Applicants who meet all the prerequisites may choose to be assessed further either under the General Points Test or Achievement-based Points Test. Each applicant may only submit one application and be assessed under one test at a time.
General Points Test
Prevailing Minimum Passing Mark
Achievement-based Points Test
| Factors | Points | Claimed Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Age (Maximum 30 points) | ||
| 18-39 | 30 | ||
| 40-44 | 20 | ||
| 45-50 | 15 | ||
| 51 or above | 0 | ||
| 2 | Academic/Professional Qualifications (Maximum 70 points) | ||
| Doctoral Degree / Two or more master’s degrees | 40 | ||
| Master’s Degree / Two or more bachelor’s degrees | 20 | ||
| Bachelor’s Degree / Professional Qualification awarded by a nationally or internationally recognized or acclaimed professional body which demonstrates that the holder has a very high level of technical expertise or skill | 10 | ||
| Additional points if a degree at bachelor level or higher is awarded by a renowned institution recognized internationally (Note1) | 30 | ||
| 3 | Work Experience (Maximum 75 points) | ||
| Not less than 10 years' graduate or specialist level work experience, including at least 5 years in a senior role | 40 | ||
| Not less than 5 years' graduate or specialist level work experience, including at least 2 years in a senior role | 30 | ||
| Not less than 5 years' graduate or specialist level work experience | 15 | ||
| Not less than 2 years' graduate or specialist level work experience | 5 | ||
| Additional points for not less than 2 years’ graduate or specialist level work experience with international exposure (Note2) | 15 | ||
| Additional points for not less than 3 years’ graduate or specialist level work experience in multi-national companies (MNCs) or reputable enterprises, such as listed companies or companies on the lists of The Global 2000 by Forbes, the Fortune Global 500 and the Hurun China 500 | 20 | ||
| 4 | Talent List (Maximum 30 points) (Note3) | ||
| Additional points if meeting the specifications of the respective profession under the Talent List | 30 | ||
| 5 | Language Proficiency (Maximum 20 points) | ||
| Being proficient both in written and spoken Chinese (Putonghua or Cantonese) and English | 20 | ||
| Being proficient in at least one foreign language (written and spoken) in addition to written and spoken Chinese (Putonghua or Cantonese) or English | 15 | ||
| Being proficient in written and spoken Chinese (Putonghua or Cantonese) or English | 10 | ||
| 6 | Family Background (Maximum 20 points) | ||
| 6.1 | At least one immediate family member (married spouse, parents, siblings, children) is a Hong Kong permanent resident residing in Hong Kong (Note4) | 5 | |
| 6.2 | Accompanying married spouse is educated to the equivalent level of a degree or above (Note4) | 5 | |
| 6.3 | 5 points for each accompanying unmarried dependent child under the age of 18, maximum 10 points | 5 / 10 | |
| Maximum 245 Points | |||
Note1: As for the additional points awarded to holders of a degree at bachelor level or higher obtained from a renowned institution recognized internationally, the institution concerned should be ranked among the top 100 universities/institutions in any of the four world university ranking tables published by QS, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Times Higher Education and US News and World Report, or among the top 30 colleges in the National Liberal Arts Colleges Rankings published by the US News and World Report. Advice may also be sought from relevant experts or professional bodies on qualifications awarded by other sector-specific renowned institutions which may not be included in these ranking lists.
Note2: To score additional points on the basis of having not less than two years’ work experience with international exposure, the international work experience concerned refers to graduate or specialist level work experience outside the applicant’s home country/territory.
Note3: To score additional points on the basis of the factors on the Talent List, an applicant must provide supporting documents to satisfy the HKSAR Government that he/she met the specifications of the respective profession under the Talent List of Hong Kong. As and when necessary, applicants’ relevant information may also be passed to relevant government bureaux/departments/professional bodies for advice on the assessment of whether the additional points are to be scored.
Note4: The relevant arrangement for scoring points is also applicable to the other party to a same-sex civil partnership, same-sex civil union, “same-sex marriage”, opposite-sex civil partnership or opposite-sex civil union entered into by them in accordance with the local law in force of the place of celebration and with such status being legally and officially recognised by the local authorities of the place of celebration (see Note of “Scheme Objective”).
For the detailed specifications for respective profession under the Talent List (including qualifications/work experience required/achievements), please refer to the website for Talent List.
The prevailing minimum passing mark is 80.*
*A minimum passing mark is set under the General Points Test. Interested parties are advised to assess whether their credentials are adequate to meet the minimum passing mark before submitting an application. The minimum passing mark is subject to change from time to time without prior notice.
The Scheme also caters for the entry of individuals with exceptional talent or skill who have outstanding achievements. They may choose to be assessed under a separate Achievement-based Points Test. Requirement under this test is very high. Those who are considered to have met one of the criteria under this test listed in the following paragraph will be awarded 245 points; otherwise, no point will be awarded. Applications which fail to score points under this test will be refused immediately.
Points may be awarded under this test if: