With the Top Talent Pass Scheme successfully drawing 70,000 professionals to Hong Kong in less than two years and set for an expansion, experts are recommending the program be more closely aligned with the city’s developmental goals and national priorities.

Faced with challenges of a brain drain and an aging population, Hong Kong announced its target at the end of 2022 to draw 35,000 talented individuals annually. The TTPS, central to this plan, seeks to import professionals with competitive educational backgrounds or with substantial work experience.

READ MORE: Chan: HK stepping up drive to attract more talents, capital

Eligibility for the TTPS is extended to individuals with a bachelor’s degree from one of 185 designated universities, many of which rank in the top 100 globally, or to those who have earned over HK$2.5 million ($320,800) in the preceding year.

From January to November 2023, the TTPS approved over 47,000 applications, representing 37 percent of the professional talent pool that the city welcomed.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said that the program is expected to contribute an estimated HK$34 billion to the economy, about 1.2 percent of the city’s GDP.

Recently, Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki said the special administrative region government is considering extending the TTPS to include graduates from a broader range of educational institutions, particularly those specializing in niche disciplines.

While the specific majors to be included remain undisclosed, Daniel Lee Ho-wah, president of the Hong Kong People Management Association, said the government should release the updated university list as soon as possible, and clearly explain the reasons for their inclusion.

“The top talents won’t wait,” Daniel Lee said.

Legislator Tang Fei said the TTPS should prioritize industries that are key to both the country and the city, especially those outlined in Hong Kong’s positioning under the nation’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) — namely, finance, trade, shipping and aviation; as well as burgeoning sectors like innovation and technology, culture, legal and dispute resolution services, and intellectual property trading.

Following a pivotal resolution by the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Hong Kong’s talent strategy is now a national focus, with aspirations to become an “international hub for high-caliber talent”.

Furthermore, the TTPS is expected to address professional shortages in sectors such as shipping and maritime services by incorporating educational institutions known for these specialties.

Experts also point out that Hong Kong’s talent objectives should not only be distinct from neighboring cities but ideally, synergistic.

Within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Macao targets professionals from healthcare, high-end technology, modern finance, and culture and sports; while Shenzhen provides tax incentives to specialists in scientific and technological innovation.

Assistance needed

During its ongoing two-year trial run, there have been calls for enhanced employment guidance and rental assistance to address challenges confronting newcomers under the TTPS.

A 2023 survey involving 5,000 professionals and their families, who had relocated to Hong Kong via the TTPS and had been living in the city for over six months, revealed that only 54 percent had secured employment.

Felton Zhang, an e-commerce agent, highlighted an information gap faced by new arrivals. Before and after he received his TTPS approval in April, Zhang invested considerable efforts in gathering employment information until he secured his ideal position. However, he said that many others continue to struggle with navigating an unfamiliar job market.

Zhang advocates for a more robust dissemination of job opportunities to those embarking on their professional journey in the city.

Still, he urged TTPS applicants to have faith in the city. “Hong Kong’s highly free market environment, and its role as a crucial bridge between the global market and Chinese mainland, will not easily be changed,” he said.

To enhance the integration of new talent, Daniel Lee of the Hong Kong People Management Association advised the government to work with leading corporations to gain insights into the employment trends across various sectors, and come up with more targeted policies that support professional growth and long-term settlement of professionals in Hong Kong.

“Only in this way can the newcoming talents truly make their minds up to stay in Hong Kong for a long time, and make contributions to Hong Kong,” he said.

Echoing the need for additional support was Luo Yong, head of the Hong Kong Quality and Talent Migrants Association, who said rental subsidies are a successful retention strategy employed in various Chinese mainland cities, including Shenzhen. Unlike these cities, Hong Kong has yet to offer financial incentives to alleviate the burden of its notoriously high home rentals.

Multipronged initiatives

Within the array of Hong Kong’s talent acquisition programs, the TTPS stands out for its simplicity — requiring candidates to fulfill either an educational or income criterion, without specifying professional backgrounds.

The city also implements more specialized initiatives on a smaller scale targeting 51 professions across nine critical sectors identified in 2018 as areas of significant need, such as finance, legal services, and technology.

Professionals in these specified fields benefit from expedited processing under the General Employment Policy, the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, and the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS).

The QMAS, for example, has two points-based systems for evaluating candidates, and only those scoring above 80 points proceed to further assessments. In addition, the QMAS operated with an annual quota, which was eliminated in 2023 as part of the all-around talent initiative.

Applications for the TTPS are usually completed in four weeks, as pledged by the government; individuals in the QMAS pipeline could experience wait times of six months or more.

ALSO READ: Shoring up the housing market — a long battle

Yvonne He, executive director of the Hong Kong Top Talent Services Association, said that the QMAS and similar programs still serve important purposes, and the government should clearly distinguish each program’s unique advantages, ensuring they complement one another and collectively enhance the city’s talent landscape.

Luo of the Hong Kong Quality and Talent Migrants Association expects further enhancements to the application process, such as online and paperless submissions, and potentially employing artificial intelligence technologies to speed up the review.

Daniel Lee advised the government to conduct a comprehensive review of all existing talent initiatives, gradually simplifying some application procedures to better cater to the diverse spectrum of professionals seeking opportunities in Hong Kong.

As of July 15, the city has received more than 320,000 applications across various talent programs, including 200,000 approved, and more than 130,000 having arrived in Hong Kong.

Contact the writers at fangxue@chinadailyhk.com