Hong Kong sits in Eastern Asia. Its immigration system runs 31 distinct routes — led by work, short stays and visits and talent and merit, each set out in official law. All 31 cite an official government source, shown on the route with the date we last read it. Who actually qualifies depends on your full profile.
1 further route is recorded for Hong Kong but not shown here — its details are still under review.
All 31 routes, grouped by purpose — 31 of 31 cite an official government source directly.
Employment route for Chinese residents of Mainland China with skills, knowledge or experience valuable to Hong Kong.
Approval-in-principle and employer-sponsored admission of imported workers where local recruitment cannot meet demand.
Sponsor-linked entry permit application for a Mainland fisherman deckhand.
Employer-sponsored admission for a foreign domestic helper under the Standard Employment Contract.
Employment route for professionals with skills, knowledge or experience valuable to and not readily available in Hong Kong.
Employment route for experienced non-degree professionals aged 18 to 40 in skilled trades on the Technical Professionals List.
Post-study work route for qualifying non-local graduates of Hong Kong programmes and designated Greater Bay Area campus programmes.
Quota-based imported-labour admission under the officially designated sector-specific schemes.
Quota-based admission of suitably qualified care workers for approved residential care homes.
Post-study vocational work route for eligible non-local graduates of designated Higher Diploma programmes.
Residence admission for an adult who owns and invests at least HK$30 million in permissible investment assets.
Employment-conditioned admission to establish or join a business that can make a substantial contribution to Hong Kong's economy.
Merit-based admission for highly skilled or talented people to settle in Hong Kong without a prior local job offer.
Fast-track admission through an eligible company for non-local technology talent conducting research and development.
Talent admission without a prior job offer for high-income applicants or recent graduates of eligible universities under Categories A, B and C.
Temporary admission for a structured training programme sponsored by a well-established Hong Kong company.
Admission for an accepted non-local student in a qualifying school or locally accredited education programme.
Family residence for the qualifying spouse, recognised partner or unmarried dependent child of an eligible Hong Kong sponsor.
Discretionary naturalisation for an eligible foreign national or stateless Hong Kong resident under Articles 7 and 8 of the Chinese Nationality Law.
Permanent-resident status for a person who falls within one of the six statutory right-of-abode categories.
Bilateral youth-mobility admission for eligible passport holders aged 18 to 30 to holiday and take temporary work in Hong Kong.
Invitation-only multiple-journey visitor visa and e-Channel facilitation for selected ASEAN nationals.
Mandatory online registration enabling eligible Indian nationals to make visa-free visits or transits of up to 14 days.
Online pre-arrival registration for eligible Chinese residents of Taiwan for two visits of up to 30 days.
— No eligibility summary published for this route yet
One-entry or multiple-entry visit permit for a Chinese resident of Taiwan applying from Taiwan.
Visitor admission for a person who requires a visa or seeks a stay beyond the applicable visa-waiver period.
Protection screening against removal, deportation or surrender for a person who is liable to removal from Hong Kong.
Admission for eligible second-generation descendants of Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents who were born overseas.
Discretionary restoration for a person who formerly held Chinese nationality and meets Article 13 of the Chinese Nationality Law.
Transit admission for a traveller who does not benefit from the applicable visa waiver.
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