Direct Answer
Applicants under TTPS Category B and Category C are not required to have secured employment with a Hong Kong employer at the time of application. This is the fundamental difference from the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP, commonly known as the “talent” scheme). Once approved, the holder may freely seek employment, take up employment and change employers in Hong Kong. During the first 24 months of stay, no employer sponsorship is required, nor is it necessary to report an employer change to the Immigration Department. However, at the time of visa renewal, the holder must demonstrate that they are employed in Hong Kong or have established a business. Approval merely grants status — it does not mean a job has been found. Job-seeking still depends on one’s abilities matching the Hong Kong employment market.
Scope of Data
The description in this article of the work rights after TTPS approval is based on the current institutional rules published by the Hong Kong Immigration Department. Not requiring prior employment before coming to Hong Kong is an institutional design for Category B and Category C, and does not mean that everyone will be approved. The employment requirement for renewal is determined by the market salary level and the nature of the position at the time of the Immigration Department’s assessment, and there is no fixed salary figure. The initial stay period of 24 months is counted from the date the Immigration Department issues the visa label, and is unrelated to the date of entry.
Application Stage: No Prior Employment Required Is an Institutional Design
Under the TTPS, Category B and Category C are explicitly not conditioned on having existing employment or a job offer as an application requirement, by institutional design. The official position of the Immigration Department is that an applicant need not have found employment in Hong Kong at the time of application.
This stands in sharp contrast to the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP): the talent scheme requires the applicant to have secured employment with a Hong Kong employer before application, and the employer submits the application to the Immigration Department, with the work visa tied to the employer. The TTPS, by contrast, leaves the freedom of job choice entirely to the holder, and the Immigration Department does not impose prior approval on the industry, position or salary of the employment taken up after arriving in Hong Kong.
Therefore, eligible university graduates need not mass-apply for Hong Kong positions in advance, hesitate to resign from their mainland job, or wait for an offer before applying. One may enter Hong Kong only after approval and look for an employer in Hong Kong that matches one’s qualifications.
Freedom to Seek Employment and Change Employers Within the 24 Months After Approval
Both TTPS Category B and Category C have an initial stay period of 24 months. Within these 24 months, the work rights of the holder include:
First, freedom to seek employment. The holder may, in their personal capacity, look on the Hong Kong labour market for employment opportunities in any industry and any position. There is no hard rule requiring a job to be found within a certain number of days after approval.
Second, freedom of employment. The holder may directly enter into an employment contract with any Hong Kong employer and commence work, without requiring the Immigration Department to vet the employer’s qualifications or the employment terms.
Third, freedom to change employers. Changing jobs does not require notification to the Immigration Department, and avoids the predicament under the talent scheme where changing jobs requires re-approval. This is especially important for the holder’s career choice and professional development during the probation period: one may start with one job, accumulate local Hong Kong experience, and then move to other opportunities.
Fourth, self-employment and entrepreneurship. The holder may register a company in Hong Kong, engage in self-employed business or freelance work, and is not restricted by a clause requiring employment.
Employment Requirements at Renewal and Job-Seeking Strategy
After the 24-month initial stay period expires, renewal is no longer automatic. When reviewing a renewal, the Immigration Department will require the holder to prove that they are employed in Hong Kong or have commenced business in Hong Kong. Specifically:
Renewal by employment requires submission of an employment contract, proof of position and salary records. The Immigration Department will assess whether the position is one normally held by a degree holder and whether the remuneration and benefits reach market level. This means simple manual labour or a salary far below industry standards may lead to difficulty in renewal.
Renewal by entrepreneurship requires submission of company registration documents, proof of business operation and financial records. The Immigration Department will assess the substance and sustainability of the business.
From a job-seeking strategy perspective, TTPS holders should arrange employment or business within the first 18 to 20 months after approval, leaving sufficient salary records and supporting documents for renewal. It is not advisable to start job-seeking only in the final three months.
Comparison of Job-Seeking Rights with the Talent Scheme and the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme
Unlike the TTPS, where one may freely seek employment after approval, a holder under the talent scheme has a work permit tied to the employer. Changing employers requires re-approval by the Immigration Department, and the review period may affect visa continuity.
Holders under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) may likewise freely seek employment and change employers in Hong Kong, but QMAS typically has a longer review period than the TTPS, and adopts a points-based system rather than using a university list as the entry threshold. Those who have entered through the TTPS may not simultaneously hold a QMAS visa, but may switch channels through the QMAS conversion mechanism once they meet the conditions.
Approval Does Not Mean Having a Job: Reasonable Expectations for Job-Seeking
Approval of a visa by the Immigration Department represents only residence status, not a job arrangement or income security. The holder must still find an employer in the Hong Kong employment market on their own.
The Hong Kong employment market is fairly receptive to eligible university graduates, but employers typically examine local experience, language ability (a combination of Cantonese, English and Putonghua) and industry-specific qualifications. Holders should prepare for several months of job-seeking, including preparing CVs in English and traditional Chinese, understanding the licensing requirements of the target industry, and living expenses.
The Fundamental Difference in Job-Seeking Freedom Between the TTPS and the Talent Scheme
The logic of the talent scheme is to find an employer first, who then applies for a visa on your behalf, with the visa tied to the employer. Once you leave the job, the visa lapses. The TTPS is the reverse: you are first approved for residence in your personal capacity, and then choose an employer in the market. This difference has a fundamental impact on career planning.
For young professionals just starting out, the TTPS model offers more room for trial and error. One may first accept a job that is not entirely satisfactory, gain local experience and salary records, and then move towards a more ideal direction before the renewal window arrives. Under the talent scheme, changing jobs requires re-approval, and some employers may therefore be hesitant about hiring talent-scheme holders.
Industry Entry and Licensing Requirements
The real restriction faced by TTPS holders when seeking jobs in Hong Kong is not immigration policy but the entry requirements of the industries themselves. Frontline sales positions in the financial sector require passing the qualification examination of the Hong Kong Securities and Investment Institute. The legal profession requires passing the Overseas Lawyers Qualification Examination or completing the Postgraduate Certificate in Laws. The education sector requires applying to the Education Bureau for registered teacher status. The medical and healthcare sector requires registration with the relevant regulatory authority.
The Immigration Department does not restrict industries, but these professional licences form a practical career barrier. Applicants planning to come to Hong Kong to work in a regulated industry are advised to check the registration and examination arrangements of the target industry before departure, and not to leave licensing issues to be discovered only after arriving in Hong Kong.
Tax Residency and Social Security
If a TTPS holder resides in Hong Kong for more than 180 days within a year of assessment, or stays in Hong Kong for more than 60 days within a tax year, they will normally be regarded as a Hong Kong tax resident. Hong Kong adopts a territorial source principle of taxation and salaries tax rates are relatively low; an individual employed in Hong Kong is generally only taxed on income arising in Hong Kong, and offshore income is normally not subject to salaries tax.
Holders may apply for a Hong Kong identity card, may join the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) Scheme, and may use public medical services in accordance with the rules. Regarding children’s education, the holder’s children may attend local schools according to their immigration status. These social security benefits do not differ between Category B and Category C.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Soon After Approval Must One Start Working
The Immigration Department has not prescribed a timetable by which work must start after approval. The holder may arrange the pace of job-seeking during the 24-month stay period, but given that renewal requires employment or business records, it is advisable to settle this as early as possible.
May One Work or Reside Outside Hong Kong After Approval
Holders may work outside Hong Kong, but at renewal they must still prove they are employed in Hong Kong or have established a business. Frequent or prolonged departures from Hong Kong may interrupt the continuity of residence and affect the seven-year calculation for future applications for permanent residency.
Does Switching from the Talent Scheme to the TTPS Require Resigning First
No. If a person holding a talent-scheme visa also meets the TTPS criteria, they may directly submit a TTPS application. Once approved, the new stay period takes effect and the old visa automatically lapses.
May a TTPS Holder Work in Any Industry
Yes. The holder is subject to no industry or position restriction. However, at renewal, the Immigration Department will review whether the position is normally held by a degree holder and whether the salary reaches market level, which constitutes an indirect constraint on career choice.
Can a Holder Still Renew If They Work in Another Country
If the holder works mainly in another country and cannot prove employment or business in Hong Kong, the renewal will not be approved. The core review point for TTPS renewal is the holder’s substantial connection with Hong Kong.
Sources
- Official webpage of the Top Talent Pass Scheme, Hong Kong Immigration Department
- Explanation of the assessment mechanism of the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, Hong Kong Immigration Department
- Explanation of the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, Hong Kong Immigration Department
The information in this article is current as of 17 July 2026. The renewal review criteria and application requirements of the TTPS may be adjusted due to updates in Immigration Department announcements. Before making a formal application, you should visit the Hong Kong Immigration Department website to verify the latest rules. This page provides a compilation of policy information and does not constitute a commitment to the approval or renewal of any individual case.
Further Reading
- How to Choose Between TTPS Category B and Category C: Eligible Universities, Work Experience and the Five-Year-Since-Graduation Rule
- How the University Lists Differ Between QMAS and TTPS: MBA Top 10 Expanded Items and the Composite Assessment
- Can a Degree from an Overseas Branch Campus Qualify for TTPS: Parent-Institution Ranking, Awarding Institution and Types of Institution Not Accepted