If you want to hire a foreign professional in Hong Kong, the employment visa process runs through you — the employer. Unlike some jurisdictions where the employee handles their own immigration, Hong Kong's General Employment Policy (GEP) is an employer-sponsored model. Your company must apply jointly with the candidate, provide corporate documentation, and make the case to the Immigration Department that the hire is genuine, the salary is market-rate, and the role cannot be readily filled by someone already in Hong Kong.
This guide covers everything a Hong Kong SME needs to know about sponsoring a work visa in 2026 — from eligibility and document preparation through to what happens after approval.
Employment Visa Eligibility
The main route for hiring foreign professionals in Hong Kong is the General Employment Policy (GEP), administered by the Hong Kong Immigration Department (IMMD). For hiring Mainland China nationals specifically, the equivalent route is the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP) — the eligibility criteria are essentially the same, but the process differs at the point of approval.
The GEP applies to all nationalities except Afghan, Cuban, and North Korean nationals, who are not eligible. There is no quota and no sector restriction — the GEP is open to any industry.
For an application to be approved, four conditions must all be satisfied:
Condition 1 — The employer is a legitimate, active Hong Kong business:
The sponsoring company must be a legally registered Hong Kong entity with a real business presence and ongoing operations. Shell companies, dormant companies, or SPVs with no substantive activity are regularly rejected. The Immigration Department will verify your Business Registration Certificate, annual return filings, and evidence of actual business activities.
Condition 2 — The job offer is genuine and full-time:
The role must be a real, full-time position that fits your company's actual business activities. It must be set out in a signed employment contract specifying job title, duties, salary, benefits, and start date. A vague or generic job description is one of the most common reasons for rejection or for the IMMD to request additional information.
Condition 3 — The candidate has skills or experience not readily available locally:
This is the substantive test — and the one that requires the most attention in your sponsorship letter. The Immigration Department must be satisfied that the foreign hire brings qualifications, experience, language abilities, or expertise that cannot be reasonably sourced from the local workforce. This does not mean you must prove you advertised locally and failed — but you must make a clear, specific case for why this particular candidate is the right person for this particular role.
Roles that appear on the Hong Kong Talent List (60 professions across 9 industry segments, updated in 2025) receive more favourable consideration. If your candidate's role is on the Talent List, the IMMD is less likely to scrutinise the local availability test as heavily.
Condition 4 — The remuneration is commensurate with the market rate:
There is no fixed minimum salary for GEP applications. However, the total package — base salary, housing allowance, bonuses, and other benefits — must be broadly in line with the prevailing market rate for equivalent roles in Hong Kong. The IMMD cross-references offered packages against compensation surveys and Census and Statistics Department data. Packages that appear unusually low relative to the role and the candidate's seniority are flagged.
One facilitation shortcut: if the candidate's assessable income for salaries tax was HKD 2,000,000 or more in the previous year of assessment (confirmed by a Notice of Assessment from the IRD), the IMMD does not require the employer to demonstrate that the role cannot be filled locally. This significantly simplifies the application for senior hires.
Who cannot be sponsored under GEP:
- Chinese nationals residing in Mainland China must apply under ASMTP instead
- Nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba, and North Korea
- Candidates who do not hold a degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience
Required Documents from Employer and Employee
A GEP application is a joint submission — both the employer and the employee complete and sign parts of the application form (Form ID 990A for the employee; supporting corporate documents from the employer). Incomplete documentation is the primary reason applications are delayed or returned by the IMMD.
Documents required from the employer:
- Business Registration Certificate (current and valid)
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Latest Annual Return (Form NAR1) confirming current directors and company details
- Company profile: a clear description of the company's business activities, size, and Hong Kong presence
- Audited financial statements or management accounts for the most recent period (to demonstrate the company is genuinely operating and financially capable of supporting the hire)
- Proof of office premises: lease agreement, tenancy agreement, or correspondence addressed to the company at its registered business address
- Signed employment contract specifying the candidate's role, duties, salary, benefits, and start date
- Employer sponsorship letter: this is the single most important document in your application. A weak, generic letter is the most common cause of GEP refusals for otherwise qualified candidates. The letter must specifically explain:
- What the company does and what this role involves
- Why the role cannot be readily filled by someone already in Hong Kong
- What specific skills, experience, or expertise this candidate brings
- Why the remuneration package is appropriate for the role and the candidate's level
- Confirmation that the employment terms comply with Hong Kong employment law
Documents required from the employee:
- Valid passport (bio page)
- Recent passport-sized photograph (taken within the last 6 months)
- Academic certificates and transcripts — original or certified true copies; if not in English or Chinese, a certified translation is required
- Professional qualification certificates (where applicable)
- Updated detailed CV
- Reference letters from previous employers confirming relevant experience
- Completed and signed Form ID 990A
For Mainland China nationals applying under ASMTP:
The employer must submit the application on behalf of the candidate. Upon approval, the IMMD issues an entry permit — the Mainland China national must then present this entry permit to the Public Security Bureau in Mainland China and apply for an Exit-Entry Permit (EEP) and relevant exit endorsement before travelling to Hong Kong.
For dependants:
If the approved employee wishes to bring a spouse and children under 18 to Hong Kong, dependant visa applications can be submitted alongside the main application or separately. The dependant spouse has unrestricted work rights in Hong Kong once the dependant visa is approved. Dependant visa documents include proof of relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificates), the dependant's passport, and photographs.
Processing Time and Fees
Government application fee:
HKD 230 per application, payable online at the time of submission through the IMMD's GovHK portal. Payment can be made by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, JCB), PPS, FPS, or Mainland e-wallets (Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay App). The application fee is non-refundable regardless of the outcome.
Dependant applications submitted at the same time as the main application each attract the same HKD 230 fee.
Processing time:
Standard GEP processing time is approximately 4 weeks from the date the IMMD receives a complete application with all required documents. This is the IMMD's own published estimate for clean cases.
In practice, total elapsed time from the point you make a job offer to the employee starting work typically runs 6 to 10 weeks for well-prepared applications — allowing for document preparation, submission, IMMD review, and the employee collecting their visa and arranging travel.
Complex cases — those where the IMMD requests supplementary information, where the job description is insufficiently detailed, where the salary appears below market rate, or where the employer's corporate documents are incomplete — can take 12 to 16 weeks or longer.
The single biggest lever you have over processing time is the quality of your sponsorship letter and the completeness of your initial submission. Submitting a complete, well-argued pack in one go is almost always faster than submitting quickly and responding to IMMD requests for additional information.
Renewal:
GEP visas are typically granted for an initial period of 24 to 36 months, or aligned with the employment contract duration if shorter. Renewal follows a 3+2 years pattern for most professional employees — three years on the first renewal, two years on the second, after which the employee may be eligible to apply for permanent residency.
As of 1 March 2026, the renewal application window has been extended to 90 days before the current visa's expiry date — up from the previous shorter window. This gives employers and employees significantly more lead-time to gather updated documents and avoid last-minute lapses in immigration status.
After Approval: Next Steps
Once the IMMD approves the application, the process does not end — there are several steps that must be completed promptly:
Step 1 — Collect the e-Visa:
Upon approval, the IMMD issues an e-Visa (electronic visa). For applicants outside Hong Kong, the e-Visa can be downloaded and printed by the applicant or the sponsoring employer from the IMMD online system. The e-Visa must be presented when entering Hong Kong.
Step 2 — Employee registers for a Hong Kong Identity Card:
Any person permitted to remain in Hong Kong for more than 180 days must register for a Hong Kong Identity Card at the Registration of Persons Office. Registration must be completed within 30 days of arrival in Hong Kong. Hong Kong residents aged 15 or over are legally required to carry their HKID at all times.
Step 3 — Enrol the employee in MPF within 60 days:
As soon as the employee begins work, the 60-day MPF enrolment clock starts. You must enrol them in an approved MPF scheme within 60 calendar days of their first working day. Employer MPF contributions begin from the first day of employment — the 30-day contribution holiday applies to the employee's contributions, not the employer's.
Step 4 — Register the employee for salaries tax:
Employers must file an Employer's Return of Remuneration (Form IR56E) with the Inland Revenue Department within 3 months of an employee commencing employment. The employee will then be registered for salaries tax in Hong Kong.
Step 5 — Notify the IMMD of any changes:
The GEP visa is tied to the sponsoring employer and the approved role. If the employee changes role significantly, receives a major salary change, or leaves your employment, you must notify the IMMD. If the employee wishes to change employers, the new employer must sponsor a new GEP application — the existing visa does not transfer.
If the employee is terminated or resigns, you must inform the Immigration Department. In some circumstances, the employer may also be required to cover the cost of the employee's repatriation.
Step 6 — Plan for renewal well in advance:
Diarise the visa expiry date the moment the visa is issued. From 1 March 2026, you can begin the renewal process up to 90 days before expiry. Gather updated employment documents, confirm that the employment contract and salary details are current, and submit well before the deadline.
Need Help Sponsoring a Work Visa for Your Team?
For SMEs without a dedicated HR or legal team, the GEP sponsorship process is manageable — but the employer sponsorship letter and corporate documentation package require care and specificity to avoid delays. A weak application costs you time, and a rejected application means the candidate cannot start work.
SMEBro can support your Hong Kong company with the full employment and compliance setup, including:
- Hong Kong Company Formation — ensure your company is properly registered before sponsoring a visa
- Work Visa Application Support — GEP and ASMTP sponsorship documentation
- Company Secretary Services — maintain statutory registers and keep your corporate documents visa-ready
- Accounting and Payroll — clean financial records that support future visa renewals and audits
- MPF Setup and Employer Returns — get HR compliance right from day one
