The Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) is a quota-based entrant scheme meant for skilled persons who wish to stay in Hong Kong to explore employment or business startup opportunities.
In order to secure entry into Hong Kong under QMAS scheme, you must satisfy the basic pre-requisites, pass a points based test and compete for quota allocation with other applicants. Under the scheme, a maximum of 1,000 applicants per year may be admitted into Hong Kong. You are allowed to bring your spouse and unmarried dependent children under the age of 18 to Hong Kong under the Dependent Visa scheme.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Foreign nationals except nationals of Afghanistan, Albania, Cambodia, Cuba, Laos, Korea, Nepal and Vietnam are eligible to apply for the Scheme.
- All applicants must satisfy all of the following pre-requisites:
- Age – you must be 18 years of age or above at the time of making the application
- Financial requirement – you must be able to demonstrate that you are capable of supporting and accommodating yourself and your dependants on your own financial resources without relying on public assistance in Hong Kong
- Good character – you must not have any criminal record or other records that are detrimental to you either in Hong Kong or elsewhere
- Language proficiency – you must be proficient (i.e. both written and spoken) either in Chinese (Putonghua or Cantonese) or English
- Basic educational qualification – you must possess a good educational background. Normally it is preferable to possess an undergraduate degree from a recognised university or a tertiary educational institution. However, under special circumstances, in the absence of such a degree, documentary evidence of good technical qualifications, relevant professional abilities, achievements and experience will be considered.
- Applicants who satisfy the pre-requisites must also pass either of the point based tests – General Points Test or Achievement-based Points Test.
- Under the General Points Test, there are five point-scoring factors relating to age, academic/professional qualifications, work experience, language proficiency and family background. The minimum passing mark is 80 out of a maximum of 165 points.
- The Achievement-based Points Test is meant for individuals with exceptional talent or skill who have outstanding achievements:
There is only a one point-scoring factor of 165 points under this test, which will be awarded if,
You have received an award of exceptional achievement (e.g. Olympic medals, Nobel prize, national/international awards); or
You can show that your work has been acknowledged by your peers or has contributed significantly to the development of your field (e.g. lifetime achievement award from the industry).
