What is the Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme?

The Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) is a Hong Kong talent-attraction policy. Its main aim is to strengthen Hong Kong’s competitiveness by drawing highly skilled professionals and top talent to settle in the city. You do not need a prior job offer from a Hong Kong company, nor do you need to invest in any project, and once approved you are not required to work or live in Hong Kong.

How to apply for the Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme

First, you must meet the basic eligibility requirements before you can apply:

· Age: 18 years or older

· Financial: You must provide proof of savings — 200,000+ for an individual application and 300,000+ for a family application

· Character: no criminal record and no adverse immigration record

· Qualifications: a bachelor’s degree or above (issued by a recognised university or institution)

Once you meet the basic eligibility requirements, you must then choose one of two points-based tests, complete a self-assessment, and reach the required score before you can apply. The two scoring systems are the ‘General Points Test’ and the ‘Achievement-based Points Test’. Because the [Achievement-based Points Test] only offers two outcomes — zero or full marks — most applicants apply through the [General Points Test], where the pass mark is 80 points.

When applying for QMAS, even after studying all the relevant documents, you may still find many of your questions go unanswered.The details below are likely known only to industry insiders like us who specialise in Hong Kong QMAS applications.

1. Qualifications

For a QMAS application, your qualifications must include completion of a bachelor’s degree with a degree certificate.

A graduation certificate alone, without a degree certificate, is not sufficient。

Does a bachelor’s degree obtained through self-taught higher education examinations count?

If you have a degree certificate and can produce a qualification verification report, it can also be accepted. One thing to understand, though: compared with a full-time qualification, it is somewhat less competitive. If you only have a graduation certificate and no degree certificate, and you hold other relevant certifications equivalent to bachelor’s-degree level — for example CFA or CPA certificates — you can also provide supporting documentation and give it a try!

2. Scoring

· There are only six scoring categories, yet many applicants still get their self-assessment wrong。

So, are Hong Kong QMAS places awarded simply to the highest scorers?

The answer is NO!Someone else might be approved with 80 points, while you could be rejected with 150!

QMAS does not select applicants purely by score; it takes an overall view of how well your background matches what Hong Kong needs. As long as your score is above the 80-point pass mark, you have a chance of approval!

Many people wonder why applications aren’t assessed strictly by score.

Because a score alone doesn’t reveal which industry you work in, what role you hold, or which projects you’ve been part of — the documents you provide are what allow your achievements and abilities to be properly assessed.

Ability is precisely what the Immigration Department values, because the Hong Kong Government wants outstanding, capable talent.

3. Supporting documents

The documents the Immigration Department requires serve two purposes: to confirm that your past experience is genuine, and to assess your abilities and achievements through that evidence.

The more detailed the documents you provide, the easier it is for the Immigration Department to see what makes you stand out.

4. Points to watch in your Hong Kong settlement plan

The Hong Kong Government attracts talent so that outstanding people will stay and contribute to Hong Kong. So you first need to show the Immigration Department your commitment to contributing to Hong Kong’s development before you can be approved for Hong Kong residency.

A Hong Kong settlement plan has two main parts — your personal achievements and your plans for Hong Kong. The focus should be on how, once in Hong Kong, you will use your knowledge and skills to advance the city’s development.Keep the content from being too vague, and don’t mention that you’re applying for Hong Kong residency in order to obtain Hong Kong welfare benefits.

5. Not everyone is suited to applying

Who is suited to applying? People with the following characteristics are generally a good fit:

1、Highly qualified: a bachelor’s degree or above, with a master’s or doctoral degree being even better

2、Top-100 university background: if your university ranks in the top 100 of any one of the QS, Times Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong (ARWU) or U.S. News & World Report rankings, you receive an additional +30 points

3、International work experience: two or more years of overseas work experience earns +15 points

4、Well-known employer background: working for a Fortune Global 500 company, or a major mainland enterprise such as Tencent or Huawei, earns +20 points

5、In-demand industries: finance, IT, and information and communications technology

6、High-tech industries: microelectronics, optoelectronics, materials science and new-materials technology, energy science and new energy, high-efficiency energy-saving 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

7、Academic and research talent: having published papers, patents and awards is a further advantage

8、Talent List: 51 professions across 9 major industries, with the healthcare and construction sectors newly added — the construction sector makes it comparatively easier to earn the Talent List points

If you qualify under Hong Kong’s newly expanded 51-profession Talent List and gain these 30 points, your chances of approval increase substantially. So what are the requirements for earning these 30 points?

① For the applicant, there are requirements in three areas — [job responsibilities], [educational background] and [work experience] — and they must all be connected: what you studied, whether your field aligns with the industry, how long you’ve worked in it, and whether you have management or R&D experience

② As a rule, applicants wishing to gain Talent List points usually have a score of 120 or above, three or more years of work experience, and job responsibilities that also meet the corresponding requirements

Hong Kong QMAS applications have changed considerably over the past couple of years. To obtain Hong Kong residency smoothly, we recommend first getting a clear grasp of the QMAS strategy and leaving the professional matters to professionals.For a Hong Kong QMAS application, your documents and written submissions are crucial — no aspect can be allowed to fall short. The supplementary-documents stage has now been removed, so preparing thorough documentation and bringing out your strengths through your written submissions is what raises your chances of approval.

If you’re considering applying for Hong Kong residency but are unsure how to assess and score yourself, scan to follow us