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The new arrangement will be piloted for three years. An overall quota of 10,000 will be granted, with a limit of 3,000 for each skilled trade.
The HKSAR Government has announced a new channel under the General Employment Policy (GEP) and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP), allowing individuals from outside Hong Kong to apply for entry to fill positions in eight skilled trades that are facing acute manpower shortage, starting 30 June 2025.
The Technical Professional List covers the following eight specified skilled trades:
- new industrialisation technicians
- nurses
- aircraft maintenance technicians
- marine services technicians (for local vessels)
- information technology technicians
- lift/escalator technicians
- building information modeling coordinators
- electrical technicians
Applicants are required to be non-degree professionals who meet the relevant qualifications as specified in the Technical Professional List and be aged between 18 and 40.
They must also meet the requirements on qualifications, work experience, professional skills (such as registration or license to practice), and other criteria of the specific skilled trade as listed on the List.
In addition, according to the prevailing requirements under the GEP and the ASMTP, the relevant professionals are required to have secured a job offer from a local enterprise before application, and the remuneration package should be in line with the market level for similar jobs.
Depending on the skilled trade and the applicant's qualifications, the first entry visa will be valid for 24 or 36 months.
To renew the visa, a technical professional must remain employed in the same skilled trade in Hong Kong. If the visa renewal application is approved, an extension of stay of not more than 36 months, or in accordance with the validity period of his/her employment contract (whichever is shorter), may be granted.
"The Technical Professional List was compiled by relevant bureaux and departments after careful consideration and in consultation with stakeholders of various industries and sectors. The eight skilled trades identified are all critical to sustaining Hong Kong's city operation, facing acute manpower shortage at least in the next five years, and in need of manpower that cannot be replenished by local training in good time," said a Government spokesperson.
"The new channel targets mid-level qualified and experienced non-degree technical professionals of specified trades and attracts them to settle in Hong Kong in the long run. This is distinct from and does not overlap with the existing Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme and sector-specific labour importation schemes.”
The new arrangement will be piloted for three years, subject to a review after the first year. An overall quota of 10,000 will be granted, with a limit of 3,000 for each skilled trade. Meanwhile, the spokesperson said the Government will continue its commitment to training for local workers.
Currently, under the GEP and the ASMTP, employers may apply to employ outside talent, normally with a bachelor's degree or higher qualifications, to fill job vacancies that could not be readily taken up by locals.
For vacancies listed in the Talent List, the enterprises are not required to conduct a market availability test to prove difficulties in local recruitment before applying. Employers submitting applications in future through the new technical professional stream will also be exempt from this requirement.
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