Dive Into New Visa & Talent Trends in China and Hong Kong: What It Means for Global Firms Expanding in Asia

Kristina Coluccia
6 days ago
5 min read

Over the past year, both Mainland China and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong SAR) have significantly updated their visa and talent‑mobility regimes. For global firms looking to expand or deepen their presence in Asia, these changes sharpen the business case for using China/Hong Kong as hubs — but also demand careful strategy.

What’s new: Key Visa & Talent‑Mobility Updates

China’s expanded cross‑border talent endorsement & transit policies

In November 2025, China’s authorities unveiled a package of 10 new immigration facilitation measures, broadening a “talent‑endorsement” system that had covered only limited pilot zones (like the Greater Bay Area) to now include the entire Yangtze River Delta, the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, and all free‑trade zones. Qualified employers can obtainmulti‑entry, 1‑to‑5‑year cross‑border endorsements for top scientific, cultural, legal and medical talent. Each visit to Hong Kong (or Macau) can last up to 30 days.
This development significantly lowers friction for cross‑border business trips, R&D collaboration, or rotational assignments — especially for firms with dual operations on the Mainland and in Hong Kong.
Complementing the talent‑endorsement expansion, China has also widened its 240‑hour visa‑free transit scheme to include additional ports connecting to Hong Kong, making short‑term travel easier for foreigners traveling through Hong Kong to other Chinese cities.

Hong Kong’s ramped‑up talent admission & short‑term mobility programmes

The Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) — one of Hong Kong’s flagship talent‑attraction initiatives — has been enhanced. As of late 2024, TTPS now covers 198–199 globally recognised universities/institutions, meaning more graduates qualify.
For high-income “Category A” applicants (earning HKD 2.5 million+ the year before application), the initial visa validity has been extended from two years to three years, giving candidates more certainty for relocation and planning.
The application and renewal process has been eased — for example, renewal applications can now be submitted as early as three months before expiry (instead of just four weeks before).
Beyond TTPS, the regime for short‑term professional visitors has also expanded: as of November 2025, the Short-Term Talent Visitor Scheme now covers 17 sectors (up from around 12), including environment, occupational safety, maritime, think‑tanks, and more. Eligible organizations (now ~490) can invite foreign experts for stays up to 14 days per trip to undertake remunerated project work — without the need for a full employment visa.
In aggregate, more than 300,000 applications under various talent‑admission programmes were approved between end‑2022 and March 2025.

What This Means for Global Firms — Opportunities & Considerations

Easier cross‑border mobility for global teams

For multinationals with both Mainland China and Hong Kong operations, the expanded cross-border talent‑endorsement scheme is a major win. It lets firms rotate key talent — e.g., executives, researchers, specialists — between offices with far less paperwork and lower compliance burden. This supports agile organizational structures, especially for R&D, regional management, or market‑entry teams.
The short‑term visitor scheme in Hong Kong offers an efficient way to bring in external experts (consultants, trainers, auditors, niche specialists) for short‑duration projects — without full employment contracts or long visa lead-times. This provides flexibility, cost‑effectiveness, and speed for project‑based or time‑limited activities.

Talent acquisition becomes more accessible and competitive

The broadened TTPS and relaxed requirements (university list expansion, longer visa validity, easier renewals) make Hong Kong more attractive to high‑skilled global talent, including recent graduates. This means firms can compete more aggressively for global talent — but also face more competition: both local firms and global firms are now vying over a broader pool of candidates.
Given the diversity of sectors now covered (from tech/finance to environmental engineering to legal), companies across industries (not only traditional finance or tech) can realistically recruit foreign professionals.

Strategic HQ‑and‑regional model support

For firms seeking Asia‑Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong, these visa reforms support the creation of mixed-nationality leadership and specialist teams. The flexibility to host foreign talent under TTPS or short‑term visitor schemes helps build diverse leadership, including rotating regional heads, project leads, or advisory boards.
For R&D‑heavy firms, the expanded talent endorsement and cross‑border mobility supports a dual‑hub model: R&D on the Mainland + corporate or regional HQ tasks in Hong Kong, with easier personnel flow.

Challenges & Risks — What Firms Should Watch Out For

Competition for talent intensifies. As visa barriers fall, more firms — domestic and international — will compete for the same pool of skilled professionals. Firms may need to offer attractive compensation, benefits, or career paths to stand out.
Short‑term vs long‑term mobility clarity. While short‑term visitor schemes are helpful, they are (by definition) short — good for consultancy or project work, but not substitute for full-time hires if long-term presence is required.
Compliance and planning. Although cross‑border endorsements are easier, firms still need to handle compliance, tax residency, and immigration‑related obligations carefully — especially if rotating staff across jurisdictions frequently.
Integration and retention. Attracting talent is one thing — retaining them is another. Firms need strong onboarding, local support, and clarity on career paths to ensure that recruited talent stays and thrives.

Strategic Implications: What Global Firms Should Do Now

If I were advising a global firm with ambitions in Asia, here’s what I’d recommend doing right away:

Map out operational hubs — Evaluate which functions are best placed in Mainland China vs. Hong Kong: e.g., R&D in Shanghai/Shenzhen, corporate HQ or regional coordination in Hong Kong — leveraging the new mobility tools to shuffle staff as needed.
Talent‑pipeline planning — Use TTPS to hire from global talent pools (e.g., recent graduates from top universities worldwide) and build a long-term talent pipeline. Meanwhile use the Short-Term Visitor Scheme for short-term projects or consultancy needs.
Compensation and benefits benchmarking — Given rising competition, revisit compensation, benefits (including relocation, family support), retention incentives, and career‑development offerings.
Compliance & mobility governance — Establish internal mobility policies to manage cross-border moves, visa timelines, tax implications, and compliance with local laws.
Employer branding and positioning — Present the firm as globally mobile, inclusive, and supportive of international talent — especially attractive given China/Hong Kong’s growing openness.

What This Signals for the Broader Trend in Asia

These shifts in China and Hong Kong’s visa/talent policies reflect a broader regional and global trend:

A move away from restrictive, nationality‑based immigration and toward skills‑ and talent-based mobility.
Recognition that global competition for top talent — especially in technology, R&D, legal, finance, and emerging sectors like environmental engineering — is fierce, and that to stay competitive, countries must lower barriers.
A crystallising role for Hong Kong (and parts of Mainland China) as regional talent hubs — offering flexibility, connectivity, and a bridge between global companies and Asian markets.

For global firms, these developments make China/Hong Kong ever more attractive as regional hubs — but only if they adapt their talent strategy for a more fluid, globally mobile workforce.

Woodburn Accountants & Advisors is one of China and Hong Kong’s most trusted business setup advisory firms.

Woodburn Accountants & Advisors is specialized in inbound investment to China and Hong Kong. We focus on eliminating the complexities of corporate services and compliance administration. We help clients with services ranging from trademark registration and company incorporation to the full outsourcing solution for accounting, tax, and human resource services. Our advisory services can be tailor-made based on the companies’ objectives, goals and needs which vary depending on the stage they are at on their journey.