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3.1 Attracting and retaining
top mainland talents to 60%
support Hong Kong’s
development of mainland respondents

The study found that approximately 60% who entered Hong Kong
of mainland respondents in Hong Kong with an employment visa
with an employment visa did not intend did not intend to stay
to stay more than five years, indicating a more than ve years
need for the Hong Kong SAR Government
(the Government) to review talent attraction
and retention policies.

Reviewing immigration policies
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Mainland talents may enter Hong Kong for employment via four admission schemes. However,
Legislative Council documents revealed that these schemes are not as effective as expected.
The Immigration Department’s Advisory Committee on Admission of Quality Migrants and
Professionals is responsible for the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme’s applicant selection
process, but the non-permanent establishment only meets quarterly. Applications can take
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more than six months to process, which is considerably longer than similar programmes
in Australia and the United Kingdom. Hong Kong’s Technology Talent Admission Scheme
(TechTAS) has a shorter processing time, but remains unattractive and fails to incentivise local
employers, due to stringent restrictions on applicants’ educational qualifications, occupation,
and additional requirements on new recruitment of local employees. In the past three years,
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there were roughly 250 applications under the TechTAS, which was less than 1% of the
Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals’ intake. The Government needs to
review the criteria, quotas, point test mechanisms, and approval processes to draw talents to
Hong Kong within shorter time periods.

Improving talents’ living conditions
Over 60% of mainland respondents who plan to leave Hong Kong cited poor living conditions
as their primary push factor. Some mainland cities, including Shenzhen and Hangzhou,
provided housing benefits for talents in different sectors, but Hong Kong does not have
similar policies. Hong Kong Science Park’s InnoCell project is the only talent housing scheme
available; however, its 500 rental units are reserved for existing and prospective partner
companies. The Government should extend the scope of housing projects and offer below-
market rents for talents in key industries to improve their living conditions.

Helping mainland talents integrate into the local community
Among mainland respondents working in Hong Kong, 61% felt that they have little-to-no
interactions with the local community, reflecting a low level of social integration. Meanwhile,
courses for new arrivals are mainly provided under the Employees Retraining Board,
consisting of skills and language courses targeting the unemployed and underemployed.
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The Government should consider organising free cultural exchange activities for new arrivals
to blend into the local community.

9. Including Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, Quality Migrant Admission Scheme,
Technology Talent Admission Scheme, and Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates.
10. Source: Legislative Council
11. From January 2019 to July 2021
12. Source: Employees Retraining Board 3