Seven main routes, one decider: the Director of Immigration holds absolute discretion across the TTPS, QMAS, GEP, ASMTP, IANG and the HK$30M New CIES.
- 2026-03-01: Early-extension arrangement (apply up to three months before expiry) extended to holders and dependants across the talent, professional and entrepreneur schemes. official source
Announced by the official authority but not yet in force — always verify against the official source before relying on it.
Overview
Hong Kong runs a multi-track admission system administered by the Immigration Department (ImmD), with every route ultimately decided at the absolute discretion of the Director of Immigration. The flagship Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS, launched December 2022) admits high earners (Category A: annual income of HK$2.5 million or above — 36-month initial stay) and graduates of the eligible universities on the aggregate list compiled by the Labour and Welfare Bureau (Categories B and C — 24-month initial stays, Category C quota-capped). The Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) needs no job offer and now uses a 12-criterion General Points Test with a passing threshold of 6, or an Achievement-based Points Test granting an eight-year stay. Employer-sponsored routes are the General Employment Policy (GEP) and, for Mainland residents, the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP). Non-local graduates of Hong Kong institutions use IANG, and investors the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (HK$30 million). All routes lead to eligibility to apply for the right of abode after seven years of continuous ordinary residence. Verified against immd.gov.hk and newcies.gov.hk as of June 2026.
The Main Routes Compared
| Route | Who it serves | Core requirement | Initial stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| TTPS Category A | High-income talent, no job offer needed | Annual income ≥ HK$2.5M (taxable employment/business income; personal investment income excluded) in the year before applying | 36 months |
| TTPS Category B | Experienced top-university graduates | Bachelor's degree from an eligible university + ≥3 years' full-time work in the past 5 years | 24 months |
| TTPS Category C | Recent top-university graduates | Eligible-university degree within past 5 years, <3 years' experience; annual quota, first-come-first-served | 24 months |
| QMAS (General Points Test) | Skilled migrants without a job offer | Prerequisites (age 18+, finances, good character, degree) + at least 6 of 12 assessment criteria | 36 months |
| QMAS (Achievement-based) | Exceptional talent | Award of exceptional achievement (e.g. Olympic medal, Nobel prize) or peer-acknowledged contribution to the field | 8 years |
| GEP | Professionals with a Hong Kong job offer | Job relevant to qualifications that cannot readily be filled locally; market-rate remuneration | 36 months or contract length |
| ASMTP | Chinese residents of the Mainland | Mirror of the GEP for Mainland talent and professionals | 36 months or contract length |
| IANG | Non-local graduates of Hong Kong institutions | Apply within 6 months of graduation — no job offer needed; later applicants need an offer | 24 months |
| New CIES | Investors | HK$30M: ≥HK$27M in permissible assets + HK$3M into the CIES Investment Portfolio managed under the Hong Kong Investment Corporation | per scheme rules |
Top Talent Pass Scheme — How the Categories Really Work
- The aggregate list decides eligibility for B and C: 'Eligible universities' are those on the aggregate list compiled by the Labour and Welfare Bureau — the top 100 in any of four world rankings (Times Higher Education, QS, U.S. News, Shanghai ARWU) over the past five years, plus the top hotel-management and art-and-design institutions on QS subject rankings and the top 20 Mainland universities. Degrees from branch schools, extension schools or continuing-education arms of listed universities are NOT accepted, and nor are honorary degrees.
- Verification proof is mandatory: Categories B and C applicants must submit verification of their degree from a third-party credential verification organisation or the awarding institution (ImmD publishes the accepted list) — at the latest by the first extension of stay.
- Category A income test: 'Annual income' means taxable employment or business income — salary, allowances, stock options, profits from self-owned companies — in the year immediately preceding the application. Income from personal investments does not count.
- One shot at the initial stay: Each person can be granted the 36-month (A) or 24-month (B/C) initial stay only once. Extensions require proof of employment with stable income or a genuinely operating business, and run up to three years at a time.
- Top-tier employment stream: TTPS entrants who have stayed at least two years and earned assessable income of HK$2 million or more in the previous tax year can receive a six-year extension. QMAS General Points Test entrants meeting the same income test receive five years.
- Processing: about four weeks from receipt of all documents and the fee. The scheme does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba or the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
QMAS — Prerequisites, the 12-Criterion Test, and the Assessment Panel
- Prerequisites first: Age 18+, ability to support yourself and dependants without public assistance, no criminal or adverse immigration record anywhere, and normally a first degree from a recognised university. Failing any prerequisite means the application 'will not be further processed and will be refused immediately'.
- General Points Test — pass 6 of 12: The current test has 12 binary criteria across six aspects: age 50 or below; master's/doctorate from an eligible university (plus a bonus criterion if it is in a STEM subject); proficiency in two languages and in written and spoken English; work experience (5+ years graduate-level, 3+ years in multinationals or listed companies, 3+ years in innovation and technology, finance or international trade, 2+ years with international exposure); annual income ≥ HK$1 million; and business ownership (an entity with HK$5M+ annual profit, or a listed company). The prevailing passing threshold is 6.
- Achievement-based Points Test: A separate route for exceptional achievers — an Olympic medal, Nobel prize, national/international award, or peer-acknowledged significant contribution to the field. Successful applicants get an eight-year stay outright.
- Selection exercises: Meeting the threshold only qualifies you for consideration. Selection exercises are run regularly; the Director of Immigration may consult an Assessment Panel chaired by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, which weighs sectoral manpower needs and each applicant's credentials. Not all qualifying applications are approved.
- No job offer needed: QMAS admits people for settlement without local employment secured — but the first extension at month 36 requires proof you have actually taken steps to settle (employment or business), with extensions following a 3+2-year pattern.
From Entry to Right of Abode
- Condition-free stay: TTPS and QMAS entrants are admitted on 'time limitation only' — free to take up, change or leave employment, or start a business, without further ImmD approval. GEP/ASMTP professionals are tied to the sponsoring employment and need approval to change employer.
- Dependants: Spouses (including same-sex and opposite-sex civil partnerships and marriages legally recognised where celebrated) and unmarried children under 18 can be sponsored; their stay is linked to the sponsor's, and they may work and study in Hong Kong.
- Seven years to permanence: Persons admitted under these schemes who have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong continuously for not less than seven years may apply for the right of abode under the Immigration Ordinance — there is no points test, language test or income test at that stage.
- New CIES specifics: Applicants must hold net assets of at least HK$30 million throughout the six months before applying, invest HK$27M+ in permissible financial assets (residential property counts only where a single property's price is HK$50M+, and all real estate is capped at HK$10M of the total) and place HK$3M in the CIES Investment Portfolio. From 1 March 2025 assets may be held via a wholly-owned private company, and from 1 March 2026 via family-office vehicles (FIHV/FSPE) meeting Inland Revenue Ordinance Schedule 16E conditions.
- Scheme exclusions: TTPS and QMAS do not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and the DPRK.
Frequently Asked Questions
TTPS or QMAS — which should I choose if I don't have a Hong Kong job offer?
Both admit you without an offer, so it turns on your profile. If you earned HK$2.5 million+ last year, TTPS Category A gives a 36-month stay on income proof alone, decided in about four weeks. If you hold a bachelor's degree from a university on the aggregate list, Categories B (with 3+ years' experience) or C (recent graduates, quota-capped) give 24 months. If your university isn't listed but you can meet at least 6 of the 12 QMAS General Points Test criteria, QMAS offers a 36-month stay — but you must clear the prerequisites and survive a selection exercise, so it is slower and less certain than TTPS.
How do I know if my university counts as an 'eligible university'?
Check the aggregate list itself — ImmD publishes it as a PDF (compiled by the Labour and Welfare Bureau). It covers institutions ranked in the top 100 of the Times Higher Education, QS, U.S. News or Shanghai ARWU rankings in the past five years, plus top QS-ranked hospitality and art-and-design institutions and the top 20 Mainland universities. Two traps: degrees from a listed university's continuing-education arm, branch school, extension school or subsidiary school are not accepted, and honorary degrees never qualify. You must also supply verification proof from a third-party credential verification organisation or the awarding institution.
What replaced the old QMAS points test, and what is the passing mark now?
QMAS no longer uses the old maximum-points system. The current General Points Test is a 12-criterion checklist — each criterion is simply met or not — covering age (50 or below), a master's or doctorate from an eligible university (with an extra criterion for STEM subjects), bilingual and English proficiency, four kinds of graduate-level work experience, annual income of HK$1 million+, and business ownership. The prevailing passing threshold is 6 of 12, and ImmD warns it can change without notice. Only applicants meeting the threshold can submit through the online system, and meeting it still does not guarantee selection.
Can my application be refused even if I meet every criterion?
Yes. ImmD states on both the TTPS and QMAS pages that approval is entirely discretionary and that the Director of Immigration 'reserves absolute discretion to refuse any application even if the application meets all eligibility criteria', without giving any reason. You must also satisfy the normal immigration requirements — a valid travel document with adequate returnability, a clear criminal record, no security concerns and no likelihood of becoming a burden on the HKSAR. For QMAS there is an additional filter: a selection exercise where an Assessment Panel weighs Hong Kong's sectoral manpower needs against your credentials.
What can my spouse and children do in Hong Kong, and who qualifies as a dependant?
You may sponsor your spouse — including a same-sex or opposite-sex marriage, civil partnership or civil union legally recognised in the place of celebration — and unmarried children under 18. ImmD requires reasonable proof of a genuine relationship, no detrimental record, and your ability to house and support them above subsistence level. Dependants' limits of stay are linked to yours, and under the prevailing policy they are free to work and study in Hong Kong without separate permission. Their years in Hong Kong also count towards their own seven-year right-of-abode eligibility.
How does the seven-year path to permanent residency work in practice?
Anyone admitted under these schemes who has 'ordinarily resided' in Hong Kong continuously for not less than seven years may apply for the right of abode (permanent residency) under the Immigration Ordinance. The practical challenge is keeping your stay continuous: extensions must be applied for within three months before each expiry (TTPS/QMAS extensions run on 3-, 2-, 5- or 6-year patterns depending on route and income), and you must keep meeting the route's substance tests — real employment or a genuinely operating business. At seven years there is no further points, language or income test; you apply for verification of eligibility for a permanent identity card.