HongKong

Hong Kong is one of the most successful, stable, and developed economies in Asia. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is receiving a large number of applications each year for immigration. 

The legal status of being a Permanent Resident of Hong Kong can be attained by anyone. The Hong Kong Basic Law (the de facto constitution of Hong Kong) mentions the following requirements to become a permanent resident of Hong Kong – 

• Chinese nationals who are born in Hong Kong
• Chinese nationals who were not born in Hong Kong but are lawfully living in the city for 7 years.
• Chinese nationals who were not born in Hong Kong, but one of the parents was a permanent resident of Hong Kong at the time of birth.
• Foreigners who were not born in Hong Kong but are lawfully living in the city for 7 years and want to become permanent resident of Hong Kong.
• Foreigners under the age of 21 who was born in Hong Kong and the parent should be permanent resident. After 21, these foreigners can individually apply for permanent resident status.
• People who had the Right of Abode only for Hong Kong before the formation of HKSAR.

So, we can say that any foreigner who is lawfully living in the city for 7 years or more, is eligible to apply for the Hong Kong PR Visa.

What are the benefits of getting a Hong Kong PR Visa?

There are many benefits of becoming a permanent resident of Hong Kong such as access to government programs and the right to vote. The foreigners lose their resident status if they live outside the city for more than 3 years. 

HK immigration statutes are prepared based on the requirements of the economic aspirations of autonomous regions. These can be divided into 3 parts:

• Immigration arrangement for non-local graduates (IANG)
• General Employment Scheme (GEP)
• QMAS, aided by GPT (General Point Test) or ABP (Achievement-based point test).

1. IANG: 

This program aims to encourage foreign students –

• Completed a full-time, regular degree from the University of Hong Kong.
• Non-resident students (NRSs) filing requests –
• Within 6 months of completion are fresh NRGs.
• After 6 months of completion are called returning NRGs.

The fresh graduates do not need a job offer but the returning graduates need an on-hand job offer. And both the NRGs will be given 1 year of residence.

2. GEP: 

This stream is carried out for the shortage of local labor pool. The applicants must have – 

• Appropriate academic qualification with technical proficiency
• A valid job offer
• Salaries offered should be as per the local guidelines.

The IANG and GEP streams don’t have an annual upper cap and these are planned to prove Hong Kong as a globally competitive city. The schemes are available for Commercial, Arts, Culture, Sports, Culinary skills, etc.

3. QMAS:

Quality Migrant Admission Scheme supports the entry of highly skilled professionals who wants to immigrate and settle in the region with better jobs and a good lifestyle. There is an annual cap of 1000 entries.

What are the primary requirements to become a PR in Hong Kong?

The primary requirements include – 

• You have to be over 18 years old.
• You should have relevant academic qualifications in your related field.
• You should have language proficiency in English with a minimum of 6 band scores in IELTS.
• You should clear the GPT or ABP evaluations.
• As GPT is the most crucial part of the immigration to Hong Kong and one must score at least 80 out of 165 scores based on –
• Age
• Academic qualification
• Job exposure
• Language abilities
• Family background

• ABP evaluation targets skilled migrants and considers only one parameter to give a score out of 165. The migrant should be –
• Known globally for their extraordinary skill
• Has participated immensely in his field of specialization.