Hong Kong Top Talent Pass Scheme: Frequently Asked Questions

No. The scheme grants a first visa on income (Category A) or an eligible-university bachelor's degree (Categories B and C) alone. Employment or a business in Hong Kong is required only when you apply to extend at the end of the first visa (Immigration Department scheme page, 2026).

It is the income of the year before application and may include salary, allowances, share options and profits of a company you own; personal investment income is excluded. Owners claiming company profits must generally have held the shares throughout the relevant tax year. Evidence is a tax assessment, employer certification and company financial records (Immigration Department FAQ).

Not on its own. The test is whether the bachelor's degree comes from the eligible-university list and was a full-time degree awarded by the university itself. Honorary, online, distance, evening and part-time bachelor's degrees and degrees from continuing education arms or branch campuses are not accepted (Immigration Department FAQ).

The quota is 10,000 a year on a first come first served basis. Graduation within five years is counted by calendar year: the Immigration Department's example is that a 2018 graduate had to apply by 31 December 2023. Non-local students who completed a full-time locally accredited degree in Hong Kong cannot use Category C.

From 11 am on 26 February 2025 every applicant, dependants included, pays a non-refundable HK$600 application fee; on approval a visa fee of HK$600 (stay of 180 days or below) or HK$1,300 (181 days or more) is payable. Processing normally takes four weeks after all documents and fees are received (Government press release, 26 Feb 2025).

No. The initial stay is granted once only. A holder who leaves Hong Kong and lets the limit of stay expire cannot reapply under the TTPS and must use another scheme (Immigration Department FAQ).

Either employment in Hong Kong with a stable income, in a role commonly taken up by degree holders and at market-level remuneration, or an established or joined business that operates healthily and contributes to the economy. The Immigration Department also considers tax paid and time spent in Hong Kong; unemployed applicants may be refused (scheme page; LCQ reply 25 Mar 2026).

Within three months before the limit of stay expires, ideally six weeks ahead; processing normally takes two to three weeks. Extensions are usually up to three years or until the employment contract ends. Holders with two years under the scheme and HK$2 million of assessable income in the previous tax year may be granted six years under the top-tier stream.

By end-January 2026, about 20,800 of some 40,200 holders whose stay had expired had applied, an application rate above 50%, and about 94% were approved. Their median monthly income was about HK$40,000 (Labour and Welfare Bureau, 23 Feb 2026).

A spouse or legally recognised civil partner and unmarried children under 18. Dependants' stay is tied to the sponsor's, and they may take up employment and study without further permission. Up to eight dependants can be added to one online application (Immigration Department scheme page and dependant policy).

Children aged 6 to 18 eligible for public-sector schools can register with the Education Bureau's placement assistance service at a Regional Education Office, which allocates by district and vacancy and may be used once per child; parents may also apply to schools directly. Direct subsidy and international schools admit on their own terms (Education Bureau, Jan 2026).

Usually not. The exemption covers persons admitted for employment for not more than 13 months, and a TTPS first visa of 24 or 36 months exceeds that. After 60 days of continuous employment the employer must enrol the employee; each side contributes 5% of relevant income, capped at HK$1,500 a month. Members of overseas retirement schemes are separately exempt, subject to verification (MPFA).

With a Hong Kong identity card you are an eligible person. From 1 January 2026 A&E costs HK$400 per attendance (critical and emergency patients exempt), an acute bed HK$300 a day, a first specialist consultation HK$250 and a family medicine consultation HK$150, with an annual cap of HK$10,000 on eligible persons' fees (Government press release, 25 Mar 2025).

Insurers underwrite on place of residence, immigration status and health disclosure, and policies are signed in Hong Kong. Applicants who are still Mainland residents must sign the Important Facts Statement for Mainland Policyholders (from 1 September 2016). Long-term policies carry a 21-day cooling-off period. This site sells no insurance and recommends no product; each insurer's current documents govern.

Yes, up to HK$8,000 per insured person per year for certified plans where the taxpayer or spouse is the policyholder; insured persons may include the taxpayer, spouse, children, parents, grandparents and siblings. At the 15% standard rate the maximum saving is HK$1,200 per insured person (VHIS Office).

On Hong Kong-sourced employment income, at progressive rates of 2%, 6%, 10%, 14% and 17% on net chargeable income or at the two-tiered standard rate (15% on the first HK$5 million of net income, 16% above), whichever is lower. The basic allowance is HK$132,000 for 2025/26 and HK$145,000 from 2026/27; the 2025/26 one-off reduction is 100% capped at HK$3,000 (IRD PAM 61, Aug 2026).

Not automatically. Mainland residence turns on domicile or 183 days of presence in a tax year, counting only days with 24 hours of presence; individuals without domicile are subject to the six-year rule. Dual residence is resolved by the tie-breaker rules of the Mainland–Hong Kong Arrangement, and tax paid in the Mainland may be credited in Hong Kong under the Arrangement. Obtain advice in both jurisdictions.

You must have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong continuously for not less than seven years. Lawful, voluntary residence for a settled purpose counts; when assessing absences the Immigration Department weighs their reason, length and frequency, your habitual home, employment and where your spouse and minor children live. There is no fixed day threshold, and the Department has no discretion for applicants who fall short (LCQ reply 18 Mar 2026).