In the past two years, the Hong Kong government has repeatedly relaxed the conditions for entering and staying in Hong Kong in order to attract more talents. Against this background, the "unlimited, two-year" Talented Talent Scheme came into being.

Only one year after its launch, Gaocaitong has been favored by many middle-class families and young people in the mainland, and the number of applicants continues to rise.

According to the latest data released by the Hong Kong government, as of the end of November last year, the Hong Kong Talent Access Program received more than 50,000 applications and approved 47,000 applications. Among them, 40,000 people have received visas and 30,000 people have come to Hong Kong.

Further reading

The Talent Connect Program aims to attract high-end talents with rich work experience and advanced academic qualifications from all over the world to explore opportunities in Hong Kong. These high-end talents are divided into three categories:

● Category A: Those whose annual income reached HK$2.5 million or more (or the equivalent in foreign currency) in the year before application;

● Category B: Those who have obtained a bachelor’s degree from an eligible university and have accumulated at least three years of work experience in the five years before application;

● Category C: Those who have obtained a bachelor's degree from an eligible university within the five years before application, but have less than three years of work experience.

In 2024, Gao Caitong will further relax talent admission conditions and recruit high-end talents from around the world! Who will benefit from the New Deal? Xiaoxing will give you a detailed explanation next!

01

Application conditions for highly talented Category A may be relaxed

The company's shareholding changes from 100% to 50%?

According to the requirements of the Immigration Department, Category A applications require applicants to have an income of more than HK$2.5 million (or the equivalent in foreign currency) in the year before application. Income includes wages, dividends, company equity, etc., but does not include investment income.

Prior to this, if you applied for Category A Gaocaitong based on company profits, the applicant needed to hold 100% of the shares.

However, judging from the internal supplementary letter issued by the Immigration Department, it seems that the Hong Kong government has now relaxed the equity ratio requirements for enterprises: if they hold more than 50% of the shares, they can also apply for A based on the profit amount corresponding to the equity ratio of the company's net profit. kind.

[Note] Specific details are subject to actual conditions and official documents.

The latest data on Category A applications:

From January to November last year, there were 16,383 applications for Gao Caitong Category A, of which 10,925 were approved, with an approval rate of approximately 66.6%. Among the three application categories, Category A has a lower approval rate because the material preparation is more complicated. If necessary, please contact Xiaoxing.

02

Expansion of eligible colleges and universities in categories B and C for high talents

Central South University is on the list!

The comprehensive list of the Talent Access Program covers the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings, U.S. News World University Rankings, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University Academic Ranking of World Universities.

In the latest list that took effect on January 1, 2024, the number of eligible universities for the Talent Pass has been expanded to 185, including 4 new universities, including: Central South University, Queen Mary University of London, Australia's University of Technology Sydney and Brazil's University of São Paulo.

At the same time, three universities have been removed from the new list, including: University of Göttingen in Germany, Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, and Mirio Medical International Alex School of Medicine in the United States.

Currently, there are a total of 13 qualified universities in the mainland, namely: Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, University of Science and Technology of China, Sun Yat-sen University, Nanjing University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan University, Xi'an Jiaotong University University, Harbin Institute of Technology and Central South University.

The latest data for Category B and C applications:

From January to November last year, there were 30,597 Category B applications, and 25,624 were approved, with an approval rate of 96%; there were 11,570 Category C applications, and 10,257 were approved, with an approval rate of 96%. 95%. The approval rate is so high, graduates from the above 13 colleges and universities can try to submit applications!

Hong Kong has further relaxed the application requirements for the Talent Program to attract more high-end talents from overseas and mainland China to Hong Kong, injecting new impetus into Hong Kong's high-quality development. For high-end talents, Hong Kong’s strategic location, stable legal environment, preferential taxation, and mature financial market make it an ideal place to expand their career ambitions!

When Gao Caitong was launched, it was clearly stated that it would be "limited to two years". Now that the time has passed halfway, it is still unknown whether the closure will continue. If you intend to apply for Hong Kong identity, please act as soon as possible. For more details, please contact Xingyunhai International. We will provide you with "private customization + exclusive service"!