The Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) is a quota-based entrant scheme designed for able persons who want to remain in Hong Kong to look for employment or business startup opportunities.
To get into Hong Kong under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) scheme, you need to meet basic requirements, pass the points-based test, and compete with other applicants for quotas. Under the scheme, no more than 1,000 applicants per annum are allowed to come to Hong Kong. Your spouse and any unmarried children under the age of 18 can accompany you to Hong Kong to live under the Dependant Visa conditions.
This guide provides details on the scheme eligibility, application procedure, processing timeline, and so forth. For information about Hong Kong visa schemes, you can consult with experts at FastLane.
Content Outline
Eligibility Criteria for Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS)
People from foreign countries excluding the nationals of Afghanistan, Albania, Cambodia, Cuba, Laos, Korea, Nepal, and Vietnam can apply for this Scheme.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- The age – you should be 18 or older at the time of applying.
- Financial capability – it is crucial that you show that you and your dependents can manage your financial resources without having to rely on government assistance in Hong Kong.
- Good behavior – whether you have any criminal record or any other records that might not favor your application either in Hong Kong or elsewhere.
- Language proficiency – you must be proficient in either Chinese (Putonghua or Cantonese) or English.
- Education qualification– you must possess a good educational qualification. Generally, it is better to have an undergraduate degree from an accredited university or tertiary educational institution. Nevertheless, in situations of lack of such a high qualification, documentary evidence on good technical specifications, related professional skills, achievements, and experience will be preferred.
Successful candidates must accomplish the pre-requisite condition with either Point based test – General Points Test or an Achievement-based Points Test.
- General Points Test identifies five point-allocating parameters which include age, academic or professional qualifications, work experience, language proficiency, and family background. The minimum score to get the grade for a given test is 80 points out of 165 points.
- The Achievement Points Test is a point-system evaluation that is designed for highly proficient individuals who have attained distinguishing achievements. Since there is only one scoring component of 165 points under this test, it will be awarded if :
- You have been nominated and occurred an outstanding achievement (e.g. Olympic medal/glory, Nobel prize/medal, national/international award);
- Proof of your work which showcases what you focus on in research recognized your work by giving you a life-accomplishment award in your industry.
Note: Both of them need to be backed with the actual records.
Required Documents
- Completed Application Form (English or Chinese)
- A photocopy of the relevant page of your passport. Your arrival stamp in the Hong Kong passport copy is the latest and the Hong Kong trip stamp on the the visa extension page is also needed.
- A scanned image of your People’s Republic of China identity card (if any).
- An application for a dependent visa with additional supporting documents for every accompanying member of the associated family.
- An original proof of your net worth might be seen via your bank statements, a bank certificate, the report of the current market value of your investments, the current audited financial statements of the business you are owning, your percentage of shareholding in the business, etc.
- A copy of expressions of one’s language proficiency in either Chinese or English, for instance, IELTS and TOEFL test results (PSC and HSK for Chinese).
- The certificate of obtained qualification of education, such as a bachelor’s degree, transcripts, etc.
- A copy of certificates on professional qualifications, achievements, and training, memberships.
- An officially accepted evidence of relevant work experience that may include an employment referral letter, employment contract (if you are employed with a company), official company registration documents to prove your position in the firm (if you own a business), client reference letter (if you are self-employed), etc.
- The copies of documents that show evidence of my key career achievements and plan in Hong Kong.
All documents that are asked to be submitted must be in English or Chinese or translated by a certified translation body into English or Chinese. Immigration authorities may require other proof evidencing the authenticity of the information you have provided at any given time during your stay.
Process and Timeline of Application
After the application forms and supporting documents are prepared, the documents can be directly posted or submitted in person to the Hong Kong Immigration Department.
An acknowledgment letter will be sent to you within a week after your application is received by the authorities.
The Immigration authorities will select the quota allocation through a selection exercise on a quarterly basis. In course of the selection process, you will be placed in a rank depending on the score you have obtained, points test, and meeting the requirement criteria. The high ranked candidates will be short-listed for further assessment, where the needs of Hong Kong, the sectoral mix of candidates and other relevant factors, will be taken into account for allocating the available quota in each selection exercise.
The outcome of the quota allotment will be posted on the website of the Immigration Department within 15 days of the result of the exercise. The annual limit is set at 1000 participants.
If you are given a quota in the selection exercise, you are issued with an Approval-in-principle letter.
The Approval-in-principle enables you to come to Hong Kong as a visitor to attend an interview and provide the original documents of all documents submitted with the application to the Immigration Department for verification. The interview does not require the dependants’ attendance.
Also, if you are a resident in Mainland China (including those who are presently residing in Hong Kong or Macau on a temporary basis), you will need to provide a letter of consent from your current working unit or relevant Mainland authorities where your records are kept, permitting you to live in Hong Kong. You will receive a sample of this letter of consent with the Approval-in-principle letter.
When the immigration authorities are content that all statements or information provided during the application process are true and complete, you will be given formal approval.
A week after the formal approval is granted, visa/permit will be issued to you and your dependants to stay in Hong Kong under the Scheme. With this scheme, most visas are valid for one year.
For Mainland residents (including those who are temporarily residing in Hong Kong or Macau), you should apply for an Exit-entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau (EEP) and a relevant exit endorsement before coming to Hong Kong under the Scheme.
The EEP and related exit endorsement as stated above are not necessary for the purpose of entering Hong Kong under the Scheme, for an overseas Chinese national holding a PRC passport and who holds permanent residence overseas or who has stayed overseas for at least one year immediately prior to the submission of the application. “Overseas” refers to areas beyond the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau.
Renewing QMAS Visa
The validity of QMAS Visa issued under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) is usually one year. If you wish to prolong your stay in Hong Kong, you should submit the renewal application no less than four weeks before the end of your limit of stay. Your QMAS Visa renewal application will be considered only if you satisfy the following criteria:
For persons admitted under the Scheme through the General Points Test – you have to prove that you have taken efforts to make your home in Hong Kong by getting employment or setting up a business within the one-year span. If you are unable to prove that you have taken such measures, the immigration authorities may grant a one-year extension at their discretion, if such an extension is considered appropriate.
For individuals who are admitted under the Achievement-based Points Test under the Scheme – you should be able to show that you are able to support and accommodate your dependants alone without any assistance from the public in Hong Kong.
Applying for Dependent Visa for Family
Applicants under this work permit scheme can also bring their family members (spouse and unmarried dependent children under 18 years of age) to Hong Kong with them. For this, a dependant visa application must be submitted for every family member.
The duration of the dependant’s stay is linked to the duration of the applicant’s stay in Hong Kong, and dependant visa holders are allowed to take up employment or study in Hong Kong, as appropriate. For more information on dependent visa, consult Hong Kong Family Visa guide.
How FastLane Can Help You?
In the globalized world, working in an international workforce is the most consistent method of broadening your horizon for your career. Whether you are an entrepreneur who wants to enter the Asian superhub with the plan to import global talent, or a skilled professional looking for international opportunities, the Hong Kong region is an attractive option.
On the other hand, making the application and processing of work visas can be a very difficult task for an individual to perform by himself and that is why, it is strongly advisable to do it under the supervision of a professional visa application company. Outsourcing the support of a visa processing service like the one offered by FastLane will ensure that all your documents will be delivered on time for your work visa application in Hong Kong and thus, immensely increase the chances of your visa being approved.
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