The short answer in one line

Hong Kong’s Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) has three categories: Category A requires an annual salary of HK$2.5 million or above with no degree requirement, Category B requires HK$2 million plus a top 100 university, and Category C requires HK$1.5 million plus a top 50 university. The 2025 quota is 35,000. Its entry criteria are more straightforward than the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) (80 points under the General Points Test (GPT)), but the salary bar is higher. The initial visa runs for 24 months, and an extension requires work or business activity in Hong Kong.

1. Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) policy overview

1.1 Policy background and quota

  • November 2022: the Chief Executive of Hong Kong announced the launch of the “Top Talent Pass” arrangement
  • January 2023: applications formally opened (quota of 4,000 a year)
  • April 2024: quota expanded to 20,000
  • January 2025: quota expanded to 35,000 (current)
  • 2026 (expected): high quota maintained (estimated 30,000-35,000)

Core positioning: competing for the world’s best-paid talent at the top of their field (senior-level in AI / finance / medical / technology), with a far higher salary threshold than QMAS.

1.2 Overview and comparison of the three categories

  • Salary threshold: HK$2.5 million+ · HK$2 million+ · HK$1.5 million+
  • Academic requirement: none (any qualification) · QS/THE/ARWU top 100 · QS/THE/ARWU top 50
  • Accepted sources of annual salary: offer from a local employer / self-employment · same as A · same as A
  • Length of initial visa: 24 months · 24 months · 24 months
  • Extension requirements: working or running a business in Hong Kong · working or running a business in Hong Kong · working or running a business in Hong Kong
  • Permanent residency clock starts: from the date the visa takes effect · from the date the visa takes effect · from the date the visa takes effect
  • Difficulty: relatively easy (no academic hurdle) · moderate (dual threshold of qualifications and salary) · moderately hard (top 50 degrees are scarce)
  • Share of 2026 applicants: ~45% · ~40% · ~15%

Key differences:

  • Category A is the only high-salary Hong Kong work visa with no academic threshold
  • Categories B and C both require a top university, but Category B has a lower salary requirement (HK$2 million vs HK$2.5 million)
  • All three categories grant the same 24-month initial visa (unlike QMAS’s 2+3 extension pattern)

2. Category A in detail (salary HK$2.5 million+, no academic restriction)

2.1 Eligibility

Must meet all of the following:

  1. Annual salary of HK$2.5 million or above (fixed basic annual salary plus confirmed annual bonus, excluding share options)
  2. Employed full-time by a Hong Kong company or self-employed through a registered company (self-employment must be a Hong Kong registered limited company or a sole proprietorship)
  3. Work experience in the current or a similar role over the past 12 months (this applies if you are transferring into Category A)
  4. Principal business activities in Hong Kong (the employer or self-employed company must have substantive operations in Hong Kong)

Not required: degree certificate, professional qualifications, language certificates

2.2 What counts towards the annual salary

Fixed portion: basic monthly salary × 12 + confirmed annual bonus

Not accepted:

  • Options / RSU share appreciation rights
  • Uncertain annual profit distributions
  • Reimbursements and allowances (travel, mobile phone expenses)
  • Future promised pay (“salary after promotion”)

Examples of how it is assessed:

  • Monthly salary HK$180,000 × 12 + annual double pay = HK$2.4 million: ✓ accepted
  • Monthly salary HK$150,000 × 12 + fixed annual bonus of HK$1.5 million = HK$3.3 million: ✓ accepted
  • Monthly salary HK$150,000 × 12 + share options worth HK$1 million: ❌ not accepted (options excluded)
  • Annual salary HK$2.5 million + signing bonus HK$500,000: ⚠️ may be partly accepted, subject to the Immigration Department’s assessment

2.3 Category A application documents

  • Employer letter: on company letterhead, stating annual salary, position and the contract start date (English or Chinese)
  • Employment contract: key pages (salary, position, term)
  • Salaries tax demand: past 12 months / or an offer letter (for a new joiner)
  • Company registration details: Companies Registry search result (copy or online screenshot)
  • ID card / passport: valid pages
  • Proof of funds: bank deposit certificate for HK$250,000
  • Passport copy: main page + current visa page

Additional documents for self-employed applicants:

  • Hong Kong company business registration + most recent annual audit report (if available)
  • Bank account statements for the last 12 months (evidence of business activity)
  • Several project contracts (explaining the source of business)

2.4 Typical Category A applicants

Case 1: executive of a multinational company based in Hong Kong

  • Current role: Hong Kong general manager of a global technology company, annual salary HK$3.8 million (including annual bonus)
  • Place of work: Kowloon, Hong Kong
  • Education: undergraduate degree from the United States
  • Category A assessment: salary ✓, place of work ✓, employer credentials ✓ → approved (usually 3-4 weeks)

Case 2: founder in an emerging industry (self-employed)

  • Business: AI consultancy, registered in Hong Kong, annual revenue HK$8 million, taking HK$2.8 million for himself in distributions and pay
  • Operations: main clients are Hong Kong companies and Singapore-based foreign investors (business activity in Hong Kong)
  • Education: undergraduate degree from a mainland 985 university
  • Category A assessment: salary can be evidenced ✓, self-employed company compliant ✓ → approved (4-5 weeks)

3. Category B in detail (salary HK$2 million+, top 100 universities)

3.1 Eligibility

Must meet all of the following:

  1. Annual salary of HK$2 million or above
  2. Graduated from a university ranked in the top 100 of any one of the QS/THE/ARWU rankings (degree at bachelor’s level or above)
  3. Relevant industry work experience over the past 12 months

3.2 Top 100 university list (2026 QS rankings)

Asia (selected):

  • Singapore: National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) (each ranked 1-5)
  • Hong Kong: the University of Hong Kong (HKU), the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), HKUST (each ranked 3-15)
  • Mainland: Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, Jiao Tong University, Zhejiang University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (each ranked 10-50)
  • Japan: the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University (each ranked 40-50)
  • South Korea: Seoul National University, KAIST (each ranked 30-50)

Europe and the United States (selected):

  • United Kingdom: Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, UCL, Imperial College, Manchester, Edinburgh (1-30)
  • United States: Harvard, MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley, New York University (1-20)
  • Europe: ETH Zurich, the University of Amsterdam (15-50)

For the full list, see: QS World University Rankings 2026 (official website)

3.3 Category B application cases

Case 1: MBA graduate from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

  • Education: MBA from Nanyang Technological University (QS 2026 ranking: 5)
  • Current role: managing director at an investment fund in Hong Kong, annual salary HK$2.5 million
  • Experience: 5 years in Hong Kong PE / VC
  • Category B assessment: qualifications ✓ (top 100), salary ✓ (HK$2 million+), work experience ✓ → approved (3-4 weeks)

Case 2: overseas high-flyer with a bachelor’s degree

  • Education: bachelor’s degree in engineering from Stanford University in the United States (QS 2026 ranking: 2)
  • Current role: technical lead at ByteDance’s Hong Kong research institute, annual salary HK$2.1 million
  • Experience: 3 years at a mainland technology company + 1 year in Hong Kong
  • Category B assessment: qualifications ✓, salary ✓, work experience ✓ → approved (3-4 weeks)

4. Category C in detail (salary HK$1.5 million+, top 50 universities)

4.1 Eligibility

Must meet all of the following:

  1. Annual salary of HK$1.5 million or above
  2. Graduated from a university ranked in the top 50 of any one of the QS/THE/ARWU rankings
  3. Relevant industry work experience over the past 12 months

4.2 Top 50 university list (selected, 2026 QS)

Asia’s elite:

  • Singapore: NUS (1), NTU (5)
  • Hong Kong: HKU (3), CUHK (5), HKUST (8)
  • Mainland: Tsinghua (10), Peking University (14), Fudan (34), Shanghai Jiao Tong (36), Zhejiang University (42)
  • Japan: the University of Tokyo (23), Kyoto University (30)

Europe’s and the United States’ elite:

  • United Kingdom: Cambridge (2), Oxford (3), LSE (37), UCL (9), Imperial College (10), Manchester (27), Edinburgh (23)
  • United States: Harvard (1), MIT (2), Stanford (3), UC Berkeley (10), New York University (39)
  • Europe: ETH Zurich (8), University of Amsterdam (41)

Key point: 211 universities in central and southern China generally do not make the QS top 50 (for example Wuhan University, Sun Yat-sen University and Xiamen University) — check the specific ranking.

5. Comparing Categories A, B and C and choosing between them

  • Salary ≥ HK$2.5 million, bachelor’s degree: Category A · no academic assessment, fastest approval
  • Salary HK$2-2.5 million, top 100 university: Category B · relatively low salary threshold, qualifications make up the difference
  • Salary HK$1.5-2 million, top 50 university: Category C · the only viable route
  • Salary below HK$1.5 million or no top 50 degree: ❌ not eligible for TTPS, consider QMAS / GEP · —

6. Top Talent Pass Scheme vs QMAS vs IANG vs General Employment Policy

  • Salary threshold: HK$1.5-2.5 million+ · none (points-based) · none · none
  • Academic requirement: none for Category A, top 100/50 for Categories B and C · bachelor’s degree+ with points · non-local graduate · none
  • Difficulty: moderate (salary-driven) · moderate (points system) · low (graduate and apply) · moderate (the employer is the hard part)
  • Initial visa processing time: 3-5 weeks · 4-6 weeks · 4-6 weeks · 3-8 weeks
  • Quota: 35,000 / year · 4,000 / year · no quota limit · no quota limit
  • Extension requirements: working or running a business in Hong Kong · settlement + economic activity · continuous employment · employer continues sponsorship
  • 7-year permanent residency clock: from the date the visa takes effect · from the date the visa takes effect · includes the study period · from the date the visa takes effect
  • Fastest route: ✓ if the salary meets the threshold · — · ✓ if you have just graduated · —

7. Extension rules and performance requirements

7.1 Extension cycle after the initial visa

  • Initial visa: 24 months
  • Extension: also 24 months (unlike QMAS’s 2+3 extension pattern)
  • Number of extensions: theoretically unlimited, as long as the Hong Kong work / business condition continues to be met

7.2 Extension performance requirements

At least one of the following must be met:

  1. Continuing employment in Hong Kong:

    • An employer letter at the time of the extension application (stating current position and salary)
    • Salaries tax demand for the past 12 months + Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) records
    • The salary may fall below the threshold at the time of application (TTPS extensions do not re-check a salary threshold; only “working in Hong Kong” is required)

  2. Running a business / self-employed in Hong Kong:

    • Company registration certificate + most recent annual audit report
    • Bank statements for the past 12 months (evidence of business activity)
    • Tax filing IR56G

  3. Homemaker / not working but residing in Hong Kong:

    • ⚠️ not permitted under TTPS — you must be working or running a business, otherwise the extension is refused
    • (Unlike QMAS, which may allow proof of “settlement” plus savings in place of a work requirement)

7.3 Extension documents

  • Form ID 990: extension application form
  • Employer letter: proof of current salary
  • Salaries tax demand: IR56B for the past 12 months
  • MPF statement: 12 monthly statements
  • ID card / passport: valid pages
  • Proof of residence: tenancy agreement / public housing / property certificate

8. Common pitfalls

Pitfall 1: counting share options as annual salary

The mistake: an offer from a technology company: monthly salary HK$150,000 + annual share options worth HK$1 million = an annual salary of HK$2.8 million, used to apply for Category A

The correct approach: options are not counted; only the monthly salary of HK$1.8 million counts, which is below the HK$2.5 million line → not eligible for Category A → apply instead for Category B/C (if you hold a top university degree)

Pitfall 2: no complete tax demand for a newly started salary

The situation: starting work in Hong Kong in February 2026 on an annual salary of HK$2.6 million, then applying for TTPS Category A immediately in May

The problem: no Hong Kong salaries tax demand yet (the 2026 tax demand can only be obtained in 2027)

Solutions:

  • Use an offer letter + employer letter + historical salaries tax demands from the previous employer in Singapore / the mainland as supplementary evidence
  • Or postpone the application to May 2027 (using the complete 2026 salaries tax demand)

Pitfall 3: high revenue in the early stage of a start-up but insufficient distributions

The situation: a start-up with annual revenue of HK$15 million, but the founder takes only HK$1 million in distributions (most of the profit is reinvested)

When applying for Category A: the salary can only be counted as the actual distribution of HK$1 million → far below the HK$2.5 million line → refused

Fixes:

  • Adjust the pay structure after the current funding round (raise the monthly salary or annual bonus to HK$2.5 million+)
  • Reapply (you will need a new salaries tax demand or employer letter as confirmation)

Pitfall 4: confusion over which version of the top 100/50 ranking is accepted

Common misunderstandings:

  • “I graduated from Sun Yat-sen University, which is top 5 in China” — but its QS world ranking is 60, so it does not meet Category B’s top 100 or Category C’s top 50
  • “I graduated from a US state university, which is top 30 in the United States” — but it does not enter the QS top 500, so it does not qualify at all

How to verify properly:

  • Check the exact 2026 ranking on the QS Rankings official website before applying
  • Also check THE and ARWU, and take the best of the rankings (“top 100/50 in any one ranking”)
  • Mainland 211 universities rarely make the QS top 50 (Tsinghua, Peking University, Fudan, Shanghai Jiao Tong and Zhejiang University can; most other 211 universities sit between 50 and 150), so consider using the THE or ARWU ranking as an alternative check

9. Application process and timeline

  • Document preparation: 1-3 weeks · gather employer letter, tax demand, degree certificate, proof of funds
  • Online application: 1 day · complete Form ID 990 and upload scanned documents to e-Visa
  • Initial assessment: 1-2 weeks · the Immigration Department checks that the documents are complete
  • Background checks: 1-2 weeks · they may contact the employer / company directly to verify
  • Final assessment: 1 week · approval letter issued

Total: 3-6 weeks (usually 4-5 weeks, much faster than QMAS)

10. The best time to apply for Categories A, B and C

  • Already working in Hong Kong on a salary of HK$2.5 million or more: apply for Category A immediately, usually approved within 4 weeks
  • Salary HK$2-2.5 million + top 100 degree: apply for Category B, the fast track
  • Salary HK$1.5-2 million + top 50 degree: apply for Category C, the only compliant route
  • Salary below HK$1.5 million, no top 100 degree: consider QMAS (General Points Test) or IANG (if you have just graduated)

Sources

Last checked: 2026-04-27

Risk disclosure: This article is a summary of policy and a sharing of information; it does not constitute legal or immigration agency advice. Any application is subject to the latest announcements of the Hong Kong Immigration Department.