95 per cent of approved applicants for Hong Kong talent scheme from mainland China, official figures show
- As of the end of February, 8,797 of the applications had been approved, 463 rejected and 4,564 were being processed
- Among successful applicants, 216 earn more than HK$10 million a year
Hong Kong’s latest scheme to lure talent has received 14,240 applications in the two months since its launch, with 95 per cent of the approvals given to mainland Chinese, official figures show.
More than half of the applicants were aged 18 to 30, and about 30 per cent were aged 31 to 40, according to a paper the Security Bureau submitted to lawmakers. Among the successful applicants, 216 earned more than HK$10 million (US$1.3 million) annually.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced the Top Talent Pass Scheme in his maiden policy address in October and the programme was launched on December 28 in a bid to reverse a brain drain and address challenges stemming from a declining population.
As of February 28, 8,797, or 62 per cent, of the applications had been approved, 463, or 3.2 per cent, were rejected, and 4,564 were being processed.
Under the scheme, a new two-year visa is offered to those who earned no less than HK$2.5 million in the previous year and graduates of the world’s top 100 universities with at least three years of working experience in the last five years.
