The author of this article is Soso FUNG

Hello everyone, I am Soso FUNG, an migration consultant. I graduated from Auckland University of Technology in 2010. After returning to China in 2019, I started working on the Hong Kong Excellent Talents Program. So far, I have assisted more than 100 groups of families to successfully obtain Hong Kong status through the Hong Kong Talents Program. Sincerity is my basic work attitude, professionalism is my basic professional ethics, and intention is my professional reputation in the industry. I will live up to your trust and use my most attentive and professional services to help you and your family successfully apply for Hong Kong identity.

Identity in Hong KongThis year is really popular. In just 10 months, the number of applicants for Top Talent Pass Scheme has exceeded 40,000. However, the approval rate for Top Talent Pass Scheme is very high, and the approval rate is also very high. So far, more than 30,000 people have been approved. Therefore, many friends who are eager to obtain Hong Kong identity will apply for Top Talent Pass Scheme.

The Hong Kong Talent Pass Program (High-end Talent Pass) is a talent introduction plan launched by the Hong Kong government on December 28, 2022. The purpose is to attract high-end talents with rich work experience and high academic qualifications from all over the world to explore opportunities in Hong Kong.

These high-end talents include high-income individuals and graduates from the world’s top universities.

There are three categories of applicants who meet the application requirements for Top Talent Pass Scheme:

Category A:The annual income reached HK$2.5 million or above in the year before submitting the application;

Category B:[Bachelor’s degree] Graduated from a top 100 prestigious school + 3 years of work experience;

Class C:[Bachelor’s degree] Graduated from one of the top 100 prestigious universities, no work experience. The quota is 10,000, allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Top Talent Pass Scheme Category A Analysis

Category A for high talents only looks at income, not academic qualifications, which school you graduated from, or your age. The focus is only on income.

Top Talent Pass Scheme’s specific requirements for Category A are:

Those whose annual income reached HK$2.5 million or above (or the equivalent in foreign currency) in the year immediately preceding application.

There are three main types of Top Talent Pass Scheme Category A applicants:

Working people, sole proprietors and joint venture owners.

1. Working people

If you are a “working family”, you can calculate it from personal salary, bonuses, allowances, stock options, etc.

The simplest way: log in to the personal tax APP → view income details and tax records.

2. Joint venture

If you open a company but do not hold 100% of the shares, and you want to calculate it based on corporate profits, your own portion of the profit dividends must be distributed to your personal name, and you need to provide a tax payment certificate for the dividends.

3. Sole proprietorship

If the company holds 100% of the shares, this situation can be calculated based on the company’s profits. First, you must provide the corresponding ownership certificate to prove that you own 100% of the company.

Then provide documents proving the company’s financial status. For example, audited financial reports, operating profit and loss statements, and tax payment certificates that match the audit time period prove that the company’s income is more than HK$2.5 million and that taxes have been paid.

There is a detail here. Whether it is personal salary, dividends or company profits, there must be tax records.

Frequently Asked Questions about Talented Category A:

01. Is it necessary to submit a tax payment certificate?

Top Talent Pass Scheme Category A has an annual income of 2.5 million, and must provide a tax payment certificate. The reason why the Top Talent Pass Scheme Category A visa rejection rate is high is that many applicants have problems with their materials.

02. Can overseas income and Hong Kong income be combined with mainland income?

Yes! In addition to Hong Kong dollars, the online application service system also has 17 major currencies to choose from. After the applicant selects a currency, the computer system will automatically convert the income into Hong Kong dollars.

03. Can self-employed individuals submit applications?

The profits of individual industrial and commercial households can also be used to apply for high-talented category A, and an audit report or tax payment certificate is also required. If the tax payment certificate does not reach this amount or there is no formal financial audit report, it will not work.

04. A sole proprietorship company has more than 2.5 million pre-tax profits in its books, but part of the profits were transferred to individuals or other companies through planning in the past. Can it apply?

It is equivalent to insufficient personal income to apply.

05. What should I do if the profit of a sole proprietorship exceeds HKD 2.5 million, but there is no dividend this year and the individual cannot provide personal tax certificate?

You can also apply if you provide the company’s annual audit report or tax payment certificate, as well as the company’s 100% ownership certificate.

06. As a company shareholder, my personal income does not exceed 2.5 million Hong Kong dollars, but the company’s profit exceeds this amount, can I apply?

If the company distributes it to an individual, it can be counted as personal income, and a tax payment certificate for the shareholder dividend must be provided, otherwise it cannot be used for calculation.

07. I hold shares in multiple companies, can it be calculated cumulatively?

Yes, just provide the materials separately.

08. Regarding the profits of a 100%-owned Class A company, what information do I need to provide to prove that my annual income reaches 2.5 million?

For the profits of a 100%-owned Class A company, look at the profit statement in the audit report and the total profit in the corporate income tax return, and it only needs to exceed HKD 2.5 million.

09. I have had an income of more than 2.5 million Hong Kong dollars, but it was not last year. Is it okay?

No, if you apply in 2023, your annual salary in 2022 must reach HK$2.5 million. If you do not meet the standard in 2022, but meet the standard in 2021 or 2020, you cannot apply.

10. If the Top Talent Pass Scheme visa is successfully renewed, is it necessary to live in Hong Kong?

Top Talent Pass Scheme’s renewal mainly depends on whether he is employed by a company in Hong Kong, and is not necessarily related to the length of residence. For example, if someone works in Hong Kong, but comes back to live in the mainland, there is no problem at all!

Every time Top Talent Pass Scheme renews his visa, the applicant must be employed by a company in Hong Kong or be self-employed, and the applicant’s salary generally needs to be higher than the market level, and the employer’s company information needs to be submitted (company business certificate, documents proving economic status, etc.).

In terms of renewal, it can be understood that the requirements are similar to those for professionals in Hong Kong. Both require a job to renew the visa.

There are two renewal modes for Top Talent Pass Scheme, one is 2+3+3 years, and the other is 2+6 years. No matter which type, the first renewal is for 2 years. As for the second renewal, whether it is 3 years or 6 years, it depends on whether your subsequent salary reaches 2 million per year.

11. Can talented and highly talented people apply at the same time?

You can apply at the same time. If both applications are approved, the migration department will also contact you to revoke one of them. However, high-talented and outstanding talents can convert visas to each other.

12. My application for Top Talent Pass Scheme has been approved. Can I go if I don’t want to go?

Top Talent Pass Scheme application can only be approved once. If you are approved and don’t go, then you have wasted this opportunity and you will not be able to apply again in the future.

Top Talent Pass Scheme Category B and C Analysis

The requirement is to have a bachelor’s degree from a university ranked among the top 100 in the world. A master’s degree or a doctorate from a university ranked among the top 100 in the world does not meet the requirements. This shows that Hong Kong also wants to attract more young and promising talents.。

In this requirement, categories B and C are divided.Category BRequires 3 years of work experience. There is no limit to the number of places, just as many as there are.Category CNo work experience is required, but there is only a quota of 10,000, and it is on a first-come, first-served basis. This shows that Hong Kong, wants more experienced top school graduates who can directly come to Hong Kong to contribute.

Only those with undergraduate degrees from the world’s top 100 universities can apply, but not master’s and doctoral degrees?

Since they are high-end talents, the threshold will not be too low.The High Talent Program attaches great importance to applicants’ first academic qualifications.For Category B and C qualifications, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a top 100 university in the world. If your undergraduate degree is not among the top 100, but your master’s degree or doctorate is among the top 100, you cannot apply.

(The current list of top 100 universities for highly talented and talented students is still ranked according to the 2023 list)

What benefits will you get after applying for the High Talent Program?

After the Top Talent Pass Scheme plan is approved, you can activate your visa and apply for a Hong Kong ID card, synchronizing the benefits of your Hong Kong ID card.For example:

1. Children can participateDSE Examination in Hong Kong, with low scores to enter the world’s famous universities, you can directly enter 132 universities in the mainland (including Tsinghua, Peking University, Fudan, Shanghai Jiao Tong and other famous universities) through the “Exam-free Admissions Plan”.

2. Children can participate“Joint Entrance Examination for Overseas Chinese Students”, with a total score of 750 (less difficult than the mainland college entrance examination), admission score: 400 points for the first book, 300 points for the second book, and 200 points for art candidates, easily admitted to the first mainland college.

3. If your child is a Hong Kong citizen, you can getHigh tuition fee exemption, paying 480,000 to 600,000 Hong Kong dollars less in tuition than non-Hong Kong students.

4、15 years of free compulsory international education in Chinese and English(3 years of kindergarten + 6 years of elementary school + 3 years of junior high school + 3 years of high school).

5、Enjoy medical advantages, the first visit to a specialist outpatient clinic in a public hospital is HKD 100, and each subsequent visit is only HKD 50; a general outpatient consultation is only HKD 45, and the hospitalization fee is HKD 100 per day (no matter what the disease is), including catering, hospitalization, medicine, surgery, etc.

6. Can be processedResidence Permit for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Residents, living in the Mainland, receiving social security cards normally, and enjoying the Mainland’s medical and social security benefits.

7. One person applies for benefits for the whole family.Spouse and childrencan immigrate to Hong Kong with the main applicant.

8、No birth restrictions, and children born in Hong Kong, can obtain permanent resident status in Hong Kong.

9、Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passport Free entry and exit, has arrived in 171 regions/countries without visa, ranking 18th. There are a total of 233 regions in the world, and Hong Kong passports are visa-free for 73% of them.

10、Can hold dual identities of Mainland China and Hong Kong, you can enjoy the benefits of both sides. Hong Kong belongs to China and there is no such thing as dual nationality.

11、Freedom of funds, asset preservation, Hong Kong dollar and US dollar pegged.

12、Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay AreaThere are no restrictions on purchasing a house. If you are a Hong Kong resident, you do not need to meet any conditions and you can purchase it directly.

13. Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay AreaPersonal taxOnly 15% will be charged, and the excess amount will be exempted.

14. Hong Kong permanent residence can be applied for in Hong KongCivil Servant。

Hong Kong identity = student status (the best choice for planning children’s education) + tax status (ultra-low tax rate) + financial status (asset optimization) + travel status (passport is visa-free for 171 countries/regions).

The rapid review and approval of Hong Kong Top Talent Pass Scheme, the need to obtain an appointment from a Hong Kong company before application, and the relatively simple application materials are all advantages that attract people to apply for Top Talent Pass Scheme. However, Top Talent Pass Scheme is often updated with new policies. It is recommended that you understand it clearly before applying.

4 mainstream ways to apply for Hong Kong identity:Study abroad in Hong Kong, Hong Kong talents, Hong Kong professionals and high talents.If you are interested in Hong Kong identity, you can scan the QR code to contact me to see which application method is suitable for you. You will know the answer in 10 minutes.

Hong Kong Top Talent Pass Category A success story

Age: 35

After Mr H signed with us for the Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme in April, we analysed his circumstances. His tax paid last year exceeded HKD 2.5 million, so he also met the “high-income Category A” criteria. We therefore prepared Plan B and lodged a Top Talent Pass application at the same time.

Approved smoothly on 11 August

Hong Kong Top Talent Pass Category A success story

Age: 45

The client has annual income of 3 million and previously worked at a technology finance company in mainland China. Because they met the Top Talent Pass Category A criteria

Hong Kong Top Talent Pass Category C success story

Age: 25

Education:Graduated from Australian National University

Approved smoothly on 20 September

Hong Kong Quality Migrant success story

Age: 40

Score: 160

Education: master degree

Industry:Investment Analyst

Lodgement date: February 2022

Approval date: 5 October 2023

Hong Kong Quality Migrant success story

Age: 29

Score: 135

Education: master degree

Industry:FinTech industry

Lodgement date: 30 December 2022

Approval date: 22 September 2023

Hong Kong Quality Migrant success story

Age: 39

Score: 110

Education: bachelor degree

Industry:Finance + real estate

Lodgement date: 19 December 2022

Approval date: 21 September 2023

Hong Kong Quality Migrant success story

Age: 35

Score: 125

Education: bachelor degree

Industry:Culture and arts-related industry

Lodgement date: 16 February 2022

Approval date: 18 September 2023

If you intend to apply to Hong Kong but are unsure about your assessment score, you can scan and follow

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