Hong Kong has welcomed a remarkable number of professionals from the Chinese mainland over the past two years through its Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP). According to Chris Sun, Secretary for Labor and Welfare of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, more than 47,000 applications have been approved under the ASMTP, with an impressive approval rate of nearly 90 percent.
In a recent written reply to the Legislative Council, Sun detailed that the government received over 53,000 applications, approving around 47,000 and declining about 600. The ASMTP is designed to attract talents from the Chinese mainland to meet Hong Kong’s development needs.
Short-term positions accounted for approximately 46 percent of the approved applications under the ASMTP, while long-term positions made up about 54 percent. Most of those approved for long-term positions were engaged in commerce and trade, followed by financial services, and academic research and education.
Meanwhile, the General Employment Policy (GEP), which targets Chinese citizens residing overseas, received more than 67,000 applications in the same period. Nearly 63,000 applications were approved, with about 1,000 declined. Around 70 percent of the approved GEP applications were for short-term positions, with the remainder for long-term roles primarily in the tourism industry, academic research and education, and financial services.
Sun also noted that among the approved incoming talents, most have monthly remunerations ranging from 20,000 to 39,999 Hong Kong dollars (approximately $2,578 to $5,155), followed by those earning between 40,000 to 79,999 Hong Kong dollars.
The ASMTP and GEP have been pivotal in enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness by enabling employers to swiftly fill vacancies with qualified professionals. These schemes are part of Hong Kong’s talent admission regime aimed at supporting the city’s economic growth and development.
