What this guide covers
- A standard new application does not require a Hong Kong job offer, but you must meet the prerequisites and pass assessment under your chosen mechanism.
- The General Points Test currently has 12 criteria and a threshold of six. Meeting that threshold does not guarantee approval.
- Organise evidence and a budget around your family circumstances before applying online. Approval must still be followed by visa collection and any applicable travel formalities.
Does QMAS fit your plans for Hong Kong?
If you are still working elsewhere, eligibility may be the first question on your mind. QMAS is intended to attract talent to settle in Hong Kong, so it also helps to think about when you would move your career, whether your family would join you and how you would pay for the first year.
A standard new application does not require a Hong Kong job offer beforehand. That does not remove the purpose of developing your life here.
Write down the work or business you hope to pursue and the time you can realistically commit.
Check the prerequisites as well as the assessment threshold
Before counting assessment criteria, check the prerequisites that apply to every applicant. You must be at least 18 when applying, meet the financial and good-character requirements, and have a suitable educational background or exceptional professional credentials that may be considered.
For finances, the guidance looks at personal net assets sufficient to cover living and accommodation for you and any dependants during the first 12 months in Hong Kong. There is no single published minimum bank balance for every household.
| What to check first | How to begin |
|---|---|
| Identity and records | Check your valid travel document, current immigration status and criminal or immigration history that must be declared. |
| Financial capacity | List verifiable assets and outstanding debts, and prepare a separate first-year household budget. |
| Educational background | Gather graduation certificates, transcripts and verification; provide the corresponding evidence for exceptional professional backgrounds. |
Choose the mechanism your evidence supports
| Route | Core assessment | Preparation priorities |
|---|---|---|
| General Points Test | A yes/no assessment against 12 criteria; currently six must be met to reach the application threshold. | Link each claim to evidence of qualifications, languages, work, income or business ownership. |
| Achievement-based Points Test | An exceptionally demanding route for people with outstanding talent or skills, major awards or significant contributions to their field. | Explain the standing of awards, assessment process, your role and independently verifiable impact. |
Only one QMAS application and one assessment mechanism are allowed at a time. Do not repackage an ordinary internal company award as an international achievement, or use a calculator based on the former cumulative-points system.
We suggest three columns: evidence already available, evidence to obtain, and criteria not yet met. Assess yourself against facts you can actually submit.
Reconcile your details before opening the form
- Create a personal and family information sheet covering name spellings, former names, birth dates, document numbers and immigration status.
- Request verifiable records from institutions and former employers. Employment dates, formal titles and duties should agree.
- Match each declaration to primary evidence. Arrange certified translations meeting the guidance for documents outside Chinese or English.
- Check relationship, financial and accommodation evidence for accompanying dependants, and each person’s valid documents.
- Complete, review and submit the official online form, upload documents and pay the applicable application fees. Save the submission records.
This sequence is an editorial suggestion: resolving slow third-party documents is often more useful than repeatedly polishing a personal statement. If an employment record names only a position without explaining duties, ask the former employer to supplement it.
A self-written CV should not replace external evidence.
Keep documents and contact details in order while waiting
After submission, keep the filed version and make sure your contact email continues to work. Immigration assesses the information and evidence provided and may still ask for further documents or originals.
When a request arrives, identify each question and the records that answer it; a large bundle of unrelated material can make the response harder to follow. The official FAQs say results are sent by email, so check your inbox and spam folder regularly.
A quiet inbox does not indicate approval or refusal, and someone else’s processing time cannot promise a date for your case.
After approval: collecting the visa and entering Hong Kong
An approval notice is not the end of the process. Follow it to pay the applicable issuance fee and download the e-Visa.
Check your name, document details, validity and conditions, then arrange travel documents according to your nationality and place of residence. Mainland Chinese residents should check the consent letter for settlement in Hong Kong, Exit-entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao, and relevant exit endorsement.
Do not assume the e-Visa alone is sufficient.
The usual initial stay is 36 months under the General Points Test and eight years under the Achievement-based Points Test, but your issued documents and post-entry immigration record determine your actual permission. We suggest starting a document and expiry-date file on arrival, then retaining residence, employment, business and family records as life develops.
This makes renewal preparation an ongoing habit.
Frequently asked questions
Does meeting six criteria guarantee approval?
No. Six is the current General Points Test application threshold. Selection also considers your background, qualifications and Hong Kong’s needs, with priority given to applications meeting more criteria.
Must I use an intermediary?
The government provides a direct online application service. Hiring help is a personal choice. Whoever assists, you should verify all declarations and evidence yourself.
Must I have a Hong Kong job or buy a property?
A standard new application does not require a local job offer, and there is no general property-purchase requirement. Current or recent talent-scheme holders should check the exception in paragraph 62 of the 2026 guidance.
Can I apply under both mechanisms at once?
No. The official FAQs allow one application per person at a time, assessed under one mechanism only.
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: eligibility, applications and admissionChecked 2026-11-13 · Open official sourceHong 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 sourceGovHKApply online under the Quality Migrant Admission SchemeChecked 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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