Quality Migrant Admission Scheme

Hong Kong's Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) is a points-based immigration program designed to attract highly skilled or talented individuals to settle in Hong Kong and enhance its economic competitiveness. Launched in 2006, it is administered by the Immigration Department under the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115). No prior job offer is required, and successful applicants are free to take up employment, change jobs, or establish businesses without seeking Immigration Department approval. There is no annual quota under the enhanced General Points Test.

Applicants choose one of two assessment routes:

• General Points Test (GPT): Evaluates 12 criteria across six aspects -- age, academic qualifications, language proficiency, work experience, annual income, and business ownership. Applicants must meet at least 6 out of 12 criteria. The GPT was reformed on 1 November 2024 to adopt more objective scoring criteria, and the same reform abolished the annual quota.
• Achievement-based Points Test (APT): For persons with exceptional accomplishments such as Olympic medals, Nobel Prizes, Fields Medals, or equivalent internationally recognized lifetime achievement awards.

• Aged 18 or above
• First degree from a recognized university or tertiary institution, or exceptional technical qualifications with documentary evidence
• Proficiency in written and spoken Chinese or English
• Financially self-sufficient without relying on public assistance
• No criminal record and no adverse immigration record
• Nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba, and North Korea are excluded

Key criteria that earn points include age 50 or below, master's or doctoral degree from an eligible university, STEM qualification, bilingual proficiency, English proficiency, 5+ years graduate-level work experience, 3+ years in multinational or Fortune Global 500 companies, experience in innovation and technology, finance, or international trade, international work exposure, annual income of HK$1 million or above, business ownership with HK$5 million+ annual profit, and listed company ownership. A bonus applies for qualifications matching the Hong Kong Talent List, expanded to 60 professions as of March 2025.

• Application fee: HK$600 (non-refundable)
• Visa issuance fee: HK$1,300 for stays exceeding 180 days; HK$600 for 180 days or less

General Points Test entrants receive 36 months' initial stay, followed by extensions on time limitation only in a 3+2 year pattern. Achievement-based Points Test entrants receive 8 years' initial stay. A top-tier employment stream is available: after 2+ years of QMAS residence with assessable salaries tax income of HK$2 million or above, a 5-year extension may be granted. Renewal requires demonstrating settlement through gainful employment or establishment of a business. As of 1 March 2026, extension applications may be submitted up to 3 months before the limit of stay expires, aligning QMAS with the advance window already available to TTPS holders since November 2024.

Spouses or civil partners (including same-sex partnerships recognized in the jurisdiction of celebration) and unmarried dependent children under 18 may accompany the holder. Dependants may work or study in Hong Kong without separate approval. The sponsor must demonstrate financial ability to support dependants without relying on public assistance.

After 7 continuous years of ordinary residence, QMAS holders may apply for the right of abode (permanent residency). Extended absences may affect the continuous residence requirement.

Hong Kong operates a territorial tax system. Salaries tax applies to Hong Kong-sourced employment income at progressive rates of 2% to 17%, or a standard rate of 15% on the first HK$5 million and 16% above that. No worldwide income tax, no capital gains tax, and no VAT/GST.

Applications are submitted online through the GovHK e-services portal or the ImmD Mobile App. Selection is conducted periodically on a merit basis; meeting the prerequisites does not guarantee approval, and applications meeting more assessment criteria are considered more favorably. Processing takes approximately 2-3 weeks. Upon approval, an e-Visa is issued in digital format.