• 11/11/2024

Hong Kong issues over 120,000 work visas in first 11 months of year, with nearly 78% going to mainland Chinese

Hong Kong Free Press

talent number

Hong Kong has issued more than 120,000 work visas in the first 11 months of this year to counter a wave of emigration from the city, with 77.5 per cent going to mainland Chinese.

People cross a street in Central district. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
People cross a street in Central district. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

The figures were provided by the Labour and Welfare Secretary Chris Sun on Wednesday in response to a lawmaker’s question. Sun said authorities had received over 200,000 applications under various visa schemes in the 11 months of the year, and the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) was “the most popular one.”

The government introduced the TTPS at the end of 2022, allowing graduates who hold bachelor’s degrees from the world’s top universities or who have an annual income of more than HK$2.5 million to obtain Hong Kong work visas. Unlike other visa routes, the TTPA is not contingent on a job offer.

Secretary for the Labour and Welfare attends the opening ceremony of Hong Kong Talent Engage on October 20, 2023. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
Secretary for the Labour and Welfare attends the opening ceremony of Hong Kong Talent Engage on October 20, 2023. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

According to Sun, 126,584 applicants obtained Hong Kong work visas in 11 months, of whom at least 98,164 were holders of Chinese passports.

Authorities also lowered the threshold for some other visa schemes.

More than 46,000 visas were issued under TPPS. Mainland Chinese accounted for 94 percent of them, plus individuals from Canada, the US, Australia, and Singapore.

Apart from the TTPS, the government offers visas through six schemes, including the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS), introduced in 2006 with an annual quota of 1,000. The quota was scrapped by the end of 2022.

For the first 11 months of the year, the QMAS scheme led to 12,494 visas, with 98.6 per cent going to mainland Chinese.

office man lady central HSBC headquarter
People pass by the headquarter of HSBC in Central District, Hong Kong. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

In 2022, Hong Kong issued a total of 38,559 visas under various schemes.

Sun told lawmakers on Wednesday that of the more than 120,000 visas granted, 81,000 of the holders had arrived in Hong Kong. But he did not say how many of them had stayed in the city.

HKFP has reached out to the Bureau of Labour and Welfare for a response.

New office serving talents

Hong Kong has seen an exodus of local families and expatriates in recent years amid strict Covid-19 restrictions and a national security law imposed by Beijing.

According to figures from the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau issued in November 2022, Hong Kong’s labour force lost around 116,600 people aged 18 to 39 over the previous two years.

London said in September that 154,078 people had left Hong Kong and moved to Britain in the two years since it launched a visa route for holders of British National (Overseas) passports (BNO) in early 2021.

Talent Engage Establishment, Talent attraction
The opening ceremony of Hong Kong Talent Engage, an office specially for talent attraction and services launched on October 20, 2023. Photo: Kyle Lam/ HKFP.

In addition to new visa schemes, the Hong Kong government launched an office to serve newcomers in October. Sun said the office, Hong Kong Engage Talent, had nearly 40 staff members and an estimated annual expenditure of about HK$83 million.

The office has organised online recruitment events and held job fairs in Shenzhen.

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https://hongkongfp.com/2023/12/15/hong-kong-issues-over-120000-work-visas-in-first-11-months-of-year-with-nearly-78-going-to-mainland-chinese/