How Can Mainlanders Establish Businesses in Hong Kong Under the General Employment Policy?
Posted in Hadley Says…, Investment Visas, The Hong Kong Visa Geeza /
Under current immigration policy, Chinese Nationals seeking to come to Hong Kong to establish businesses can do so by way of the Admission of Mainland Talents & Professional Scheme.
On the other hand, if they meet certain qualification criteria, such Chinese nationals can utilize the provisions of the General Employment Policy – which is the set of rules and regulations used by every other foreign national eligible to submit applications to come and set up businesses in the HKSAR.
Under the General Employment Policy Chinese passport holders who have either:
- Secured permanent residency in a third country, or
- Have lived continuously outside of China for a minimum of 12 months
… are eligible to make an application to invest in Hong Kong and establish an operating business.
This application is different from the HKD10 million Capital Investment Entrant Scheme and does not require such a high level of investment nor do the funds need to be locked in for seven years in order to maintain ongoing residence visa permissions in the HKSAR.
Instead, such Chinese national applicants need to be able to show that they are in a position to substantially contribute to the economy of Hong Kong and will, and in fact subsequently have done so, go on to establish an operating business here, creating jobs and benefiting Hong Kong’s economy.
As the Hong Kong Immigration Department do not discriminate where the Chinese national applicant enjoys permanent residency outside of China, it means that countries such as Nauru, Vanuatu, Niger, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone as well as Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand and the UK are all eligible PR jurisdictions under the General Employment Policy.
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The Hong Kong Visa Geeza (a.k.a Stephen Barnes) is a co-founder of the Hong Kong Visa Centre and author of the Hong Kong Visa Handbook. A law graduate of the London School of Economics, Stephen has been practicing Hong Kong immigration since 1993 and is widely acknowledged as the leading authority on business immigration matters here for the last 24 years.
