The Hong Kong Immigration Department announced: The Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) is a quota-based entrant scheme launched by the Hong Kong government in 2006, aimed at attracting high-tech and industry talent to maintain or enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness. With an annual quota of 1,000, applicants must first meet basic eligibility requirements and compete for quotas based on the General Points Test or the Achievement-based Points Test to gain the opportunity to immigrate to Hong Kong.
2020 Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme Application Requirements
The principal applicant must be aged 18 or above, and may include their spouse and unmarried dependent children under the age of 18 in the application;
Applicants must demonstrate that they are capable of supporting and accommodating themselves and their dependents in Hong Kong without relying on public assistance;
No criminal record or adverse immigration record;
In terms of language, applicants must be proficient in written and spoken Chinese (Putonghua or Cantonese) or English;
In special circumstances, those with good technical qualifications, professional abilities, experience, or achievements may also be considered;
Applicants must score at least 80 points under the General Points Test or meet the criteria for the Achievement-based Points Test; the Achievement-based Points Test requires applicants to have received outstanding achievement awards such as Olympic medals, international or national awards, or be able to demonstrate that their work is recognized by their peers and that they have made significant contributions to the development of their industry.
2020 Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme Scoring Criteria
There were numerous applicants for the Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme in 2020. Applicants in 2020 could conduct a self-assessment based on their own circumstances. The 2020 Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme scoring criteria are as follows:
1. Age (maximum 30 points)
2. Doctoral degree/two or more master's degrees (maximum 70 points).
Bachelor's degree/professional qualification awarded by a nationally or internationally recognized or accredited professional body indicating that the holder possesses high technical expertise or skills: 10 points.
Additional points for a bachelor's degree or higher awarded by an internationally renowned institution: 30 points.
3. At least 10 years of postgraduate or expert work experience (maximum 55 points), including at least 5 years in a senior position: 40 points.
Additional points for at least 2 years of international work experience as a postgraduate or expert: 15 points.
4. Talent List (maximum 30 points): If the applicant meets the requirements for various professions in the Talent List, they are eligible for additional points: 30 points.
5. Language proficiency (maximum 20 points): Proficiency in written and spoken Chinese (Putonghua or Cantonese) and English: 20 points.
Proficiency in written and spoken Chinese (Putonghua or Cantonese) or English: 10 points.
6. Family background (maximum 20 points): At least one immediate family member (married spouse, parents, siblings, children) is a Hong Kong permanent resident: 5 points.
Married spouse with an equivalent or higher academic qualification: 5 points.
5 points for each unmarried minor child under 18, up to a maximum of 10 points.
Of course, if an applicant is scored based on the Achievement-based Points Test, i.e., 1. The applicant has received an outstanding achievement award (such as an Olympic medal, Nobel Prize, national/international award); or 2. The applicant can demonstrate that his/her work is recognized by peers or has made significant contributions to the development of his/her field (such as a lifetime achievement award in the industry), he/she can be awarded 225 points directly.
2020 Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme Talent List
The government released the latest Talent List in 2018, covering 11 professions. Qualified applicants can receive additional points under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme points system, which aims to attract outstanding talent from around the world to cooperate with Hong Kong's high-value-added and diversified economic development in a more effective and focused manner. In the 2020 Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme selection announcement, successful participants were included in the Talent List.
2020 Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme Pass Rate
The pass rate for the 2020 Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme was not very high. Despite the surge in the number of applicants year after year, the quota for the 2020 Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme was not fully utilized, with fewer than 1,000 people approved in 2020. This is sufficient proof of the Hong Kong government's selective attitude of "better to have none than to have substandard." So, on what basis does the Hong Kong Immigration Department select successful candidates from thousands of applicants? Before answering this question, I would like to remind you that the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme is an immigration program. Specifically, approved applicants can settle in Hong Kong without needing a job offer in Hong Kong, and can bring their spouse and unmarried minor children, with the spouse being allowed to work. Through this series of preferential policies, the Hong Kong government's goal is clear: it hopes that applicants for the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme will eventually settle in Hong Kong.
2020 Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme Fees
Depending on the type of application, the fees for applying for the Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme are as follows:
1. Ordinary visa;
2. Transit visa;
3. Change of residence conditions or extension of stay;
4. Recognized travel documents, no specific fee charged;
5. Providing copies of any documents upon application, or submitting or forwarding requests or recommendations to foreign or Commonwealth authorities, registering consular or nationality matters, or issuing or renewing service fee passports or other travel documents or identity documents, or issuing visas or entry permits;
6. Third-party service fees, including translation fees, notarization fees, and immigration agency service fees: subject to actual costs.
The above fees are reference costs for people applying for the Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, and specific fees are subject to actual costs. It can be seen that the cost of the Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme is very low compared to other immigration programs.
2020 Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme Results
From the list of approved candidates for the 2020 Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, we found that the passing scores in 2020 varied. This shows that as long as applicants meet the standard application score, they have a chance to be selected. This is a viable option for ordinary people who want to immigrate to Hong Kong to live and work!