- Since the last two years, Hong Kong has given approval to close to 90% of 53,000+ applications made under the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP) with a close division between long- and short-term employment.
- The General Employment Policy (GEP) likewise enjoyed robust demand, with roughly 63,000 approvals primarily in tourism, education, and finance.
- Combined with the Top Talent Pass Scheme, these initiatives are stimulating Hong Kong's economy contributing an estimated HK $34 billion per year and boosting GDP by as much as 1.2%.
Hong Kong's Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP) has proved to be highly successful in bringing skilled professionals to the Special Administrative Region (SAR). In the last two years, more than 53,000 applications were made under the ASMTP, and almost 90% of them were approved, according to Chris Sun Yuk-han, Secretary for Labour and Welfare. Of the approved uses, about 46% were for short-term employment, and around 54% were for long-term employment. Most of these long-term employment opportunities are in business and trade, financial services, and education and research.
Apart from the ASMTP, Hong Kong's General Employment Policy (GEP) has also played a key role in attracting talent. In the last two years, over 67,000 applications were made under the GEP, of which nearly 63,000 were approved and about 1,000 were rejected. Approved applicants under the GEP are mostly employed in the tourism industry, followed by academic research and education, and financial services.
Both the ASMTP and GEP are intended to draw professionals from overseas and the mainland, with a view to importing talent that will be able to contribute to the development of Hong Kong. The schemes have not only served to fill manpower shortages in different sectors but have also helped drive the economy of the city. For example, workers who came to Hong Kong under the Top Talent Pass Scheme in 2023 were estimated to have injected around HK$34 billion into the economy each year, increasing the GDP by approximately 1.2%.
The large turnout for these talent recruitment programs points to Hong Kong's popularity as a destination. The government, being determined to uphold rigorous screening procedures, ensures that the only people who are admitted are the qualified ones. This protects the interests of both the resident population and the overall economy.
