Moving to Hong Kong 2026: QMAS, Top Talent Pass, CIES and the Path to Permanent Residence
Hong Kong runs several distinct immigration routes for people who want to live and work here β and unlike many Western systems, several of them do not require a job offer first. Whether you are a high earner, a graduate of a top university, an investor with HK$30 million to deploy, or a fresh graduate of a Hong Kong university, there is likely a scheme designed for you. All of them can lead, after seven years of ordinary residence, to the right of abode (permanent residence).
Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS): the points route
QMAS is Hong Kong's flagship points-based scheme for skilled people who want to move without a prior job offer. The revamped assessment works as follows:
- General Points Test: 12 assessment criteria across six areas β age, academic/professional qualifications, language skills, work experience, annual income and business ownership. The prevailing passing threshold is 6 out of 12 (it can be adjusted without notice, so confirm against the Immigration Department's page before applying). Meeting the Talent List β the government's list of in-demand professions β counts favourably.
- Achievement-based Points Test: for people of exceptional talent β for example, recipients of an Olympic medal, Nobel Prize or major national/international award, or those whose work has been acknowledged by peers as a significant contribution to their field. Requirements are very high and applications that meet neither criterion are refused outright.
Successful General Points applicants are normally granted an initial stay of 36 months; Achievement-based applicants get eight years. There is no annual quota under the current framework.
Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS): the fast lane
Launched in late 2022, the TTPS is the quickest route for high earners and elite-university graduates β no job offer required, and approval is typically fast. Three categories:
| Category | Who qualifies | Initial stay |
|---|---|---|
| A | Annual income of HK$2.5 million or more (taxable employment or business income β salary, allowances, stock options, profits of self-owned companies; personal investment income does not count) in the year before applying | 36 months |
| B | Bachelor's degree graduates of the eligible universities (198 institutions on the aggregate list) with at least 3 years' work experience in the past 5 years | 24 months |
| C | Bachelor's degree graduates of the eligible universities within the past 5 years with less than 3 years' work experience | 24 months |
Categories A and B have no quota; Category C is capped at 10,000 places a year, allotted first-come, first-served. Note that Category C is not open to non-local students who earned their degree through full-time locally-accredited study in Hong Kong (they have IANG instead).
General Employment Policy (GEP): the job-offer route
The traditional work visa. You need a confirmed offer of employment from a Hong Kong employer for a post at graduate level, with a remuneration package at market level, and the employer must show the role cannot readily be filled locally. This is the route most professionals take when a Hong Kong company sponsors them.
New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES): the investor route
Launched 1 March 2024, the New CIES grants residence to investors (and their dependants β spouse and unmarried children under 18) who:
- Demonstrate net assets of at least HK$30 million (absolutely beneficially owned) throughout the six months before applying for net asset assessment (relaxed from two years with effect from 1 March 2025; jointly-owned family assets can count for the applicant's share);
- Invest a minimum of HK$30 million in permissible assets: at least HK$27 million in financial assets and/or real estate, plus HK$3 million into the CIES Investment Portfolio managed by Hong Kong Investment Corporation (locked up, supporting innovation and strategic industries).
Real estate counts toward the threshold subject to an aggregate cap of HK$15 million (residential capped at HK$10 million, and a single residential property must transact at HK$50 million or above to qualify). There is no top-up requirement if investments fall in value.
IANG: for Hong Kong graduates
The Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates let non-local students who earned an undergraduate or higher qualification through full-time, locally-accredited study in Hong Kong stay and work after graduation:
- Apply within six months of graduation β no job offer required β and receive an initial stay of 24 months (extended from 12 months under the 2022 Policy Address).
- Apply later than six months and you need a secured job offer at graduate level.
- Extensions follow a 2-2-3 year pattern with employer sponsorship.
The seven-year path to permanent residence
Whichever route you take, seven years of continuous ordinary residence in Hong Kong makes you eligible to apply for the right of abode β permanent residence. Time on student visas, IANG, QMAS, TTPS and GEP all counts, provided long absences do not break continuity. Spouses and unmarried dependent children under 18 can accompany most scheme entrants as dependants.
Which route fits you?
| Your situation | Best fit |
|---|---|
| High earner (HK$2.5M+/yr) or elite-university graduate | TTPS β fastest, no job offer needed |
| Skilled professional, no offer yet | QMAS General Points Test |
| World-class achiever (Olympic/Nobel-level) | QMAS Achievement-based |
| Job offer from a Hong Kong employer | GEP |
| HK$30M+ to invest | New CIES |
| Graduating from a Hong Kong university | IANG |
Next steps
- Check the current thresholds on the Immigration Department's website before applying β quotas and passing marks can change without notice.
- Prepare proof early: tax assessments for TTPS Category A income, degree verification for Categories B/C, audited net-asset evidence for CIES.
- Keep residence continuous from day one if permanent residence is the goal β long absences can reset the seven-year clock.
- Plan your taxes in parallel: new arrivals should read our Hong Kong salaries tax guide and, if working across the border, the MainlandβHong Kong cross-border tax guide.