Advertisement
Opinion
Hong Kong’s top talent scheme succeeds if people are really staying
The city must attract talent willing to develop careers and raise families here, instead of those just staying long enough to secure residency benefits
3-MIN READ3-MIN
3
Listen
Bernard Chan, born in 1965, is a Hong Kong businessman.
Since its launch late in 2022, the Top Talent Pass Scheme has become a central component of Hong Kong’s global competitiveness strategy. By July this year, the scheme had attracted close to 140,000 applications. Of these, around 110,000 were approved, resulting in more than 90,000 new arrivals to the city. This influx of skilled residents is a sign that Hong Kong remains a strong magnet for talent.
However, as former chief executive Leung Chun-ying and other commentators have warned, the real test lies beyond the headline figures for applications and approvals – in how transparent the system is and whether newcomers are staying and truly integrating.
The latest visa renewal figures emphasise the importance of this issue. As of July 31, 13,678 top talent visas had expired. About 54 per cent of these visa holders applied for renewal, meaning 46 per cent either were not renewing their visas or had already left Hong Kong.
While these figures compare reasonably well with those for other global talent schemes, they mask a deeper issue: many entrants leave quickly or perhaps never intended to stay, highlighting a gap between government ambition and the reality of long-term integration.
Select Voice
Select Speed
1x
AI-generated voice