Migration bottleneck

Staff reporter

Mainlanders have found it more difficult to migrate to Hong Kong through the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, with processing times prolonged to at least half a year and the success rate dwindling to less than 16 percent.

The scheme, first announced in February 2006, began accepting applications in June that same year.

The government announced the suspension of its 4,000 annual quota for two years from January 2023 to entice more talent to relocate to the city.

Following the relaxation, the Immigration Department's website showed a total of 80,207 people filed applications through the scheme in 2023, four-and-a-half times more compared to 2022.

Only 12,969 were approved, an overall rate of some 16 percent.

Among the 5,414 new applications received in June this year, only 44 were approved that same month.

Zhang, a 38-year-old doctorate degree holder in law, scored 125 on the points test - far exceeding the minimum of 80 points - and applied for the scheme last October but has yet to receive a response.

"It would be prudent not to be overly optimistic, and instead view it as an enjoyable experience," Zhang told Sing Tao Daily, sister paper of The Standard.

"Some people have even waited for a year and have subsequently forgotten about it."

Sun, an advertising professional, got her application rejected after a 10-month wait despite scoring 140 points.

Her post on mainland social media platform Xiaohongshu garnered hundreds of views.

A Beijing web user commented: "The result should be made available as soon as possible, regardless of whether it has been approved or not. Otherwise, applicants will be unable to make alternative arrangements, such as purchasing a car or a flat."

According to an immigration agent named Jess, average assessment times span six to nine months and only those who score over 120 points are likely to have their applications approved.

Jess also warned applicants to "grab the chance these last few months" as the quota suspension might be canceled during the new policy address in October.

Another agent named Anna said work experience and the industry involved are more important than points.

Replying to Sing Tao's inquiry yesterday, the department said the advisory committee on admission of quality migrants and professionals will select cutting-edge talent based on their background and achievements, which takes a longer time due to different selection procedures.

To cope with the massive increase in applicants since the quota was lifted - 121,100 from last January to July, exceeding the total filed between 2006 and 2022 - the department has enhanced the process, requiring online applications and using flexibly deployed resources to go through the applications as fast as possible.

"The measures have yielded positive results, with a record high of over 46,000 applications processed in the first seven months this year," the department said.

"However, due to the large number of applications, it now takes an average of about nine months to process each application."

The government is reviewing existing arrangements for the admission of talent to ensure that the measures are competitive and can effectively meet Hong Kong's manpower needs, it said.