Author: Soso FUNG

Hello, I am migration consultant Soso FUNG, a 2010 graduate of Auckland University of Technology. After returning to China in 2019, I have worked on the Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) and, to date, have helped more than 100 families successfully obtain Hong Kong residency through it. Sincerity is my basic working attitude, professionalism my core ethic, and dedication the reputation I have earned in this industry. I will honour the trust placed in me and, with my most dedicated and professional service, help you and your family successfully secure Hong Kong residency.

According to official Hong Kong government figures, over the past six months Hong Kong has received more than 100,000 talent-admission applications of various kinds — an average of 16,000 a month, with 61,000 people approved in total.

Of these, the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) drew 36,500 applications, of which 26,000 were approved.

The Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) drew 32,400 applications, with 7,000 people approved in total — far exceeding the QMAS approvals for the whole of 2022, several times the year-on-year figure.‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

With 100,000 middle-class mainland applicants seeking Hong Kong residency in just six months — and no sign of the momentum easing — the Hong Kong government, to cope with this surge in demand, has had the Hong Kong Immigration Department, which oversees talent admission, begin to streamline and overhaul the application process.

‍‍‍‍

Three Key Changes

From 1 August 2023, the biggest of the recent changes is a complete upgrade of the QMAS application system. This upgrade is mainly aimed at achieving the following three improvements.

1. Tighter scrutiny of the authenticity of applicants’ credentials, especially their work history;

2. More concise, streamlined application submissions, saving assessment cost and improving efficiency;

3. Greater rigour and accuracy at the points-assessment stage.

1. Changes to Proof of Assets

To confirm that QMAS applicants have enough financial means to live in Hong Kong and support their family’s basic needs without relying on social welfare, the Immigration Department requires proof of assets. The latest requirements are as follows:

Applicants must provide proof of assets dated within the past 3 months;

Each person must show assets of at least HK$120,000;

Family proof of assets is calculated as HK$120,000 multiplied by the number of people;

If other personal assets are declared, the Immigration Department will request supplementary valuation documents.

2. Qualifications

Based on the approval data for 2022 and Q1 2023, applicants holding a master’s degree or above accounted for over 86% of all approvals! Graduates of top-100 universities can earn an extra 30 points — a clear sign of how highly the Hong Kong government values academic qualifications.

Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the University of Science and Technology of China, Sun Yat-sen University, Nanjing University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology are among the mainland’s top-100 universities; they are detected and awarded points automatically. For other institutions, select “Other” and enter the school name yourself.

A new drop-down for the industry of your degree/qualification has been added:

Options include Accounting/Finance; Arts, Humanities & Literature; Business Administration; Economics; Engineering; Information Technology/Electronics & Software Engineering/Data Science; Law; Life Sciences & Medicine; Management; Science; Social Sciences; and Other.

For mainland institutions, the degree certificate and a degree-verification report must be uploaded — these are mandatory.

For overseas institutions, the degree certificate and a copy of the academic transcript must be uploaded — these are mandatory.

If you hold only a sub-degree (diploma), you cannot proceed in the system!Please take note of this

3. Points for Work Experience

Looking at the scoring criteria for work experience: previously, the Hong Kong Immigration Department defined a “senior position” as “a post responsible for the overall performance of the organisation. In a small company, a senior position is equivalent to a department head or the leader of a project team.” As you can see, that definition set no requirements on the number of staff managed, company headcount or company turnover.

But the latest scoring criteria effectively exclude small businesses from the “senior position” category.Under the company-size classification,

applicants holding a senior position must provide the Immigration Department with evidence that meets the new conditions.

The changes are as follows: to score points for a senior management position, you must meet ALL of the following minimum conditions at once:

(1) Company turnover of at least HK$100 million;

(2) Company headcount of at least 100 staff;

(3) At least 30 direct reports under your management. The QMAS also offers a “Talent List” bonus, with extra points for certain designated industries; to claim it you must provide the corresponding evidence, and the system will prompt you on how to qualify.

If you cannot meet all three conditions and are not with a well-known enterprise, then under work experience — even with more than 15 or 20 years of executive experience — you can score at most 15 points.

As a result, many SME executives may struggle to satisfy all three conditions at once and cannot score highly on work experience; if their academic background is not outstanding either, they may not even reach 80 points and would therefore fail to qualify

The QMAS also offers a “Talent List” bonus, with extra points for certain designated industries; to claim these points you must provide the corresponding evidence, and the system will prompt you on how to qualify.

4. Career or Academic Achievements and Future Plans

The relocation-to-Hong-Kong plan has changed considerably: it must be written in 6 sections, each with a strict limit of no more than 100 words, and no more than 600 words across all 6.

The details are as follows:

· Your main career achievements: including your role in major work projects, your service to prominent organisations/institutions, and any significant contributions you made to those projects and organisations.

· Your professional skills, or achievements in a profession on the Talent List: and the significant contribution of those skills/profession to Hong Kong’s economy or society.

· Your academic achievements: including academic results or any awards received (if applicable).

· Your plans to develop your career in Hong Kong: including details of any links to and collaboration with local business or academic institutions (if applicable).

·Any professional qualifications conferred on you by nationally or internationally recognised/renowned bodies in your field, as well as any awards received (if applicable).

·Any other information you consider highly relevant to the assessment of your application.

5. Points for Immediate Family in Hong Kong

Before the overhaul, points could only be claimed where a spouse, child or parent was a Hong Kong permanent resident living in Hong Kong. After the overhaul, the immediate-family options have been clarified and a siblings option added.

6. Adding Dependants and Entering Family Member Details

The details of all family members must be declared, whether or not they accompany you. Where there are dependants, a dedicated section is provided for entering the relevant details.

Looking across all these online-application changes, the Hong Kong government’s intent to improve processing efficiency is now very clear! With so many applicants and the backlog far from cleared, the Immigration Department has had to filter out clearly ineligible applications at source. Those who do not meet the requirements will find that, in the new system, even completing the form becomes a tall order!

Total approvals in Q1 2023 reached 2,073, with the highest approval rates still in Financial & Accounting Services and Information Technology & Telecommunications. Talent in these industries, along with technical and research professionals, is in strong demand.

Which Applicants

Have the Edge

NEWS

”

The bar for QMAS applications keeps rising; applicants who are prestigious-university graduates or fall under the Talent List have the edge.

The QMAS generally suits research-oriented, academic, internationally experienced and technical talent.

01 Cross-border professionals: those with 2+ years of international work experience (work-visa evidence required).

02 Prestigious-employer background: Fortune Global 500 companies, or major mainland enterprises such as Tencent and Huawei.

03 In-demand industries: finance, IT, and information technology & communications

04 High- and new-tech industries: microelectronics; optoelectronics; materials science and new-materials technology; energy science and new energy; energy-efficiency technology; pharmaceutical science and biomedical engineering; artificial intelligence; integrated-circuit design; the Internet of Things; chip R&D; mechanical R&D; big-data and cloud-computing platform R&D; and game development.

05 Academic and research talent: those with published papers, patents, awards or registered software copyrights

QMAS assessment depends not only on the applicant’s individual strengths but also, crucially, on their industry. If an applicant’s industry background can contribute to Hong Kong’s economic development and they are the kind of talent Hong Kong needs, their chances of approval are higher.

Policy can change at any time, so we still urge everyone to apply sooner rather than later!

Once again: before you submit, make sure your documents are complete and your application is clearly organised, using concise, plain language to align your background precisely with Hong Kong’s current economic-development needs.

So, to make the most of this window for securing Hong Kong residency and to be selected smoothly under the QMAS, you may wish to have a professional firm handle your application — saving you time and effort.

If you are considering applying for Hong Kong residency but are unsure of your own assessment score, scan to follow us

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