Global talent scheme exceeds expectations, attracts 5,300 applicants, labour minister says
- Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun says response to Top Talent Pass Scheme shows locals city is attractive place
- Government’s quest for foreign high-fliers will not harm local graduates who are still valued by authorities, minister adds
Hong Kong authorities have received at least 5,300 applications for a new scheme aimed at wooing global talent, the labour minister has revealed, saying the response had “exceeded” their expectations.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han on Saturday told a radio programme that 75 per cent of the applications received so far for the Top Talent Pass Scheme had been processed, with more than 90 per cent of those approved.
“The numbers have increased sharply over the past two weeks,” Sun said. “The response has been very good. It also shows our own people that Hong Kong is an attractive place. We are not giving the applicants homes, money or anything. We are only giving them a chance to come to Hong Kong to develop.”
He noted that the response to the scheme has “exceeded” their expectations, with the number of applications almost double the 2,600 received as of January 4.
The Top Talent Scheme, which offers qualifying applicants a two-year visa, was announced in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s maiden policy address in October, when he outlined plans to attract experienced high-fliers and graduates from the world’s most prestigious universities to the city.
The scheme is open to individuals who have earned no less than HK$2.5 million (US$318,472) over the past 12 months and graduates from the world’s top 100 universities who have been working for three of the past five years.