other applicants under the scheme without having an advance employment appointment by a Hong Kong company. Applicants may apply for accompanying dependent visas for both their partner and children but are required to pay for their accompanying relative's accommodation and board and lodging in Hong Kong.

The QMAS is a quota-based entrant scheme under which applicants are subject to a five-stage selection process. The quota for the relevant industry will be allocated after the Director of Immigration regularly seeks advice from the Advisory Committee on Admission of Talents and Professionals. It is important to note that if an applicant fails to obtain points in Stages 1 and 2 of the selection mechanism, the application will be rejected immediately by the Hong Kong Immigration Department. Applicants may evaluate their scores first before application submission. For the scoring criteria, please refer to Schedule I of this quotation.

In the event of a refusal of the application by the Hong Kong Immigration Department, a fee of HK$30,000 will be refunded to the applicant. Please refer to our Refund Policy in Section 3.

1.

QMAS Application Fees

Our fee for handling a Quality Migrant Admission Scheme is HKD68,980, including the simultaneous visa applications for two (2) accompanying family members. A fee of HKD4,990 per additional dependent visa will apply.

In particular, our fees cover the following services:

1. Continuous advice and consultation throughout the employment visa application for Quality Migrant Admission Scheme;
2. Assistance with the preparation of supporting documentation;
3. Review of application documents gathered by the applicant(s);
4. Preparation of the application forms;
5. Drafting of authorization letter(s), statements and arguments;
6. Submission of the application package to the Hong Kong Immigration Department;
7. Correspondence with the Hong Kong Immigration Department regarding the application;
8. Application status reporting to the applicant;
9. Responding to request(s) for additional supporting documents, if any;
10. Coordinating the payment of fees and collection of the approved visa label;
11. Forwarding of the visa label to the address specified by the applicant;
12. Assistance with the application of Hong Kong ID card(s), where needed.

The above fees are exclusive of government fees, delivery charges, translation fees, etc.

2.

Payment Term and Method

Kaizen currently accepts Hong Kong Dollar cheque, 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 confirmation of engagement, we will issue an invoice to you for your settlement. Due to nature of the service, payment must be fully settled in advance. No fees will be refunded once services are provided.

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

3.

Refund Policy

1. Through no fault of Kaizen, the application is not submitted, not accepted, terminated, withdrawn or cannot proceed due to reasons relating to government policy, a change in law, regulation or selection criteria, circumstances beyond Kaizen’s control (force majeure) and/or if the applicant or an accompanying family member fails to adequately support all qualifications claimed;
2. If the application is refused, rejected, withdrawn, or cannot proceed due to reasons related to misrepresentation, medical history or health records, criminality or safety issues as per the Hong Kong Immigration Department, etc.
3. The applicant voluntarily withdraws the application.

In any event, Kaizen’s entire liability is limited to any fees paid by the applicant to Kaizen.

4.

Eligibility Criteria

Stage 1:

1. Age: The applicant must be aged 18 or above when lodging an application under the Scheme.
2. Financial requirement: The applicant must be able to demonstrate that he/she is capable of supporting and accommodating himself/herself and his/her dependents, if any, on his/her own financial resources without relying on public assistance during his/her stay in Hong Kong.
3. Good character: The applicant should not have any criminal record or adverse immigration record in Hong Kong or elsewhere.
4. Language proficiency: The applicant should be proficient in written and spoken Chinese (Putonghua or Cantonese) or English.
5. Basic educational qualification: The applicant must have a good education background, normally a first degree from a recognized university or a tertiary educational institution. In special circumstances, good technical qualifications, proven professional abilities and/or experience and achievements supported by documentary evidence may be considered.

Stage 2:

1. General Points Test: There are 6 point-scoring factors with minimum passing mark (currently set to 80 points) *. Applicants are advised to assess whether their credentials are adequate to meet minimum passing mark before submission. (detailed in Reference 1)
2. Achievement-based Points Test: There is 1 point-scoring factor and caters for the entry of individuals with exceptional talent or skill who have outstanding achievements. The requirement under this test is very high. Any one of the criteria under this test listed are fulfilled will be awarded 225 points.
1. The applicant has received an award of exceptional achievement (e.g. Olympic medals, Nobel prize, national/international awards); OR
2. The applicant can show that his/her work has been acknowledged by his/her peers or has contributed significantly to the development of his/her field (e.g. lifetime achievement award from industry).

Stage 3:

1. Applicant will be ranked according to scores awarded, high scoring applications will be short-listed for further assessment.
2. The Director of Immigration will seek advise form the Advisory Committee on Admission of Quality Migrants and Professionals on allocation of quota under QMAS.
3. Please be patients for applications processing. Applicants may regard application as being under processing unless they receive a notification of refusal from IMMD.

Stage 4:

1. Applicants who are allotted a quota in the selection exercise will be issued with an Approval-in-principle letter however it does not automatically guarantee approval of applicants’ entry to or remain in Hong Kong under QMAS.
2. Applicants are required to come to Hong Kong to attend an interview in person and present originals of all documents submitted during the application to IMMD for verification after receiving the Approval-in-principle letter.
3. Applicants may enter Hong Kong on visitor conditions for the interview.

Stage 5:

• Successful applicants will be issued with a visa/entry permit under QMAS if all original documents are verified and all relevant application procedures are finalized.

5.

Required Documentation and Information

Applicants are required to provide the following documents and information for QMAS:

1. Completed form ID(E) 981
2. Recent photograph affixed on page 2 of ID(E) 981 (50mm*40mm~55mm*45mm)
3. Copy of the applicant's valid travel document containing personal particulars, date of issue, date of expiry and/or details of any re-entry visa held (if applicable)
4. Copy of residential status in applicants’ country of residence (if applicants are not a national of the country)
5. Copy of PRC resident identity card (if applicable)
6. Copy of proofs of personal net worth, including bank deposits, real estate, securities and interests in privately-owned businesses
7. Copy of Hong Kong permanent identity card of a Hong Kong  permanent resident immediate family member, proof of relationship with the Hong Kong permanent resident immediate family member (e.g. marriage certificate, birth certificate) AND residential proof of the Hong Kong Permanent resident immediate family member (e.g. utility bill &  residential rental payment receipt issued within 1 on the from the date of application submission)
8. Copy of university graduation certificate of accompanying married spouse, original(s) of transcript of academic record of accompanying married spouse (for qualifications not awarded by higher education institutions in Mainland China) OR original(s) of verification report issued by China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Centre of accompanying married spouse (for qualifications awarded by higher education institutions in Mainland China)
9. Copy of proof(s) of achievement
10. Copy of higher education graduation certificate(s)
11. Original(s) of transcript of academic record  (for qualifications not awarded by higher education institutions in Mainland China) OR original(s) of verification report issued by China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Centre of accompanying married spouse (for qualifications awarded by higher education institutions in Mainland China)
12. Copy of professional qualification/training/membership claimed (if any)
13. Details relating to the professional qualification/training/membership claimed (if any)
14. Copy of a reference letter from each employer OR company documents for each business owned OR evidence of self-employment experience
15. Copy of evidence on key career accomplishment/future plan, and other information provided in the section
16. Copy of language proficiency proof
17. Original document to proof good character, e.g. informational supporting the absence of any criminal record or adverse immigration record. Each such certificate should be issued by the relevant authority within 6 months before the application submission (original document will not be returned).

Documents required for each dependent:

1. Completed form ID 997
2. Recent photograph affixed on page 2 of ID(E) 981 (50mm*40mm~55mm*45mm)
3. Copy of the applicant's valid travel document containing personal particulars, date of issue, date of expiry and/or details of any re-entry visa held (if applicable)
4. Copy of PRC resident identity card (if applicable)
5. Copy of evidence of relationship with the sponsor(e.g. marriage certificate, birth certificate)
6. Copy of Macau identity card [for Macau SAR residents only]
7. Copy of household registration in Taiwan and Taiwan identity card [for Taiwan residents only]

6. Important Notes

1. Application will be refused immediately if applicant fail to score point under selection mechanism stage 1&2.
2. The Director of Immigration has absolute discretion to award points under the 2 points-based tests to applicants as the Director thinks fit and to approve tor refuse any application without giving any reason. The Scheme or details of the Scheme may also be subject to change as the Director thinks fit without prior notice.
3. Persons admitted through the General Points Test under the Scheme will normally be granted an initial stay of 36 months on time limitation only without other conditions of stay upon entry. To be eligible for further extension of stay, applicants should provide evidence demonstrating to the satisfaction of the IMMD 4 weeks before limit of stay expires that he/she has settled in Hong Kong by taking up residence (e.g. by securing gainful employment or establishing a business). If the extensions of stay approved, applicant will follow 3-2 years pattern on time limitation without other conditions of stay.
4. Persons admitted through the Achievement-based Points Test under the Scheme will normally be granted a stay of eight years on time limitation only without other conditions of stay upon entry. Should an extension of stay be required, the applicant shall demonstrate that he/she is capable of supporting and accommodating himself/herself and his/her dependents, if any, on his/her own financial resources during his/her stay in Hong Kong.
5. Upon completion of a continuous period of ordinary residence in Hong Kong for not less than seven years, the admitted person and/or his/her dependents under the Scheme may apply for the right of abode in Hong Kong in accordance with the law.
6. All honorary bachelor’s/honorary master’s/honorary doctoral degrees and degrees not awarded by nationally accredited/licensed institutions will be awarded no point.
7. The applicant will NOT be required to provide documentary proof(s) unless his/her first spoken language is Chinese (Putonghua/Cantonese) or English and he/she is a national/citizen from a country/territory where Chinese (Putonghua/Cantonese) or English is an official language or the equivalent.
8. The length of stay of dependents of persons will normally be linked to their sponsors.

7.

Procedures and Timeline

• The estimated time is based on high cooperation between Kaizen and the client.
• The estimated time does not include delays caused by relevant government agencies

Schedule 1     General Points Test

Related Topics: Hong Kong New capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES) | Hong Kong Employment Visa (GEP & ASMTP)

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