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This webpage sets out the entry arrangements for persons who wish to enter the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (hereafter “HKSAR”) for employment under the “Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents” (hereafter “the Scheme”)^{Note 1}.

Note 1:
This Scheme is not applicable to applicants who are nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of).

Persons who are the second generation of emigrated Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents from overseas may apply to return to work in the HKSAR under the Scheme.

Applicants under the Scheme will have to meet, apart from normal immigration requirements, the following criteria -

1. aged between 18 and 40 at the time of application;
2. born overseas (i.e. not in the Mainland, the HKSAR, the Macao Special Administrative Region (hereafter “SAR”) or Taiwan);
3. have at least one parent who is holder of a valid Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card at the time of application and was a Chinese national ^{Note 2} who had settled overseas at the time of the applicant’s birth;
4. have a good education background, normally a first degree, but in special circumstances, good technical qualifications, proven professional abilities and/or relevant experience and achievements supported by documentary evidence may also be accepted; ^{Note 3}
5. proficient in written and spoken Chinese (Putonghua or Cantonese) or English; and
6. have sufficient financial means and are able to meet the living expenses for his/her (including his/her dependants, if any) maintenance and accommodation in the HKSAR without recourse to public funds.

Note 2:
"Chinese national" means a person of Chinese nationality under the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China, as implemented in the HKSAR pursuant to Article 18 of and Annex III to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and interpreted in accordance with the Explanations of Some Questions by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Concerning the Implementation of the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region adopted at the 19th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress at the 8th National People's Congress on 15 May 1996.

Note 3:
The academic level of claimed non-local academic qualifications shall be equivalent to the locally recognised standard of Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral degrees.  The Immigration Department (hereafter “ImmD”) may require applicant to have his / her claimed overseas academic qualifications assessed by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications at the applicant’s own expense, if necessary.

Persons admitted or seeking admission under the Scheme may apply, under their sponsorship, to bring their spouse or the other party to a same-sex civil partnership, same-sex civil union, “same-sex marriage”, opposite-sex civil partnership or opposite-sex civil union entered into by him/her in accordance with the local law in force of the place of celebration and with such status being legally and officially recognised by the local authorities of the place of celebration^{Note 4} and unmarried dependent children under the age of 18 to the HKSAR under the prevailing dependant policy.  An application for admission of a dependant under the Scheme may be favourably considered if normal immigration requirements and the following criteria are met:

1. there is reasonable proof of a genuine relationship between the dependant and the sponsor;
2. there is no known record to the detriment of the dependant; and
3. the sponsor is able to support the dependant’s living at a standard well above the subsistence level and provide him/her with suitable accommodation in the HKSAR.

This entry arrangement for dependant does not apply to: 

1. former Mainland Chinese residents residing in the Macao (SAR) who have obtained Macao identity cards for less than seven years, unless they have acquired residence in the Macao SAR through channels other than the One-way Permit Arrangements; and
2. nationals of Afghanistan and Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of).

The length of stay of such dependants will normally be linked to that of their sponsors. Any subsequent applications for extension of stay of such dependants will be considered only if the dependants continue to meet the eligibility criteria for entry for residence as dependants (including that there is no change in circumstances which would have otherwise resulted in loss of sponsorship for the applicant, e.g. change in marriage relationship between the dependent spouse and the sponsor, or death of sponsor) and the sponsor remains a bona fide Hong Kong resident living in the HKSAR. These dependants are not prohibited from taking up employment or studies in the HKSAR under the existing policy. For further details on the entry and extension of stay arrangements for dependants, please refer to the Guidebook for Entry for Residence as Dependants in Hong Kong [ID(E) 998].

Note 4:
For the avoidance of doubt, the terms “civil partnership” and “civil union” above mean a legal institution of a nature which is akin to spousal relationship in a marriage. The same-sex civil partnership, same-sex civil union, “same-sex marriage”, opposite-sex civil partnership and opposite-sex civil union entered into in accordance with laws outside Hong Kong are limited to only relationships which are legally and officially recognised in the places of celebration. Such relationships normally have the following features: (a) the entering into and dissolution of the relationship are governed by legislation of the place where it is entered into; (b) the relationship requires registration by the competent authority specified by the legislation of the place where it is entered into; (c) the registration is evidenced in a written instrument issued by the competent authority; and (d) parties to the relationship have a mutual commitment to a shared life akin to spouses to the exclusion of others on a permanent basis. Such relationships do not include de facto spouse, partners in cohabitation, fiancé/fiancée, etc.

A. Documents to be Uploaded by the Applicant for Entry Application

B. Documents to be Uploaded by Each Accompanying Dependant of an Applicant for Entry under the ASSG

Notwithstanding that the documents and information required have been furnished, applicants and accompanying dependant(s) may still be required to submit further supporting documents (including original documents) and information in connection with the application(s) when necessary.

Where a document is not in Chinese or English, it must be accompanied by a Chinese or English translation certified as a true translation by a sworn translator, court translator, authorised public translator, certified translator, expert translator or official translator.

When the application is submitted online via the GovHK website, all supporting documents shall be converted into specified electronic format. For details of the technical specifications on the limitation of record size and format, please refer to the technical requirements as published on the ImmD’s webpage at

https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/online-services/e-submission.html#c

It is an offence to make false statements or representations to an immigration officer. A person who knowingly and wilfully makes a statement or gives information which he/she knows to be false or does not believe to be true shall be guilty of an offence under the Laws of Hong Kong and any such visa/entry permit issued or permission to enter or remain in the HKSAR granted shall have no effect.

Persons who wish to apply to enter the HKSAR under ASSG may click here for online submission of application and uploading of supporting documents.

The ImmD will not be able to start processing the application unless all the required supporting documents and information are received. As it will take time to process applications, applicants may regard their applications as being under process unless they have received a notification of application result from the ImmD.

All applications are processed and determined by the ImmD. Approval of applications is entirely discretionary and is subject to changes in government policies. The Director of Immigration reserves absolute discretion to refuse any application even if the application meets all eligibility criteria.

Upon approval of the applications, the notification of the application result issued by the ImmD will include a webpage link for payment. Payment of relevant fees could be made through the said webpage link or the GovHK website or the ImmD Mobile Application by credit card (VISA, Mastercard, UnionPay and JCB only), Payment by Phone Service (PPS), Faster Payment System (FPS) or Mainland China’s Licensed Digital Wallets (Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay App only). After payment, applicants could instantly download or print the “e-Visa” by themselves.

Fee Table

In general, acknowledgement letter with the Application Reference Number (ARN) will be sent to individual applicant by mail within 7 working days on receiving of the application.  Applicants can enquire about their application status through the GovHK website here

www.gov.hk/en/residents/immigration/nonpermanent/appstatusenq.htm

or through the 24-hour telephone enquiry system at (852) 3160 8663.

If the application is submitted to the ImmD directly, upon approval of the applications, the notification of the application result issued by the ImmD will include a webpage link for payment. Payment of relevant fees could be made through the said webpage link or the GovHK website or the ImmD Mobile Application by credit card (VISA, Mastercard, UnionPay and JCB only), Payment by Phone Service (PPS), Faster Payment System (FPS) or Mainland China’s Licensed Digital Wallets (Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay App only). After payment, applicants could instantly download or print the “e-Visa” by themselves.

Fee Table

A visa/entry permit (in the form of “e-Visa”) will be issued upon successful application and payment of fees.

Upon immigration arrival clearance in the HKSAR, an “e-Visa” holder should present his/her valid travel document and the “e-Visa” saved on a personal mobile device or printed on a sheet of A4 white paper, and scan the encrypted QR code on the “e-Visa” with the optical reader at an immigration counter.

Applicants admitted under the Scheme will remain in the HKSAR on time limitation only without other conditions of stay.  They are free to take up or change employment or to establish or join in business in the HKSAR during their permitted stay without the need to seek prior approval from the Director of Immigration.

Persons admitted under the Scheme will normally be granted an initial stay of 24 months on time limitation only without other conditions of stay.  They may apply for extension of stay in the HKSAR within 4 weeks before the expiry of their limit of stay.  While applicants are not required to have secured an offer of employment in the HKSAR upon application for entry under the Scheme, when applying for extension of stay, applicants are required to have secured an offer of employment (which is at a level commonly taken up by degree holders and the remuneration package of which is at market level).  For those who have established or joined in business in the HKSAR, they are required to produce proof of their business.  Successful applicants for extension of stay will normally be permitted to remain on time limitation only on the 3-3 year extension pattern without other conditions of stay.

Persons admitted under the Scheme who meet the criteria stipulated in the paragraph above, and fulfill the following criteria at the time of application for extension of stay may apply for assessment under the top-tier employment stream:

1. the applicant has been permitted to remain in the HKSAR under the Scheme for not less than two years; and
2. the applicant has an assessable income for salaries tax of not less than HK$2 million in the previous year of assessment ^Note.

Successful applicants will normally be granted an extension of stay on time limitation only without other conditions of stay for a period of six years.

Note: Applicants should provide documentary proof of having an assessable income for salaries tax of not less than HK$2 million in the previous year of assessment, e.g. notice of salaries tax assessment of the previous assessment year issued by the Inland Revenue Department or relevant tax documents.

Non-permanent residents of the HKSAR, irrespective of their nationality and type of travel document held, do not require a re-entry visa/entry permit to enter the HKSAR provided that they return within the validity of their permitted limit of stay and that the circumstances upon which they have acquired their residential status remain unchanged.

Persons admitted under this Scheme who have ordinarily resided in the HKSAR for a continuous period of not less than seven years may apply for the right of abode in the HKSAR in accordance with the law.

In general, unless a person has the right of abode or right to land in the HKSAR, he/she requires a visa/entry permit to enter and work in the HKSAR. While each application is determined on its individual merits, an applicant should meet normal immigration requirements (such as holding a valid travel document with adequate returnability to his/her country of residence or citizenship; be of clear criminal record and raise no security or criminal concerns to the HKSAR; have no likelihood of becoming a burden on the HKSAR, etc.) as well as the relevant specific eligibility criteria detailed above before he/she may be considered for the grant of a visa/entry permit and subsequent extension of stay. It should be noted that the eligibility criteria may be subject to change from time to time without notice. Please check the ImmD’s website at www.immd.gov.hk for up-to-date information.

This webpage sets out information about extension of stay for entrants admitted under the Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents (hereafter “the Scheme”) and their dependants.

Persons admitted under the Scheme will normally be granted an initial stay of 24 months on time limitation only without other conditions of stay. They may apply for extension of stay in the HKSAR within 4 weeks before the expiry of their limit of stay. While applicants are not required to have secured an offer of employment in the HKSAR upon application for entry under the Scheme, when applying for extension, applicants are required to have secured an offer of employment (which is at a level commonly taken up by degree holders and the remuneration package of which is at market level). For those who have established or joined in business in the HKSAR, they are required to produce proof of their business. Successful applicants for extension of stay will normally be permitted to remain on time limitation on the 3-3 year extension pattern without other conditions of stay.

Persons admitted under the Scheme who meet the criteria stipulated in the paragraph above, and fulfil the following criteria at the time of application for extension of stay may apply for assessment under the top-tier employment stream:

1. the applicant has been permitted to remain in the HKSAR under the Scheme for not less than two years; and
2. the applicant has an assessable income for salaries tax of not less than HK$2 million in the previous year of assessment ^Note.

Successful applicants will normally be granted an extension of stay on time limitation only without other conditions of stay for a period of six years.

A dependant may apply for extension of stay for residence in the HKSAR within four weeks before his/her limit of stay expires. Such applications will be considered only when the applicant continues to meet the eligibility criteria for entry for residence as dependants (including that there is no change in circumstances which would have otherwise resulted in loss of sponsorship for the applicant, e.g. change in marriage relationship between the dependent spouse and the sponsor, or death of sponsor) and the sponsor remains a bona fide Hong Kong resident living in the HKSAR.

The length of stay of dependants of persons who are permitted to remain in the HKSAR as entrants under the Scheme will normally be linked to that of their sponsors.

Note:
Applicants should provide documentary proof of having an assessable income for salaries tax of not less than HK$2 million in the previous year of assessment, e.g. notice of salaries tax assessment of the previous assessment year issued by the Inland Revenue Department or relevant tax documents.

Routine applications will normally be finalised within two to three weeks upon receipt of all necessary documents.

The processing time is subject to the circumstances of individual applications and the number of applications received at the time.

Depending on the applicant’s current immigration status, the following documents are required upon online submission of the application:

Entrants admitted under the Scheme

Note:
Persons admitted under the Scheme who meet the criteria stipulated in extension of stay under the Scheme and fulfil the following criteria at the time of application for extension of stay may apply for assessment under the top-tier employment stream:

1. the applicant has been permitted to remain in the HKSAR under the Scheme for not less than two years; and
2. the applicant has an assessable income for salaries tax of not less than HK$2 million in the previous year of assessment.

Dependants

^ For first time application only

Important Notice
Notwithstanding that the documents and information required have been furnished, applicants, dependants and employing companies may still be required to submit further supporting documents and information in connection with the application(s) when necessary.

Where a document is not in Chinese or English, it must be accompanied by a Chinese or English translation certified as a true translation by a sworn translator, court translator, authorised public translator, certified translator, expert translator or official translator.

It is an offence to make false statements or representations to an immigration officer. To verify the authenticity of the information and documents submitted with a visa application, field visits may be conducted. A person who knowingly and willfully makes a statement or gives information which he/she knows to be false or does not believe to be true shall be guilty of an offence under the Laws of Hong Kong and any such visa/entry permit issued or permission to enter or remain in the HKSAR granted shall have no effect.

Eligible applicants can submit their applications for extension of stay online here and upload all supporting documents.

Applicants must be physically present in Hong Kong at the time of application.

Routine applications will normally be finalised within two to three weeks upon receipt of all necessary documents.

The processing time is subject to the circumstances of individual applications and the number of applications received at the time.

Upon approval of the applications, the notification of the application result issued by the Immigration Department will include a webpage link for payment. Payment of relevant fees could be made through the said webpage link or the GovHK website or the ImmD Mobile Application by credit card (VISA, Mastercard, UnionPay and JCB only), Payment by Phone Service (PPS), Faster Payment System (FPS) or Mainland China’s Licensed Digital Wallets (Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay App only). After payment, applicants could instantly download or print the “e-Visa” by themselves.

The applicant must be physically present in Hong Kong at the time of payment and collection of “e-Visa”.

Fee table

After the receipt of the application has been acknowledged, applicants can enquire their application status here or through the 24-hour telephone enquiry system at (852) 3160 8663.

Upon approval of the applications, the notification of the application result issued by the Immigration Department will include a webpage link for payment. Payment of relevant fees could be made through the said webpage link or the GovHK website or the ImmD Mobile Application by credit card (VISA, Mastercard, UnionPay and JCB only), Payment by Phone Service (PPS), Faster Payment System (FPS) or Mainland China’s Licensed Digital Wallets (Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay App only). After payment, applicants could instantly download or print the “e-Visa” by themselves.

The applicant must be physically present in Hong Kong at the time of payment and collection of “e-Visa”.

Fee table