19 h. ago Hong Kong’s top talent scheme succeeds if people are really staying

Since its launch late in 2022, the Top Talent Pass Scheme has become a central component of Hong Kong’s global competitiveness strategy. By July this year, the scheme had attracted close to 140,000 applications. Of these, around 110,000 were approved, resulting in more than 90,000 new arrivals to the city. This influx of skilled residents is a sign that Hong Kong remains a strong magnet for talent. However, as former chief executive Leung Chun-ying and other commentators have warned, the real...

Politics

19 h. ago Success of Hong Kong’s top talent scheme must go deeper than numbers

Since its launch late in 2022, the Top Talent Pass Scheme has become a central component of Hong Kong’s global competitiveness strategy. By July this year, the scheme had attracted close to 140,000 applications. Of these, around 110,000 were approved, resulting in more than 90,000 new arrivals to the city. This influx of skilled residents is a sign that Hong Kong remains a strong magnet for talent. However, as former chief executive Leung Chun-ying and other commentators have warned, the real...

Politics

60 h. ago Hong Kong court orders arrest of talent scheme applicant who lied about degree

A Hong Kong court has ordered the arrest of a mainland Chinese talent scheme applicant who jumped bail while facing prosecution for allegedly lying about his qualifications. Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong on Wednesday signed a warrant for the arrest of Che Yuyi after the 30-year-old twice failed to appear in Sha Tin Court to answer a charge of making a false statement to the Immigration Department in October 2023. The magistrate also ordered the confiscation of the defendant’s...

Events

4 d. ago Hong Kong schools cut fewer Primary One classes after ‘boost from talent scheme’

Hong Kong schools appear to have staunched the problem of shrinking enrolment as fewer Primary One classes are being cut this year, according to official data, with the sector attributing the improvement to an influx of children of mainland Chinese talent. According to Primary School Profiles 2025 released on Monday, there are 1,569 Primary One classes in public schools this year, 12 fewer than the 1,581 in 2024. Last year, there were 26 Primary One classes fewer than in the 2023-24 school...

Politics

8 d. ago Singer with ‘Hong Kong Spirit’ picked by American Idol creator for pop group

A 20-year-old Hong Kong woman who emerged from the same talent show as local heartthrob Keung To of popular boy band Mirror has been chosen to join a global pop group created by the man behind American Idol. XIX Entertainment, the company that runs the global pop group Now United made up of a rolling international membership, announced on Thursday that its newest addition was Hongkonger Ariel Tsang. Tsang said in a media showcase that the opportunity had come at a “perfect time”. “I was in a...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong fund, Beijing academy team up to hunt for AI global talent

Hong Kong’s government-owned wealth fund has partnered with one of China’s leading artificial intelligence agencies to attract global talent to the city, as it strengthens its commitment to transform into a technology hub. As part of the inaugural AI Global Talents Connect initiative, the Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC) would collaborate with the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence (BAAI) to establish an “international hub for AI talent”, the two organisations said on Tuesday. The...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong fund, Beijing academy team up to hunt for global AI talent

Hong Kong’s government-owned wealth fund has partnered with one of China’s leading artificial intelligence agencies to attract global talent to the city, as it strengthens its commitment to transform into a technology hub. As part of the inaugural AI Global Talents Connect initiative, the Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC) would collaborate with the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence (BAAI) to establish an “international hub for AI talent”, the two organisations said on Tuesday. The...

Politics

2 w. ago CY Leung urges Hong Kong talent scheme transparency amid estimated 60,000 renewals

Former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying has urged the government to disclose data regarding its talent policy to address public concerns over the short- and long-term impact on the city’s capacity, warning the number of professionals opting to renew their visas could be as high as 60,000. A think tank also said on Monday, following Leung’s appeal a day before, that authorities should review the talent schemes and ensure they align with long-term local workforce demands. Leung said it was natural...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong banks face AI and green finance talent shortage by 2030, study shows

Hong Kong lenders were expected to face a talent shortage in AI, green finance and expertise related to the Middle East and Asean markets over the next five years, according to a study led by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). “We want to see local banks provide more training for their staff to upgrade their knowledge and skills to plug the talent shortage gap, instead of using higher pay to fight for talent from other banks,” Arthur Yuen Kwok-hang, deputy chief executive of the HKMA, said...

Economics

2 w. ago Hong Kong banks to run out of AI, green finance talent by 2030, study shows

Hong Kong lenders were expected to face a talent shortage in artificial intelligence (AI), green finance and expertise related to the Middle East and Asean markets over the next five years, according to a study led by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). “We want to see local banks provide more training for their staff to upgrade their knowledge and skills to plug the talent shortage gap, instead of using higher pay to fight for talent from other banks,” Arthur Yuen Kwok-hang, deputy chief...

Economics

3 w. ago Hong Kong top talent scheme’s 54% visa extension rate ‘ideal’, labour chief says

More than half of the professionals admitted to Hong Kong under a top talent scheme launched two years ago have applied to extend their stay, a rate that the city’s labour chief has hailed as “ideal”. Reviewing the Top Talent Pass Scheme, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han also revealed on Friday that the median monthly salary of those who had successfully extended their visas was HK$40,000 (US$5,128), while a quarter earned HK$80,000. Sun also dismissed concerns that the new...

Events

4 w. ago Talent helping to stabilise Hong Kong’s residential property market: minister

New arrivals to Hong Kong under its various talent schemes have helped stabilise the residential property market by filling in vacancies despite decreased local demand linked to the city’s ageing population, the labour minister has said. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han also said on Friday that the visa renewal situation for the Top Talent Pass Scheme had been “ideal”, adding that authorities would release the relevant statistics in the next two weeks. Sun noted that it was...

Politics