What is the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS)?
The Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) is Hong Kong's talent programme launched in late 2022 to attract high earners and graduates of the world's top universities. You can apply without first securing a job offer. Successful applicants may bring their spouse and unmarried dependent children to Hong Kong, and after seven years of ordinary residence may apply for permanent residency.
Who Can Apply? The Three Categories (2026 Rules)
Applicants qualify if they meet any one of categories A, B or C:
- Category A โ High earners: annual income of HK$2.5 million or more (or equivalent in foreign currency) in the year immediately before application. No quota. Income includes salary, allowances, stock options and profits from a company you own; personal investment income does not count.
- Category B โ Top-university graduates with experience: a bachelor's degree from an eligible university plus at least three years of work experience in the five years immediately before application. No quota.
- Category C โ Top-university graduates with less experience: a bachelor's degree from an eligible university within the five years immediately before application, with fewer than three years of work experience. Subject to an annual quota of 10,000 places on a first-come, first-served basis; not applicable to non-local graduates of full-time locally accredited programmes in Hong Kong.
The eligible-university list covers the top 100 institutions in the four major world rankings (THE, QS, U.S. News, ShanghaiRanking ARWU) over the past five years, plus selected hotel-management and art-and-design institutions and the top 20 mainland Chinese universities. Nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and North Korea are not eligible.
Visa Duration and Renewal
First grant: Category A applicants are generally admitted for 36 months (extended from two to three years since 16 October 2024); Categories B and C for 24 months. Holders may change employers freely without prior approval from the Immigration Department.
Renewal: extensions can be applied for online up to three months before the visa expires. You must show that you are employed in Hong Kong with stable income (a role normally taken by degree holders, with salary and benefits at market level), or that you have established or joined a business that genuinely operates, is sustainable and contributes to the local economy โ shell companies are rejected. Extensions are generally granted for no more than three years, or until the employment contract expires, whichever is shorter.
Top talent route: if you have stayed under the TTPS for at least two years and your assessable salaries-tax income in the preceding assessment year was HK$2 million or more, you may be granted an extension of up to six years (the "2+6" model).
Pathway to Permanent Residency
The typical path is "2+3+3" (Categories B/C) or "3+3+3" (Category A). As long as you meet the employment or business conditions at each renewal, you can remain continuously in Hong Kong. Under the Immigration Ordinance, seven years of continuous ordinary residence qualifies you to apply to be verified as a permanent resident and for a Hong Kong SAR passport.
What's New for 2026
The 2025 Policy Address reports that more than 230,000 talents have arrived in Hong Kong; the TTPS renewal rate is 55%, and 95% of approved renewals earn above Hong Kong's median monthly income (about HK$20,000-plus), mainly in innovation, technology and finance. The scheme contributes an estimated HK$34 billion a year โ about 1.2% of GDP.
On 28 December 2025, the Government announced the annual update of the eligible-university list from 199 to 200 institutions โ with five universities added and four removed โ effective 1 January 2026. As of end-February 2025, nearly 99,000 TTPS applications had been approved, over 25,000 of them Category A.
How to Apply
Apply online through the Immigration Department's system; processing generally takes about four weeks once all documents are received. Since 26 February 2025, each application carries a non-refundable HK$600 application fee and a HK$1,300 visa fee for stays over 180 days.
Popular Guides
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- Renewal Requirements 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a job to renew my TTPS visa?
Yes. At renewal you must be employed in Hong Kong with stable income, or have established or joined a business in Hong Kong. Roles must normally be taken by degree holders with market-level pay; shell companies are rejected.
How long do I have to collect my visa after approval?
You must pay the fee and collect your visa / entry permit within three months of approval, or the approval lapses. Visas are issued as e-visas online.
Can my children attend public schools in Hong Kong?
Yes. Dependent children with valid visas may enrol in government and aided schools at the same fees as local students, and may also attend DSS, private and international schools.
How do I prove my income for a Category A application?
Submit the salaries tax assessment notice for the preceding assessment year, tax payment receipts, stock-option value statements, or audited financial reports of companies you own. The online system supports 17 currencies and converts them to Hong Kong dollars automatically.
What happens if the Category C quota is used up?
Category C has 10,000 places a year on a first-come, first-served basis, so apply early. If the annual quota is exhausted, applications wait for the next year's quota (subject to Immigration Department announcements).
How long is each renewal usually granted for?
Generally no more than three years, or until the employment contract expires, whichever is shorter. The top talent category can receive up to six years.