Recently, the Hong Kong Immigration Department has launched a series of favorable policies for the talent scheme, which will make the application process for the talent scheme more convenient, and the application period may also be shortened. It will be easier to obtain Hong Kong identity through the talent scheme in 2022!

1. For employers of talent.
If the Hong Kong employer company of the talent has had a non-local employee approved for a work visa/entry permit within 18 months prior to submitting a new application, the employer company will not need to submit the following company documents when applying:

Business registration certificate;

Proof of the company's economic status;

Company background details; and business plan (e.g., business activities, operational model, and source of funds).

Internal transfer within the company (the transferred personnel comes from the employer company's office outside Hong Kong), and if the application meets the following requirements, the Hong Kong employer company will not need to submit proof of local recruitment: the position is a managerial or professional position;

The transferred personnel has worked in the company for no less than one year;

The compensation and benefits are comparable to the market level at that time;

The number of internal transfer personnel sponsored by the company must be reasonable relative to the total number of employees and the nature of the business.

If the applicant is employed by a sizable company and has an annual salary of HKD 2 million or above (including housing allowance and other benefits), the Hong Kong employer company will not need to submit proof of local recruitment, and the applicant will not need to submit proof of academic qualifications and work experience.

After the introduction of this facilitation measure, for some friends who want to apply for talent, it can save them from the various troubles of asking former employers for work proof and getting social security records printed from the social security bureau.

2. For talent applicants.
If the applicant holds a bachelor's degree or above awarded by an internationally renowned institution, the Hong Kong employer company will not need to submit proof of local recruitment when applying, and the applicant will not need to submit proof of work experience. The recognition requirements for internationally renowned institutions are the same as those for the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, including being among the top 100 institutions in one of the four world university rankings or among the top 30 liberal arts colleges in the U.S. News & World Report.

Times Higher Education World University Rankings

QS World University Rankings

Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University

U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings

If the applicant has previously been approved under the general employment policy/input talent plan/technology talent admission scheme/excellent talent admission scheme (excluding dependent applications), when applying for talent, the applicant does not need to submit proof of academic qualifications and work experience. This provides another opportunity for friends who have been unable to renew their visas or activate their entry due to the pandemic, leading to visa expiration.