What this guide covers
- The current system uses 12 yes/no criteria and a threshold of six, rather than the former cumulative-points system.
- Prerequisites and the 12 criteria are separate requirements. A bachelor’s degree may meet the basic education requirement without meeting the master’s or doctoral-degree criteria.
- Record evidence, dates, awarding institutions or employers, and verification methods as you assess yourself. Do not count qualifications you have not yet obtained.
Put evidence beside each of the 12 criteria
Once you have ticked six boxes, check what sits behind each one. We suggest making a row for all 12 criteria, with your conclusion, supporting records, the relevant period and any unresolved questions.
Mark a criterion as met only after checking its official definition against evidence you can provide. Age, income in the year immediately before application and current business ownership are time-sensitive.
If you delay filing, check that the earlier assessment still holds.
The Immigration Department can change the threshold and determines whether an individual criterion is satisfied. The table below reflects official information checked on 13 November 2026.
Reopen the official page on the day you submit. Reaching the threshold permits consideration in selection; it is not an approval commitment.
The 12 criteria at a glance
| Area | Summary of current criteria |
|---|---|
| Age | 1: aged 50 or below. |
| Qualifications | 2: a master’s or doctoral degree from an eligible university; 3: that qualifying postgraduate degree is STEM-related. |
| Languages | 4: good written and spoken proficiency in two languages; 5: good written and spoken English. |
| Work experience | 6: at least five years at graduate or specialist level; 7: at least three years at the relevant level in a multinational or reputable enterprise; 8: at least three years at the relevant level in specified fields such as innovation and technology, finance or international trade; 9: at least two years of international work experience. |
| Annual income | 10: at least HK$1 million, or equivalent foreign currency, in the year immediately before application. |
| Business ownership | 11: current ownership of a business with annual profit of at least HK$5 million, or equivalent foreign currency, in the immediately preceding year; 12: current ownership of a listed company. |
A listed university does not settle every degree question
Whether a university is listed and whether your particular degree qualifies are separate questions. These criteria require a master’s or doctorate from an institution on the official aggregate list of eligible universities.
Honorary degrees are excluded, and exclusions also cover continuing and professional education schools, branches, extension schools and affiliated colleges. For joint programmes, check every relevant awarding institution.
An expected degree cannot be counted before graduation evidence is issued.
Use the full awarding institution name printed on your certificate when checking the list; a university’s promotional brand may not tell the whole story. The STEM reference list is not exhaustive, and an unlisted subject may still be considered with supporting evidence.
We suggest explaining what you studied through transcripts, course descriptions and research content, while keeping the degree’s actual title. Have the certificate, transcripts and authentication details ready for online verification as well.
Explain what you did, where and for how long
For specified-field experience, the official assessment primarily considers duties, position or title. Employment by a bank does not automatically make every role qualifying finance experience.
International experience must be at the relevant level and obtained outside your home country or territory. Overseas clients, business trips or local employment by a foreign company do not automatically satisfy that definition.
- List each period of full-time employment with start and end months, work location, formal title, main duties and employer.
- Obtain verifiable employer records. Review applicable work visas and residence evidence for overseas appointments.
- Mark concurrent jobs clearly; do not turn one calendar year into two by adding overlapping periods.
- Explain parent/subsidiary relationships or changes of name. A well-known brand may differ from the legal employing entity.
For example, a software engineer developing core trading systems at a local financial institution can explain the relevant field through actual duties. Someone handling general administration at the same institution should not reach the same conclusion solely from the employer’s sector.
This illustrates evidence organisation; the Immigration Department makes the assessment.
What evidence supports your language ability?
The language criteria cover both writing and speaking. Official guidance sets specific conditions concerning native language, nationality or citizenship, and local official languages.
Other cases may require recognised examinations or relevant language degrees. Do not assume an English-medium instruction letter meets every requirement, or that a brief employer letter saying you can work in English is sufficient.
We suggest identifying your evidence route under paragraphs 32–36 of the Guidance Notes, then checking the test type, validity and completeness. If relying on both language criteria, substantiate each separately.
Ticking one does not automatically establish the other.
Keep personal income, company profit and ownership separate
Your annual personal income is not the company’s annual profit. Turnover, fundraising and valuation cannot simply be treated as taxable business profit.
Ownership also concerns beneficial interests and control: the guidance generally refers to at least 50% beneficial ownership of an unlisted company, or usually at least 10% of a listed company with corresponding influence. Buying a small shareholding does not amount to owning a listed company for this purpose.
Start with the formal records available for your circumstances: assessment notices, employer certification of stock-option value, audited reports, profit-and-loss statements, tax returns and legal ownership documents. A one-page cross-reference is our suggested way to connect the numbers, showing the original currency, period, income type and attachment pages.
If a report is still being prepared, explain that position honestly. A profit forecast cannot stand in for a result that has already occurred.
Frequently asked questions
Does having only a bachelor’s degree rule out an application?
Not necessarily. It may meet the basic education requirement without meeting the eligible-university postgraduate criteria. Whether you reach six depends on the other criteria and all prerequisites.
Can one job support several criteria?
Duration, employer background, field and international experience are separate criteria, assessed against their own definitions. Each needs clear factual support, and overlapping periods cannot be added twice to inflate years of experience.
Does turnover above HK$5 million meet the business-profit criterion?
Not by itself. The official definitions concern annual profit and ownership. Turnover before costs is not profit.
Can I submit with six criteria if one is weakly evidenced?
Obtain evidence matching your claims first. Gaps can affect assessment and cause delay. If you later gain a new qualification and want it assessed, also check the resubmission rules.
Official sources and further reading
This guide draws on the sources below, last checked on 2026-11-13. Before acting, recheck the relevant authority’s current eligibility, fees and annual arrangements.
Hong Kong Immigration DepartmentQuality Migrant Admission Scheme: frequently asked questionsChecked 2026-11-13 · Open official sourceHong Kong Immigration DepartmentQMAS Guidance Notes, ID(C) 982 (07/2026)Checked 2026-11-13 · Open official sourceHong Kong Immigration DepartmentQuality Migrant Admission Scheme: eligibility, applications and admissionChecked 2026-11-13 · Open official sourceCheck whether each item is an official requirement, case-specific evidence or an editorial suggestion. Other people’s experiences may help, but decisions on your case remain with Immigration or the relevant authority.
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