Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS)

Hong Kong’s Quality Migrant Admission Scheme or QMAS, is a points-based residence visa for skilled or talented people who want to settle in the city without lining up a job offer first. It’s a very different animal from a visitor visa, which only covers short stays and doesn’t allow you to work. QMAS is meant for people who want to look for employment or start a business in Hong Kong, then stay if things work out.

The scheme starts with some basic filters. You must be at least 18, able to support yourself and any dependants from your own resources, have a clean criminal and immigration record and usually hold at least a first degree from a recognized university or tertiary institution. Strong technical qualifications or professional achievements can sometimes stand in for the degree requirement, though the immigration department keeps the final say.

Two ways to be assessed:

• General Points Test: This uses a questionnaire-based scoring system with 12 criteria across age, academic qualifications, language ability, work experience, annual income and business ownership. The annual quota under this route has been removed.
• Achievement-based Points Test: This is for people with exceptional international achievements, such as major awards or widely recognized contributions in their field.

The application process has four stages, starting with the prerequisites and ending with an e-Visa if you’re approved. Selection happens in regular rounds and is merit-based, so passing the threshold doesn’t guarantee approval. The director of immigration has absolute discretion, which is bureaucratic speak for “don’t assume anything.”

If you’re admitted under the General Points Test, you normally get 36 months of stay on a time-limited, no-other-conditions basis, which means you can work or run a business without a separate employment permit. Extensions are usually granted on a 3 plus 2-year pattern if you’ve made a real effort to settle in Hong Kong. If you’ve already stayed at least two years and had assessable income of at least HK$2 million in the prior tax year, you may get a single 5-year extension.

Achievement-based applicants get a much longer initial stay, normally 8 years. Dependants can usually come too, including a spouse or recognized partner and unmarried children under 18 and they’re generally allowed to work under the normal dependant rules. QMAS holders who live in Hong Kong for 7 continuous years can apply for permanent residency.

The Quality Migrant Admission Scheme or QMAS, is for highly skilled or talented people who want to settle in Hong Kong and contribute to the city’s economic competitiveness. The good part is simple, you don’t need a Hong Kong job offer before you apply. The annoying part is that it’s selective and the Immigration Department wants clear proof that you’re genuinely qualified.

QMAS isn’t open to everyone. Nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of, can’t apply under the scheme. Mainland Chinese applicants also have an extra layer of paperwork if they’re approved, since they generally need the right exit documentation from the Mainland before coming to Hong Kong to live.

To qualify, you need to convince immigration that you have a strong education background or, in special cases, solid technical qualifications, proven professional ability or relevant experience and achievements backed by documents. You also need to clear the security check, have no known serious criminal record and make sure your application is honest. If the department thinks a form is incomplete or false, it can refuse it.

Successful applicants can usually bring family members, but not on a loose promise of support. The scheme allows a spouse or civil partner recognized under the rules and unmarried dependent children under 18, so long as you can support and house them without public assistance.

• No job offer required: You can apply before finding work in Hong Kong.
• Nationality limits: Afghanistan, Cuba and Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of, are excluded.
• Family members: A spouse or civil partner and unmarried dependent children under 18 may be included.
• Self-support test: You and your dependants must be able to live in Hong Kong without public assistance.

For the entry application itself, the official portal doesn’t give a fixed minimum income or asset threshold. That changes later if you want an extension. A General Points Test entrant who has spent at least two years in Hong Kong and earned assessable salaries-tax income of at least HK$2 million in the previous year of assessment will normally get a five-year extension without other conditions of stay.

The initial stay is normally 36 months for General Points Test entrants. QMAS holders who’ve taken steps to settle in Hong Kong, such as getting a job or setting up a business, can usually move toward a 3-plus-2-year extension pattern. Routine extension applications normally take about two to three weeks once the documents and fee are in.

The Quality Migrant Admission Scheme or QMAS, is paperwork-heavy and the Immigration Department wants the application to match its checklist closely. The official guidance notes, ID(E) 982, control what you submit, so don’t improvise with random supporting letters and hope for the best.

You apply through the online system and need the main QMAS form for yourself. If dependants are applying, they use the separate dependant form. Your passport or travel document has to prove you’re at least 18 and it should clearly show your name, date of birth, nationality, passport number and issue and expiry dates.

What you’ll need to show

• Identity: A copy of a valid passport or travel document.
• Education: Degree certificates, transcripts and verification from an approved credential-checking body or the awarding institution.
• Language ability: Proof tied to the points you’re claiming, such as an accepted test result or language-related degree.
• Financial resources: Evidence that you can support yourself and any dependants for the first 12 months in Hong Kong without public assistance.
• Good character: A declaration about criminal and immigration records, plus any extra documents ImmD asks for.

The financial part is one of the most awkward bits because the government doesn’t set a fixed minimum amount. It just says your personal net worth has to be enough for 12 months of living costs. Bank statements, bank certificates, passbooks, property records, investment statements and business ownership documents can all be used, depending on what best shows your assets.

There’s no blanket rule in the official QMAS notes that says every applicant must submit police clearance certificates up front. Still, ImmD can ask for more proof of good character, so if you’ve lived in several places for a while, be ready to produce police certificates if requested.

For education, the bar is usually a first degree from a recognised university or tertiary institution. If you’re relying on professional qualifications instead, you’ll need the certificate and detailed information on the awarding body, entry requirements and how the qualification is recognised. Documents in languages other than English or Chinese need proper translations that let ImmD check the contents without guesswork.

The biggest mistake is sending a thin file and expecting the department to fill in the blanks. It won’t.

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QMAS isn’t a cheap visa, but the government fees are pretty clear. The Immigration Department charges the same basic structure for the principal applicant and each dependant and the bill comes in two parts: the application fee and the visa issuance fee.

• Application fee: HKD 600 per person. This is non-refundable and you pay it when you submit the application, whether it’s for entry, a change of conditions of stay or an extension.
• Visa issuance fee: HKD 600 per person if the approved stay is 180 days or less or HKD 1,300 per person if the stay is more than 180 days.

For most QMAS approvals, the second figure is the one that bites. A successful General Points Test applicant is normally granted a longer stay, so the visa issuance fee is usually HKD 1,300 per person after approval. Dependants pay the same fees, which adds up fast if you’re moving with a spouse and children.

• Principal applicant, first application: HKD 600 at submission, then HKD 1,300 after approval if the stay is more than 180 days.
• Each dependant, first application: HKD 600 at submission, then HKD 1,300 after approval if the stay is more than 180 days.
• Extension or change of stay: The same HKD 600 application fee and the same two-tier visa issuance fee apply again.

Payment happens in stages. You submit the application online and pay the application fee there, then if it’s approved you get a payment link for the visa issuance fee before you can download the e-Visa. Accepted payment methods include credit card, PPS, Faster Payment System and certain Mainland e-wallets.

The government doesn’t publish fixed prices for the private stuff people often need around QMAS. Legal help, translation, certification, medical insurance and document retrieval all depend on the provider, so those costs can vary a lot. If a consultant gives you a precise package price, treat it as a market quote, not an official fee.

There is one cost-related rule that can affect how often you pay again. If you’ve been in Hong Kong for at least two years and can show assessable income for salaries tax of at least HKD 2 million in the previous assessment year, you may qualify for a five-year extension instead of the usual shorter cycle.

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How to apply

QMAS applications are filed online with the Hong Kong Immigration Department. You don’t need a job offer first and you can apply from outside Hong Kong, then enter on an e-Visa if approved.

The scheme uses two tests, the General Points Test and the Achievement-based Points Test. Before you get that far, you still need to meet the basics, including being 18 or older, showing you can support yourself and any dependants without public assistance and having good character. Nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and North Korea can’t apply.

• Application fee: HKD 600 for each application. It’s non-refundable.
• Visa issuance fee: HKD 1,300 for a stay of more than 180 days or HKD 600 for 180 days or less.
• Dependants: You can include eligible dependants in the same online submission.

For supporting documents, the official guidance says you need to show that you can look after yourself financially, but it doesn’t set a fixed savings or income figure for the initial application. So expect to back that up with bank statements and other financial proof rather than a single magic number.

If you’re accepted under the General Points Test, the initial limit of stay is normally 36 months. If you come through the Achievement-based Points Test, the initial stay is 8 years. Both are granted on time limitation only, without other conditions of stay.

Extensions are also handled online. The Immigration Department says you should apply within 3 months before expiry and at least 6 weeks before your current stay ends. Routine extension cases normally take about 2 to 3 weeks once all documents and fees are in, though that can stretch if something’s missing.

General Points Test holders need to show they’ve made steps to settle in Hong Kong, usually by taking up work or starting a business. If you’ve been in Hong Kong for at least 2 years and your previous year’s assessable income for salaries tax is at least HKD 2 million, you’ll normally get a 5-year extension instead of the usual shorter pattern.

QMAS is also a route toward permanent residence. After 7 years of ordinary residence in Hong Kong, you may apply for the right of abode if you meet the legal conditions. Dependants’ stays are tied to the sponsor’s, so their extensions follow the same basic rhythm.

QMAS doesn’t run on one simple visa clock. Most applicants fall under the standard “3-3-2” pattern, which means an initial 36-month stay, then a 3-year extension, then a 2-year extension if the Immigration Department is satisfied you’ve actually settled in Hong Kong.

There’s a special lane for high-income General Points Test entrants. If you’ve been allowed to stay in Hong Kong for at least 2 years and your assessable income for salaries tax was at least HK$2 million in the previous tax year, the department will normally grant a 5-year extension instead. You’ll need tax documents, such as a Notice of Assessment, to back that up.

Achievement-based Points Test entrants get a very different deal. They’re normally granted an 8-year stay up front, with no conditions of stay attached. The official guidance doesn’t spell out a fixed extension pattern after that 8-year period, so if you’re in this category and want to stay longer, the department looks at whether you can support yourself and any dependants from your own resources.

• When to apply: within 3 months before your current stay expires.
• Recommended timing: at least 6 weeks before expiry.
• Usual processing time: about 2 to 3 weeks after the department receives all required documents and the fee.

Don’t leave this too late. The Immigration Department says you should leave Hong Kong before your current stay runs out unless you’ve been given special permission to remain while the renewal is being handled. Not all extension applications are approved.

Dependants are tied to the sponsor’s status, so their stay normally follows the main QMAS holder’s. Once you’ve lived in Hong Kong for 7 years continuously as an ordinary resident, you may apply for permanent residence, also known as the right of abode. That’s the real endgame here, since QMAS itself doesn’t publish a hard maximum stay for people who keep renewing within the rules.

QMAS doesn’t come with a special tax deal. If you’re admitted under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, you’re taxed under Hong Kong’s normal territorial rules, so the key question is where your income comes from, not what visa you hold.

That matters because Hong Kong doesn’t tax worldwide income. Salaries tax applies to income arising in or derived from Hong Kong, while offshore income is generally outside the net. A QMAS holder can still be treated as a Hong Kong tax resident for treaty purposes, but that label doesn’t create a separate tax rate or any visa-based exemption.

• No special QMAS tax regime: The Immigration Department’s QMAS rules deal with entry and stay, not tax holidays or reduced tax rates.
• Residency for treaty purposes: The Inland Revenue Department generally treats you as a Hong Kong tax resident if you ordinarily reside in Hong Kong, stay more than 180 days in a year of assessment or more than 300 days across 2 consecutive years.
• Foreign employment income: If all your services are performed outside Hong Kong, that income is generally not taxed in Hong Kong.
• Short visits: Income tied to visits not exceeding a total of 60 days in a year of assessment is also excluded from salaries tax in the usual non-Hong Kong employment setup.

The practical test is source. If you take up Hong Kong employment or your job is managed from Hong Kong and your pay is tied to Hong Kong work, salaries tax can apply even if part of the work happens elsewhere. If your employment is genuinely offshore and you’re only in Hong Kong for brief work trips, only the Hong Kong portion is normally taxable.

Business income follows the same logic. Offshore profits, foreign dividends, foreign interest and capital gains from assets outside Hong Kong are generally not taxed in Hong Kong. Property tax only bites on Hong Kong immovable property. None of that changes because you’re on QMAS.

The one number that does show up in the QMAS rules is for certain top-tier extensions. Immigration requires proof of assessable income for salaries tax of not less than HK$2 million in the previous year of assessment, backed by salaries tax assessment notices. That’s an immigration test, though, not a preferential tax bracket.