This document outlines the admission requirements for person who seeking employment under the Top Talent Pass Scheme (hereinafter "TTPS") and wishing to enter the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

In general, unless a person has the right of abode or right to land in Hong Kong, he/she requires a visa permit for work in Hong Kong. Foreigners who wish to take up any short-term or long-term employment (whether paid or unpaid) in Hong Kong, he/she must obtain an employment visa/permit from Hong Kong Immigration Department before take-up the employment.

The TTPS aims to entice elite people with extended working experience and excellent academic credentials to explore opportunities in Hong Kong. High-earning individuals and graduates from the world's top universities are among these elite talents.

Through the Top Talent Pass scheme, applicants who have been granted admission to Hong Kong may start employment upon arrival. They are also eligible to apply for dependent visas for their spouses and/or unmarried dependent children under the age of 18. Additionally, it is worth noting that individuals who hold visas may legally petition for the right of permanent residency provided they have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a period of not less than seven (7) years.

1. Hong Kong Top Talent Pass Scheme Handling and Application Fees
   
   Our fee for handling the employment visa application to enable a foreigner to work in Hong Kong is HKD12,980. An additional HKD4,990 will be charged for each dependent visa. For corporate pricing, please contact Kaizen’s Visa and Immigration team (info@kaizenvis.com).
   
   In particular, our fees cover the following services:
   

   (1)	Continuous advice regarding the application for work visa in Hong Kong;
   (2)	Assistance with the preparation of the required documentation;
   (3)	Review of application documents prepared by applicant(s);
   (4)	Preparation of TTPS authorization letter(s) and application form(s);
   (5)	Submission of application to the Hong Kong Immigration Department;
   (6)	Liaison with the Hong Kong Immigration Department regarding the application;
   (7)	Report of application status to the client;
   (8)	Arranging the payment of fees and collection of the approved work visa;
   (9)	Forwarding of work visa to the client’s specified address; and
   (10)	Assistance with the application of Hong Kong ID card(s).

   
   Note:
   

   (1)	The fees quoted above include the government fee;
   (2)	The fees stated are exclusive of delivery charges, if any.

   
   
2. Eligibility Criteria
   
   There is no prerequisite for applicants wishing to apply for the HKSAR under the TTPS to have an employment offer in the region. If the eligibility criteria are met, they may be granted a 24-month stay with no extra restrictions. Applicants may choose to apply for the TTPS under one of the categories as listed in paragraphs (a) to (c) below:
   

   (a)	persons with HK$2.5 million or more in annual income, or its equivalent in foreign currency, in the year that ended on the date of application (Category A);
   (b)	degree holders from the top 100 universities in the world with at least three years of work experience accrued within the five years prior to the application date (Category B); or
   (c)	degree holders from among the top 100 universities in the world who graduated within the five years prior to the application deadline and had no more than three years of work experience (Category C); however, this category does not apply to non-local students who completed their undergraduate degree in a full-time, locally accredited program in the HKSAR.

   
   A visa or entry permit application to enter the HKSAR under the TTPS may be given favorable consideration if:
   

   (1)	there is no security objection and no known record of serious crime in respect of the applicant; and
   (2)	the annual quota is available for allotment (applicable to Category C’s applicants only).

   
   Oversea Chinese holding People's Republic of China (PRC) Passport
   
   Chinese nationals living abroad with PRC passports who meet the eligibility criteria stipulated above and normal immigration requirements may apply to enter the HKSAR for employment under the TTPS if:
   

   (1)	the applicant has permanent residence overseas; or
   (2)	The applicant should have lived outside of the Mainland, the HKSAR, the Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR), or Taiwan for at least one year before submitting the application, and the application should be submitted from overseas.

   
   Generally, in order to be admitted in the HKSAR, a person needs a visa or entrance permission unless they already have the right of abode or the right to land there. While each application is evaluated on its own merits, an applicant should meet the standard immigration requirements (such as having a valid travel document that allows for adequate return to the applicant's country of residence or citizenship, having a clear criminal record that poses no security or law enforcement risks to the HKSAR, and not having any likelihood of burdening the HKSAR, etc.).
   
   
3. Payment Term and Method
   
   Upon receipt of your confirmation of engagement, we will issue and send an invoice together with the wiring instructions to you for your settlement. When you arrange the payment, please put our invoice number of account number in the message section and then send email a copy of the remittance receipt to us for our records. Because of the nature of service, we require full payment in advance. And once the service is commenced, no refund of service fee will be made.
   
   We accept cash, HKD check, TT and credit card through Paypal. An extra handling fee of 5% will be charged if paid by Paypal.
   
   
4. Application Procedures and Estimated Timeline
   
   In general, the processing time of a TTPS application takes approximately 4 weeks after the submission of a complete application package to the Hong Kong Immigration Department. The Hong Kong Immigration Department will verify the validity of the information submitted and may request additional evidence documents. In such case, the processing time will be prolonged.
   
   
5. Documentary Evidence and Information Requirements
   
   The applicant is required to provide the following documents and information for the purpose of the Hong Kong Top Talent Pass Scheme application:
   

   (1)	The applicant’s recent photograph
   (2)	Photocopy of valid travel document containing personal particulars, date of issue, date of expiry and/or details of any re-entry visa held (if applicable)
   (3)	The applicant’s Hong Kong identity card (if any)
   (4)	Supporting document of the bachelor's degree from any eligible universities or tertiary institutions that are listed on the global ranking of the top 100 universities, such as an official transcript of academic records (for Category B and C)
   (5)	Documentary proof of the applicant’s work experience (for Category A and B)
   (6)	Documentary proof that the applicant had annual income of at least HK$2.5 million in the year before to the application date, such as a notice of salaries tax assessment, documentation that stating the value of the stock options granted to the applicant, and documentation that the applicant's self-owned businesses (if applicable)
   (7)	Letter of consent from the applicant’s present working unit or relevant Mainland authorities
   (8)	The applicant’s Macao identity card [for Macao SAR residents only]
   (9)	The applicant’s household registration in Taiwan and Taiwan identity card [for Taiwan residents only]
   (10)	Supporting documentation demonstrating the applicant's foreign residency, such as official documents attesting to the applicant's duration of stay and circumstances of stay abroad [applicable only to overseas Chinese traveling on PRC passports]

   
   
6. Validity of Work Visa
   
   Persons admitted under the TTPS will often be given a 24-month initial stay without additional conditions of stay. Within four weeks before the expiration of their limit of stay, they may submit an online application for an extension of stay in the HKSAR.
   
   People should have obtained an offer of employment at a level typically accepted by degree holders or persons with good professional/technical qualifications, proven professional abilities, and/or relevant experience and achievements supported by documentary evidence, to be eligible to apply for an extension. The compensation package must also be at market level. Those who have started or joined a business in the HKSAR must present documentation of their business. Successful applicants are often only allowed to stay for a limited period of time on a 3-3-year pattern with no extra constraints.
   
   Persons admitted under the TTPS who meet the criteria stipulated in the above paragraph and fulfil the following criteria at the time of application for extension of stay may apply for assessment under the top-tier employment stream:
   

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

   
   Successful applicants in such scenario will normally be granted an extension of stay of 6 years without other conditions of stay.
   
   The above-mentioned eligibility criteria may be subject to change from time to time by the Immigration Department without prior notice. Please consult with Kaizen’s Visa and Immigration team for more information.