{
  "id": 4073982,
  "title": "Visa policy brings in more foreigners on short-term jobs and HK$20,000 salaries",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/29/visa-policy-brings-in-more-foreigners-on-short-term-jobs-and-hk-20-4073982",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-29T01:00:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3365664/visa-policy-brings-more-foreigners-short-term-jobs-and-hk20000-salaries"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the latest Immigration Department statistics, about 80% of the 31,278 working visas granted to foreigners under Hong Kong's General Employment Policy last year were for short-term contracts. Nearly half of the successful applicants earned less than HK$20,000, or approximately US$2,564, per month. The number of approved GEP visas has been steadily increasing, reaching a peak of 4,517 in the first half of the year, with 68.6% of those positions being short-term. The creative industry and performing arts services category, introduced in April 2024, saw 2,340 applications approved, many of which were for short-term work related to mega-events. These events attracted over 1.75 million visitors, generating an estimated HK$5.8 billion in spending and contributing HK$3.3 billion to the economy. South Korea accounted for the largest proportion of approved GEP applicants, with nearly 5,500 visas issued annually in 2024 and 2025, a 85% increase from 2019. Many of these applicants sought employment in sports and entertainment industries, often bringing their managers and entourages.",
  "summary": "About 80 per cent of the foreign nationals granted working visas under Hong Kong’s General Employment Policy (GEP) last year were hired on short-term contracts, while nearly half of successful applicants earned less than HK$20,000 (US$2,564) a month. According to the latest Immigration Department data, 31,278 GEP working visas for foreigners were approved last year. Mainland Chinese residents…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post - Hong Kong",
        "title": "Visa policy brings in more foreigners on short-term jobs and HK$20,000 salaries",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/29/visa-policy-brings-in-more-foreigners-on-short-term-jobs-and-hk-20",
        "published": "2026-08-29T01:00:11.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}