The Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (“ASMTP” visas) is for Mainland Chinese employees to work in Hong Kong. The usual investment visas and employment visas are not opened to Mainlanders, unless they have resided overseas (other than Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China) for at least 12 months immediately before submission of the investment or employment visa applications. Please refer to sections under the Hong Kong investment visa or employment visa for more details.

For those Mainland Chinese graduates who have been studying degree level courses in any universities in Hong Kong, they can apply under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (“IANG” visas) upon successful graduation.

The Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals is designed for those professional Mainlanders who have been residing in Mainland China. The scheme requires applicants possess special skill and experience in the specific area which is relevant to the position offered. The positions should be of a managerial or supervisory level; meanwhile the employing companies are required to proof that they cannot possibly find a local candidate to fill up such position. The key consideration of the scheme is what benefits the Mainland Chinese employee could bring to the local company and subsequently to Hong Kong as a whole.

The establishment of the employing company will also affect the application. Generally speaking the longer the history and the larger in size of the employing company, the less questions will be asked about the company. For a newly established company of less than 18 months operation, and employing less than 4 staff, immigration will ask for a business plan, and also personal information of the business owners.

The Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals is originally designed for employing Mainland Chinese employees, but not for Mainland Chinese business owners who would like to set up their business in Hong Kong. However, under special circumstances, business owners might also qualify for the scheme.