In two years, HK talent scheme approves 90% of mainland applicants

In the last two years, Hong Kong has seen over 53,000 applications submitted under the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, with almost 90 percent of these applications being granted approval.

In two years, HK talent scheme approves 90% of mainland applicants
Hong Kong has received over 53,000 applications under the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP) in the last two years, with nearly 90 percent of these applications approved, stated Chris Sun, secretary for labor and welfare of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, on Wednesday.

In a written response to a lawmaker in the HKSAR Legislative Council, Sun mentioned that approximately 47,000 applications were approved while around 600 were refused under the ASMTP during this period.

Additionally, more than 67,000 applications were submitted under the General Employment Policy (GEP). Sun reported that nearly 63,000 of these applications were approved, while about 1,000 were refused.

Under the ASMTP, around 46 percent of successful applications were for short-term positions, while long-term positions represented approximately 54 percent, according to Sun.

For the approved applications under the GEP, approximately 70 percent were related to short-term positions with contracts lasting under 12 months, whereas about 30 percent were long-term positions with contracts spanning 12 months or more, he added.

In the past two years, among those authorized to take up long-term roles in Hong Kong under the GEP, a significant number were involved in the tourism sector, followed by academic research and education, as well as financial services. Sun also noted that for those approved under the ASMTP for long-term positions, most were engaged in commerce and trade, followed by financial services and academic research and education.

The majority of the incoming talent approved had monthly salaries ranging from 20,000 to 39,999 Hong Kong dollars, followed by those earning between 40,000 and 79,999 Hong Kong dollars, according to Sun.

The HKSAR government's GEP and ASMTP schemes are targeted at attracting Chinese citizens living abroad and talents from the Chinese mainland, aimed at fulfilling the developmental requirements of the HKSAR.

These two employment-linked schemes, GEP and ASMTP, serve as the foundation of the HKSAR's talent admission policy, enabling employers to swiftly fill vacancies and maintain the competitiveness of local businesses, as noted on the official website of Talent List Hong Kong.

Camille Lefevre for TROIB News

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