Has Hong Kong got talent? Expanded visa fast track list reveals citys most desirable professions
The list highlights the city’s most desirable additions to the local labour pool, with eligible candidates enjoying a smoother immigration process when applying under the General Employment Policy (GEP), the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP) and the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS).
Under the GEP and ASMTP, employers seeking to fill positions matching the talent list can be exempt from taking a market availability test. Those applying under QMAS can receive an additional 30 points on the scheme’s scoring system.
2. How has the list changed over the years?
The talent list was further expanded to 13 job types in 2021, with the two new entries comprising those in compliance, asset management, finance and the environmental, social and governance field.
The latest expansion brings the list up to 51 job types, including nurses, doctors, dentists, midwives, architects, town planners and landscape architects.
However, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han has stressed that applicants from the medical and legal sectors would have to meet the respective registry requisites or pass relevant examinations.
“This list aims to provide convenience for successful applicants to obtain a work visa but they need to meet the city’s professional requirements to practise here,” he said.
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3. Has the expanded list been well received?
Responding to the drastic expansion of the talent list, lawmaker Lam Chun-sing accused the government of failing to consult the relevant industries or provide data to support its stance that such sectors needed to attract more overseas professionals and workers.
“In the long term, it could affect the job prospects of local university graduates. The government should make sure the scheme will not be abused to become an easy path to import cheap labour,” said Lam, a member of the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions.
The Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management called the revised list “a step in the right direction”.
Roy Ying, the co-chair of the organisation’s advocacy and policy research committee, pointed to a recent survey from the institute that found 85 per cent of members across all sectors had reported difficulties filling vacancies over the past six months.
Ying, however, warned that bringing in talent from overseas could face bottlenecks since the local professional organisation could take time to recognise qualifications.
“Professional qualifications often require a number of years of experience, certain tests, certain degrees, exams, so this is not something that can be done quite overnight,” he said.
Dr David Lam Tzit-yuen, a lawmaker for the medical and health services sector, echoed Ying’s remarks and said he did not expect a significant improvement in his industry’s manpower shortage in the near future.
“I have never heard of anyone [in the medical sector] not being able to come to Hong Kong due to visa issues,” he said. “The nature of the job and lifestyle are factors that are probably more important for workers who are considering moving to the city.”
Lam also noted that mechanisms already exist to help entice more doctors to Hong Kong, including the special and limited registration schemes, adding that applicants under both initiatives would still be screened by the Medical Council.
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4. What other talent schemes does Hong Kong have?
The expanded list follows a raft of measures put forward by city leader Lee during his maiden policy address last year, when he announced the Top Talent Pass Scheme to attract high-earners and foreign graduates from prestigious universities around the world.
Under the scheme, applicants must have earned a salary of HK$2.5 million (US$319,185) or above in the past year. Graduates from the world’s top 100 universities with at least three years of work experience during the past five years are also eligible to apply.
Formally launched in December, the scheme attracted some 27,000 applications by the end of April.
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Labour minister Sun at the time said about 17,000 candidates had been approved, 5,000 of which had already arrived in Hong Kong.
Authorities had also planned to review the scheme and would consider adding more academic institutions in mainland China to the list of approved universities.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po devoted a section of his budget address in February to propose a new Capital Investment Entrant Scheme to “enrich the talent pool and attract new capital”.
The proposed initiative would require applicants to make an investment of a certain value in the local asset market, but would exclude the property market. Successful candidates would be able to live in Hong Kong and pursue further development opportunities.
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5. Could Hong Kong’s housing situation pose a barrier to talent schemes?
Authorities have tabled a bill at the Legislative Council that calls for a change in stamp duty rules. The prospective legislation offers a refund for the tax payment levied against non-local homebuyers who choose to settle in the city.
The adjustments are expected to support talent from the mainland and overseas, who pay a 30 per cent stamp duty if they buy a home in Hong Kong, twice the amount levied against existing homeowners in the city looking to purchase additional properties.
The changes will allow talent to get the duty fee, worth more than a quarter of the property price they paid, if they opted to obtain permanent residency after working there for more than seven years.
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