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Hong Kong has revised visa fees for foreign professionals and investors under its talent and capital investment admission schemes. Effective February 26, 2025, the new two-tiered fee structure increases application and visa issuance costs.
Hong Kong has revised visa fees for foreign professionals and investors under its talent and capital investment admission schemes. The changes, effective February 26, 2025, introduce a two-tiered fee structure for applicants and their dependents.
New Visa Fees and Application Charges
As part of the 2025-26 Budget, Hong Kong has implemented a new application fee and increased visa issuance fees for selected admission schemes.
The Immigration (Amendment) Regulation 2025, published in the Gazette, formalizes these changes, ensuring the cost structure aligns with the “user pays” principle.
Under the updated rules:
• Applicants under specified admission schemes must pay an application fee of HKD 600 per application for entry, change of conditions, or extension of stay.
• The visa or entry permit fee for an approved application now follows a tiered pricing model:
o HKD 600 for stays of 180 days or less.
o HKD 1,300 for stays of 181 days or more.
Who Is Affected?
The revised fee structure applies to the following admission schemes:
• Top Talent Pass Scheme
• General Employment Policy
• Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals
• Quality Migrant Admission Scheme
• Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates
• New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme
• Capital Investment Entrant Scheme
• Technology Talent Admission Scheme
• Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme
• Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents
Existing Visa Fees Remain Unchanged
The fee adjustment is exclusive to the above-listed admission schemes. Other visa and entry permit fees remain unchanged.
Rising Demand for Hong Kong’s Talent Schemes
Hong Kong has seen a remarkable increase in applications for its talent admission programs, highlighting its appeal to global professionals and investors:
• 2022: 58,000 applications
• 2023: 221,000 applications
• 2024: Approximately 208,000 applications
This represents a 250% growth since 2022, reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as a preferred destination for skilled talent and entrepreneurs seeking career opportunities and investment prospects.
Updated Talent List to Attract Skilled Professionals
To address workforce shortages and attract global talent, Hong Kong has recently revised its Talent List, effective March 1, 2025. The updated list now includes 60 in-demand professions, enabling eligible foreign professionals to benefit from streamlined immigration policies.
Fast-Track Immigration for Skilled Foreign Workers
Foreign professionals who qualify under the updated Talent List can access immigration facilitation when applying for Hong Kong’s key work and talent visa schemes, including:
• Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS)
• General Employment Policy (GEP)
• Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP)
Employers hiring under the GEP and ASMTP will no longer need to prove difficulties in local recruitment, significantly expediting the hiring process for overseas talent.
Conclusion
The revised visa fee structure underscores Hong Kong’s strategy to balance demand with administrative costs while maintaining its attractiveness to global talent and investors. Foreign professionals and entrepreneurs planning to apply under these schemes should prepare for the updated costs while leveraging Hong Kong’s business-friendly environment.
Source: https://travelobiz.com/hong-kong-visa-fees-2025-increase-foreign-professionals/
