Govt expands talent, invited guest visa-free schemes

The Hong Kong government has announced the expansion of two immigration facilitation schemes aimed at attracting more non-local talent to the city for short-term activities without the need for work visas. The updates, set to take effect on October 1, include the addition of the social welfare sector to the eligible activities, bringing the total to 18 designated sectors.

Additionally, the scheme's coverage has been expanded to include Central Asia and the Middle East, with new countries like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates now eligible for the Invited Persons Scheme. This expansion is expected to benefit over 56,000 non-local talent who have already participated in more than 9,500 short-term activities, including events such as the Asian Financial Forum, the Hong Kong Sevens, and the Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo.

The government has also streamlined the invitation process, allowing all government bureaus and departments to issue invitations previously limited to five bureaus. Participants will now receive one-stop processing through an electronic platform, with relaxed criteria for self-service immigration clearance and simplified information requirements for visa applications.

Brief written by urgent.news from RTHK News's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.