The Talent List can be applied under a number of admission schemes including the General Employment Policy (GEP), the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP) and the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS).
Under GEP and ASMTP, employers who seek to fill vacancies falling under the Industry Segments and Occupations (ISOs) on the Talent List are eligible for the exemption from the market availability test, i.e. not required to prove their difficulties in local recruitment in making applications for talent admission directly. A Guidance Note is provided to set out the criteria and details of the ISOs eligible for the exemption.
The two employment-tied schemes of GEP and ASMTP have been the mainstay of our talent admission regime to facilitate employers to fill vacancies speedily to preserve the competitiveness of local enterprises.
Eligible applicants who meet the requirements of the Talent List may enjoy immigration facilitation under the QMAS (i.e. to be awarded 30 bonus points under the General Points Test) after assessment. Applicants need to submit necessary documentary proofs of the qualification and experience requirements for the respective profession under the Talent List.
The QMAS seeks to attract highly skilled or talented persons globally to settle in Hong Kong in order to enhance Hong Kong’s international competitiveness. Successful applicants are not required to have secured an offer of local employment before their entry to Hong Kong and may bring their dependants to the city for settlement.