Last updated: 18 September 2026.
Short answer: if your candidate already holds a Top Talent Pass, QMAS visa, IANG visa or ASSG visa, you do not sponsor anything — they already have open work rights. If they are overseas, from Taiwan or Macao, you sponsor under the General Employment Policy. If they are from the Mainland, you sponsor under the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals. Everything else is a variation on those two facts.
The decision in one table
| Scheme | Who it is for | Do you sponsor? |
|---|---|---|
| TTPS — Top Talent Pass Scheme | High earners and graduates of eligible universities | No — open work rights |
| GEP — General Employment Policy (Professionals) | Overseas, Taiwan and Macao professionals | Yes — employer sponsorship required |
| GEP — Entrepreneurs | Overseas, Taiwan and Macao founders starting or joining a business | No job offer needed |
| ASMTP — Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals | Mainland Chinese professionals | Yes — employer sponsorship required |
| QMAS — Quality Migrant Admission Scheme | Highly skilled individuals, points-based | No — self-sponsored |
| TechTAS — Technology Talent Admission Scheme | Non-local tech talent in R&D roles | Yes — employer sponsorship required |
| IANG — Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates | Non-local graduates of Hong Kong universities | No job offer needed initially |
| ASSG — Second Generation of Chinese HKPRs | Overseas-born children of Hong Kong permanent residents | No job offer needed |
Source: Immigration Department, admission schemes for talents, professionals and entrepreneurs. All eight schemes are currently open.
Start with the right question
Most employers ask “which visa do I apply for?” The better first question is “does this candidate already have the right to work?” A large share of the CVs reaching Hong Kong employers now belong to people admitted under TTPS, QMAS, IANG or ASSG, all of whom can start without any application from you. Screening for that at CV stage, rather than at offer stage, routinely saves four to eight weeks.
Ask it as a factual question about the condition of stay on their visa, not as a question about nationality.
If you do need to sponsor
Sponsorship under the GEP or ASMTP broadly requires that the job is genuinely available, that the candidate has the qualifications or experience relevant to it, that the role cannot readily be filled locally, and that pay and conditions are broadly in line with the local market. In practice three things determine whether it goes smoothly:
- A job description that matches the CV. Vague descriptions invite follow-up questions and delay.
- Market-rate pay, documented. Underpaying an imported professional is the most common reason for a challenge.
- A real local recruitment story. Being able to show what you did to fill the role locally, and why it did not work, is the substance of the application.
Build the lead time into your hiring plan. A sponsored hire is not a four-week process.
The graduate route employers overlook
IANG covers non-local graduates of Hong Kong universities and does not require a job offer initially, which makes it the cheapest and fastest route to junior international talent in Hong Kong. Employers who default to sponsorship for graduate roles are usually solving a problem they do not have.
How this fits your wider hiring plan
Work rights are one input into a hire, not the whole picture. The cost stack — MPF, statutory holidays, annual leave and the post-2025 severance exposure — applies identically whether the person needed sponsorship or not. See our guide to hiring staff in Hong Kong and our MPF cost guide. If the candidate holds a Top Talent Pass specifically, our TTPS employer guide goes deeper.
Frequently asked questions
Which Hong Kong visa scheme requires employer sponsorship?
The General Employment Policy (Professionals), the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, and the Technology Talent Admission Scheme all require an employer sponsor. TTPS, QMAS, IANG and ASSG do not.
Can I hire someone on a QMAS visa without sponsoring them?
Yes. QMAS is a points-based, self-sponsored scheme, so the holder does not need an employer sponsor to work.
What is the difference between GEP and ASMTP?
They are broadly parallel employer-sponsored routes. GEP covers overseas, Taiwan and Macao professionals; ASMTP covers Mainland Chinese professionals.
Do I need to prove I could not hire locally?
For the employer-sponsored professional routes, being able to show the role cannot readily be filled locally is part of the case. Keep records of your local recruitment effort.
Is QMAS suspended?
No. The Quality Migrant Admission Scheme is listed among the current admission schemes by the Immigration Department.
Get the work-rights check done before you interview
FuturRecruit is a licensed Hong Kong employment agency (Employment Agency Licence 83821). Right-to-work status is part of our standard pre-screening, so you find out at CV stage rather than at offer stage. Talk to our Hong Kong team.
General information, not immigration advice. Confirm current requirements with the Immigration Department.
Related guides
- Hiring a Top Talent Pass Holder — why TTPS holders need no sponsorship
- How to Hire Staff in Hong Kong — the full process and cost of a Hong Kong hire
- MPF for Employers in Hong Kong — contribution rates and the end of offsetting
- How to Register a Company in Hong Kong — incorporation step by step
