According to a report by Hong Kong's "The Sun" on the 27th, the Hong Kong government launched the "Capital Investment Entrant Scheme" on October 27, 2003, with a minimum investment threshold of HK$6.5 million. In the initial years, only a few hundred applications were received, but this number subsequently rose steadily. Seven years later, the Hong Kong government raised the threshold to HK$10 million and excluded real estate investments. That year, there was a rush to catch the last train, with applications reaching over 6,700, nearly double the previous year. As of June this year, there have been approximately 29,000 cumulative investment immigration applications, with about 18,600 people formally approved to come to Hong Kong, 87% of whom are mainlanders with permanent residency in foreign countries.
The article suggests that with the Hong Kong government recently releasing a consultation document on population policy, the investment immigration scheme should be considered alongside the review of importing overseas professionals and talent. From the current perspective, the Hong Kong government is analyzing the true pros and cons of its investment immigration scheme, and the 2013 Policy Address has been postponed to January 15, 2014. "If the government's review is limited to raising the threshold without touching upon the analysis of the scheme's pros and cons, it may not necessarily fulfill the role of investment immigration in promoting the economy or justify its necessity. In fact, the Hong Kong government's investment immigration scheme has inherent flaws, and it is particularly important today to mitigate the disadvantages and leverage the advantages." It is not difficult to see that Hong Kong residents currently hope to transition from investment immigration to business immigration, thereby achieving a shift in Hong Kong's immigration from quantity to quality, aiming to attract more high-tech and top-tier talent to invest in, settle in, and build Hong Kong, rather than just "paying for services."
Looking at the introduction and subsequent closure of Macau's investment immigration, it is conceivable that if the Hong Kong government reaches an internal consensus and truly follows Macau's lead, the investment-based residency scheme could be shut down at any time, which would undoubtedly close the door to Hong Kong immigration for mainland clients.
The closure of the Hong Kong program is imminent! While you are still hesitating about whether to apply, when to apply, and how much agency fee to pay, Leung Chun-ying may no longer want your HK$10 million. The last two months of 2013 may be the final time for investment-based residency in Hong Kong!
