Hong Kong Top Talent Pass Scheme receives over 10,000 applicants

The Top Talent Pass Scheme, launched by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government and implemented with effect from Dec. 28, 2022, has received more than 10,000 applications seven weeks after its launch.

Chris Sun, secretary for labor and welfare of the HKSAR government, told the media on Wednesday that about 8,400 applications had been processed, among which some 7,700 had already been approved.

Most of the applications came from young people, with those aged under 30 years old accounting for half, and about 97 percent of the total were 50 years old or younger, Sun said.

He added that half of all applicants came from graduates of the world's top 100 universities with at least three years of work experience over the past five years, and one-sixth of the applicants have an annual income of 2.5 million Hong Kong dollars (about 318,530 U.S. dollars) or more.

The Top Talent Pass Scheme seeks to attract top talents with rich work experience and good academic qualifications from all over the world to explore opportunities in Hong Kong.

These top talents include high-income talents and graduates from the world's top universities.