Hong Kong Work Visa: A Fuss-Free Guide to Apply for One

Hong Kong. A hub of talent and trade. Economically strong. Low tax rates. It’s no secret that it’s one of the most business-friendly jurisdictions when it comes to setting up a foreign company in Hong Kong. But why exactly is that? One of the biggest contributors is its immigration policy. If you’re planning on relocating, you’ll need to apply for a Hong Kong work visa. Time to get to know how the application works.

The list below is what this article will cover so if you have something specific on your mind, you can jump straight to that section. If you can’t find what you’re after, click that speech bubble you see bottom left and shoot us a message.

The HKSAR & Working Visa Terms

Unless a quota system applies, these work visa applications are assessed and issued at the discretion of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, which we’ll refer to as HKSAR or just “Hong Kong”. You may have seen these visas referred to as “schemes” or “permits” but we’ll stick to “visa” in this article to keep it simple. We love simple.

Wait, There’s More Than One Kind Of Work Visa?

That’s right. There are a few. The one that you apply for comes down to the motivation that got you thinking of making the move to Hong Kong. It could be seeking an investment opportunity, to live out that dream job or to take the leap and start a business in Hong Kong. We know you’re looking for details that are relevant to the “start a business” bit so we’ll get into more about that but for now, here’s a quick view of the different types of Hong Kong visas that fall under the General Employment Policy (GEP), and who they’re suited to:

1. Investment Visa Foreigner? Entrepreneur? Ready to relocate and start or join a Hong Kong business as a proprietor or partner? An investment visa is what you’re after (and if your application is successful you can apply for dependents, too).

2. Employment Visa Landed the job you were after? If you’re making a career move to Hong Kong after graduating, or you are a foreigner relocating to work for a company there, this is the visa that will get you on your way. You’ll need to prove your experience or skills are sought after or in short supply (and can’t be fulfilled by a local) and the salary needs to be aligned to local professionals.

3. Quality Migrant Admission Scheme Also known as a QMAS visa, this applies to foreigners who don’t have a job secured but plan to seek job opportunities in Hong Kong. Unlike the visas above, a quota system applies in this case. 1,000 slots per year are assigned.

4. Permanent Residence Visa Want to make it official and call Hong Kong home sweet home? To make that happen, you’ll need to have stayed for at least 7 consecutive years. After that, you’ll be eligible to apply for a permanent residence visa. So you could start with any of the visas above and then if all goes to plan, this will be the next step.