Hong Kong runs several talent first admission schemes side by side, two of which need no job offer before you apply. One rewards income, one a top university degree, one is strictly employer led, and one is built for serious investors.
This overview explains the six main routes at a glance: the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS), the General Employment Policy (GEP), the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS), the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG), entry for study, and the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES). It also covers family, the path to permanent residence after seven years, and the honest limits of every route.
Quick view: Hong Kong programmes at a glance
| Programme | Who it fits | Headline requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) | High earners and graduates of eligible universities | Income of HK$2.5 million, or a degree from an eligible university; no job offer needed |
| General Employment Policy (GEP) | Professionals with a confirmed Hong Kong job | A job not readily filled locally, at market pay |
| Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) | Skilled people who meet the points criteria | At least 6 of 12 points test criteria, then panel selection |
| Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG) | Graduates of Hong Kong institutions | A Hong Kong degree; recent graduates need no job offer |
| Entry for Study | Students with a place on an accredited programme | A place on a full-time, locally accredited programme |
| New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES) | Investors with substantial assets | HK$30 million in net assets, and HK$30 million invested in permissible assets |
Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS)
The Top Talent Pass Scheme is Hong Kong’s headline talent route, and it needs no job offer before you apply. It has three categories.
- Category A: annual income of HK$2.5 million or above, or the equivalent in foreign currency, in the year immediately before applying. Successful applicants receive an initial stay of 36 months.
- Category B: a bachelor’s degree from a university on the official aggregate list, plus at least three years of work experience in the past five years. The initial stay is 24 months.
- Category C: graduates of those universities from the past five years with less than three years of work experience. Category C is subject to an annual quota, allotted on a first come, first served basis, and it excludes non-local students who earned their undergraduate degree in Hong Kong. The initial stay is 24 months.
Degrees face verification, so the qualification has to be genuine and checkable. At extension of stay, the holder must show an offer of employment in Hong Kong, or a business established or joined there. The pass gives you time and status to find a role; it does not provide the role itself.
General Employment Policy (GEP)
The General Employment Policy is the employer led route for professionals from overseas, Taiwan and Macao. You need a confirmed job offer that matches your qualifications and experience, and the job must be one that cannot readily be taken up by the local workforce.
- Key requirement: a confirmed offer at pay commensurate with the prevailing market rate, backed by a good education background or proven professional experience.
- Honest limitation: there is no fixed official salary threshold, but the market rate test is real, and the employer must show the vacancy cannot readily be filled locally.
- Stay pattern: successful applicants are normally granted stay on a 3+3+2 pattern.
Residents of the Mainland use the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP) instead of the GEP.
Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS)
The Quality Migrant Admission Scheme is a points based route for highly skilled or talented people who want to settle in Hong Kong without a job offer first. Applicants must be 18 or over, able to support themselves, of good character, and normally hold a first degree.
Since 1 November 2024, the General Points Test has 12 criteria across six aspects: age, academic qualifications, language proficiency, work experience, annual income and business ownership. The criteria include holding a master’s or doctoral degree from an eligible university, annual income of HK$1 million or above, and five years of graduate level experience. You need to meet at least 6 of the 12 criteria, and there is no annual quota. Meeting the threshold only allows you to submit an application: selection follows advice from an assessment panel chaired by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare to the Director of Immigration. An Achievement-based Points Test also exists for people with exceptional achievements. Successful applicants are normally granted stay on a 3+3+2 pattern.
Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG)
The IANG covers people who hold an undergraduate or higher qualification from a full-time, locally accredited programme in Hong Kong. Graduates of Hong Kong universities’ Greater Bay Area campuses are also covered, under an arrangement extended to the end of 2026.
- Recent graduates: apply within six months of graduating and no job offer is needed. You receive 24 months of stay on a 2+3+3 pattern, with freedom to change jobs.
- Returning graduates: apply later and you need a degree level job at market pay.
Entry for Study
Non-local students apply for entry for study before travelling, and there are separate streams for Mainland and non-Mainland students. The normal route is a full-time, locally accredited post-secondary programme, and part-time, locally accredited taught postgraduate study is also possible. Since 1 November 2024, full-time non-local undergraduate students have been temporarily exempted from the usual restrictions on part-time work. The rules for other levels of study are narrower, so check the conditions attached to your own programme before relying on part-time work.
New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES)
The New CIES opened on 1 March 2024 for investors who can meet two HK$30 million tests. It is open to foreign nationals, Chinese nationals holding permanent residence in a foreign country, Macao residents and Chinese residents of Taiwan, aged 18 or over.
- Net assets: since 1 March 2025, you must show net assets of not less than HK$30 million, absolutely beneficially yours, throughout the six months before the Net Asset Assessment application.
- Investment: at least HK$30 million in permissible assets, with at least HK$27 million in permissible financial assets and/or real estate (subject to caps) and HK$3 million in the CIES Investment Portfolio managed by Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited.
- Process: approval in principle gives you up to 180 days as a visitor to make the investment. Formal approval brings 24 months of stay, then extensions of three years at a time while the rules are met.
Family and the longer term
Under these schemes you may bring a spouse or partner and unmarried children under 18 as dependants, and dependants are normally free to work or study in Hong Kong. After seven years of continuous ordinary residence, you may apply for Hong Kong permanent resident status. New CIES entrants who kept their portfolio compliant for seven years but cannot meet the residence test may instead apply for unconditional stay.
Who this is for
- High earners and top university graduates who want time in Hong Kong to find a role, through the TTPS or QMAS.
- Professionals holding a Hong Kong job offer, through the GEP.
- Students who want a Hong Kong degree with a bridge into work afterwards, through study and the IANG.
- Investors who can meet and evidence the New CIES HK$30 million tests.
Who this is NOT for
- Anyone expecting a scheme to supply a job. The TTPS and QMAS grant time and status, never employment.
- Graduates whose university is not on the aggregate list and who have no HK$2.5 million income year behind them.
- Mainland residents without foreign permanent residence. The GEP and the New CIES are not open to them; look at the ASMTP or the study route instead.
- Investors who cannot evidence HK$30 million across the full six month window.
The honest limits
Every Hong Kong scheme is discretionary, and the rules move: the QMAS was rewritten in November 2024 and the New CIES has already been enhanced twice. The job offer free routes are the most misunderstood part of the system. They give you time in Hong Kong, not a job, and renewal depends on real employment or a real business by the time you extend. NVConsult gives guidance and preparation, not legal advice, and complex or refused cases belong with a Hong Kong immigration lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Do I need a job offer before applying to move to Hong Kong?
A: Not for the TTPS or the QMAS, which are designed for people who will look for work after arriving. The GEP is different: it is employer led and needs a confirmed job offer. Recent IANG graduates also need no offer, while returning graduates do.
Q: What income do I need for TTPS Category A?
A: Annual income of HK$2.5 million or above, or the equivalent in foreign currency, in the year immediately before you apply. Category A carries an initial stay of 36 months.
Q: How many QMAS criteria do I need to meet?
A: At least 6 of the 12 General Points Test criteria. Meeting the threshold only lets you submit an application. An assessment panel then advises the Director of Immigration on selection, so passing the points test is not an approval.
Q: Is TTPS Category C capped?
A: Yes. Category C is subject to an annual quota allotted on a first come, first served basis, so timing matters. It also excludes non-local students who earned their undergraduate degree in Hong Kong.
Q: Can my family join me, and can they work?
A: Yes. A spouse or partner and unmarried children under 18 may come as dependants, and dependants are normally free to work or study in Hong Kong.
Q: When can I apply for permanent residence?
A: After seven years of continuous ordinary residence in Hong Kong, you may apply for Hong Kong permanent resident status.
Your next step
Not sure which programme fits, or whether you clear the headline tests? Book a free 20 minute consultation and we will map your profile against the right scheme before you spend anything. Start with our consultation plans, or use the buttons below.
NVConsult provides education and application guidance, not legal advice. No visa, job or outcome is guaranteed. Decisions rest solely with embassies, authorities and employers.
Sources
The facts on this page are taken from official Hong Kong sources:
- Immigration Department, admission schemes for talents, professionals and entrepreneurs: https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/useful_information/admission-schemes-talents-professionals-entrepreneurs.html
- Immigration Department, Top Talent Pass Scheme: https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/TTPS.html
- Immigration Department, QMAS self-assessment tool: http://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/quality-migrant-admission/self-assessment-tool.html
- Hong Kong Government press release, enhancement measures for the TTPS and QMAS, 1 November 2024: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202411/01/P2024110100288.htm
- Hong Kong Government, Legislative Council question on TTPS extension requirements, 2 April 2025: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202504/02/P2025040200246.htm
- Immigration Department, IANG frequently asked questions: http://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/faq/non-local-graduates-return-employment-arrangement.html
- Immigration Department, entry for study: http://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/study.html
- Immigration Department Review 2024: http://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/press/press-releases/20250127.html
- New CIES, frequently asked questions: https://www.newcies.gov.hk/en/resources/faqs/
- New CIES, investment requirements: https://www.newcies.gov.hk/en/application-procedures/application-to-investhk/investment-requirement/
- New CIES, enhancement measures: https://www.newcies.gov.hk/en/resources/news/government-announces-details-of-enhancement-measures-for-new-capital-investment-entrant-scheme/
Last verified: 22 October 2026
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