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The Hong Kong Top Talent Pass Scheme in 2026: What Employers Need to Know

  • 1 day ago
  • 2 min read

Hong Kong's Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) has become one of the city's fastest-growing visa routes since its December 2022 launch, with over 90,000 approvals by early 2026. For employers, it changes the hiring calculus: certain candidates can already be in Hong Kong, work-ready, without you sponsoring a General Employment Policy visa.

How TTPS differs from the GEP

The General Employment Policy requires a sponsoring employer, a confirmed offer and evidence that the role can't readily be filled locally. TTPS requires none of that at application stage, the applicant qualifies on personal income or academic credentials and enters to seek work or start a business.

The three categories, in brief

●      Category A: annual income of HK$2.5 million or above in the preceding year, 36-month stay.

●      Categories B and C: graduates of eligible top universities (list updated 1 January 2026), 24-month stay.

●      Spouses and children can join on dependant visas, generally with unrestricted work rights.

What employers should watch

If your candidate's role sits on the Hong Kong Talent List or pays HK$2 million or more, the Immigration Department no longer asks the employer to evidence local recruitment difficulty, a meaningful facilitation for senior hires. At TTPS renewal, though, the holder must show active employment or business in Hong Kong, so aligning the visa timeline with a real role matters. Explore our services  |  Book a free 30-minute call.


Can Woodburn help you?

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.




 
 
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