Hong Kong (China)Talent visa

Top talent pass in Hong Kong (China)

The Top Talent Pass Scheme is a Hong Kong visa for the employment of highly paid professionals and graduates of the world's leading universities. A job offer is not required at the time of application: the status gives the right to look for work or run a business in the city after arrival.

Visa term

Category A — 36 months; categories B and C — 24 months.

Work

Work is permitted, and the employer may be changed without prior approval.

Source: Hong Kong SAR Immigration Department (immd.gov.hk)

Three categories of entry

The applicant chooses one of three categories — there is no universal application form here in which everything turns on a single indicator.

Category A — high income

An annual income of HK$2,500,000 or more (or the equivalent in a foreign currency) for the year before the application
There is no requirement as to the university or the degree
A job offer in Hong Kong is not needed at the time of application
The initial permission to stay is 36 months

Category B — experienced graduates

A bachelor's degree from the composite list of institutions compiled by the Labour and Welfare Bureau
At least three years of work experience in the five years before the application
There is no quota
The initial permission to stay is 24 months

Category C — young graduates

A bachelor's degree from the same composite list of institutions, obtained no more than five years ago
Less than three years of work experience
An annual quota applies, allocated on a first-come, first-served basis — currently 10,000 places a year
Not suitable for non-local graduates who obtained a bachelor's degree on a full-time accredited programme in Hong Kong itself
The initial permission to stay is 24 months

What it costs

Fee for considering the application (not refunded, whatever the outcome)	600 HKD
Fee for issuing the e-Visa where the permitted period of stay is longer than 180 days	1 300 HKD
Fee for issuing the e-Visa where the permitted period of stay is 180 days or less	600 HKD
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table.	2 500 HKD

Documents to gather

The basic set of documents for the applicant, whatever the category.

A recent photograph
A valid travel document
A Hong Kong identity card (if already held)
The official bachelor's degree certificate and the academic transcript from an institution on the composite list
Verification of the degree by a third party or by the institution itself
Documentary proof of work experience — for categories B and C
Documentary proof of an annual income of HK$2,500,000 or more (a tax assessment, a certificate of income, share option documents and the like) — for category A
For residents of mainland China — the consent of the current employer or of the relevant authority

How the process runs

How the initial visa application works.

1
Choosing a category and gathering documents
The applicant determines which category — A, B or C — applies, and prepares proof of income, of a degree from the composite list or of work experience.
2
Applying online and paying the fee
The application and all the documents are uploaded through the online system together with the fee for considering the application — 600 Hong Kong dollars; it is not refunded whatever the outcome.
3
Consideration by the Immigration Department
about four weeks
Processing starts only once the full set of documents has been received and the fee paid; the decision is at the discretion of the Director of the Department.
4
Paying the visa fee and receiving the e-Visa
Once the application is approved, the fee for issuing the visa must be paid — 1,300 Hong Kong dollars where the permitted period of stay is longer than 180 days, or 600 where it is 180 days or less — after which the e-Visa can be downloaded or printed by the applicant.

Who you can bring with you

Who can be brought along.

A spouse or a partner in an officially recognised union

These include an official marriage, as well as a same-sex or opposite-sex civil union or partnership entered into under the law of the place of registration and officially recognised there.

Minor children

Unmarried children under the age of 18.

The condition for the TTPS holder as sponsor

It must be shown that income and accommodation allow the dependants to be supported at a level appreciably above the subsistence level.

The number of dependants in one application

Up to eight accompanying dependants may be included in a single online application together with the principal applicant.

Work and study for dependants

Dependants may work or study in Hong Kong without separate permission from the Immigration Department.

Renewal and the grace period

The application for extension is made online no earlier than three months and no later than six weeks before the status expires. Employment in a position at graduate level with a stable market income, or an operating business in Hong Kong, must be proven. The extension is usually for no more than three years, or until the end of the employment contract — whichever is the shorter. If TTPS status has already lasted at least two years and the assessable annual income has reached HK$2,000,000, an application may be made under the top-tier stream for an extension of six years at once.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

After at least 7 years of continuous ordinary residence in the Hong Kong SAR one may apply for the right of abode.

Frequently asked questions about Top talent pass

Who can apply under the TTPS?

The applicant chooses one of three categories: A — an annual income of HK$2,500,000 or more; B — a bachelor's degree from the composite list of universities and at least three years of work experience in the last five years; C — the same list of universities with less than three years of work experience, within an annual quota. A job offer in Hong Kong is not required at the time of application.

How much does it cost to apply under the TTPS?

The fee for considering the application is 600 Hong Kong dollars per applicant, and it is not refunded whatever the outcome. Once the application is approved, a fee for issuing the e-Visa is paid in addition: 1,300 dollars if the permitted period of stay is longer than 180 days, and 600 dollars if it is 180 days or less. The same rule applies to accompanying dependants.

How long does it take to consider an application?

Normally four weeks from the moment the Immigration Department has received the full set of documents and the fee. Processing does not start before that moment.

Can the family be brought to Hong Kong?

Yes. A TTPS holder may apply for entry for a spouse or a partner in an officially recognised union and for minor children under 18 in the same online application — up to eight dependants at once. It must be shown that income and accommodation allow them to be supported at a level appreciably above the subsistence level.

What is needed to extend the status, and for how long is it extended?

The application for extension is made three months before the status expires, but no later than six weeks beforehand. Employment in a position at graduate level with a market income, or an operating business, must be proven. Normally up to three more years are granted, or the period until the end of the employment contract. With at least two years of TTPS status and an assessable annual income of HK$2,000,000 or more, the top-tier stream may be claimed, with an extension of six years at once.

What quota applies to category C?

At present the annual quota for category C is 10,000 places, allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Categories A and B have no quota.

Other ways to move to Hong Kong (China)

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Hong Kong (China).

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.