Over 21,000 Top Talent Pass Scheme applications approved, says Eric Chan

Authorities received over 83,000 applications under all existing talent schemes in just five months, including over 32,000 applications filed through the Top Talent Pass Scheme, of which over two-thirds have been approved already, said Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki. 

In an interview with the state-run newspaper Ta Kung Pao, Chan said the response has been overwhelming since the government rolled out a series of measures to lure talents to come and work in Hong Kong. 

As of May 31, authorities received some 83,000 applications under all existing talent schemes, and some 49,000 applications were approved already, including some 21,000 approved applications under the Top Talent Pass Scheme. 

Concluding authorities’ work last year, Chan said apart from reopening the borders; the government also reopened a passage for talents to come. 

Chan noted that Hong Kong is a highly open and internationalized talent hub, and it is normal to see talents moving in and out of the city as there are development opportunities outside of the SAR as well. Still, he stressed the SAR government highly values the work of retaining talents. 

For example, Chan said following the dedicated website launched last December for the HK Talent Engage platform, the government is also preparing to set up a physical office for the platform, which will be responsible for formulating talent recruitment policies, promotion campaigns, and providing support to talents who have arrived in Hong Kong. 

Meanwhile, Chan said he was encouraged by social sectors’ response to the “Strive and Rise Programme,” which aims to help students from underprivileged families, especially those living in subdivided flats. 

With the help of some 120 enterprises and organizations, the program successfully raised HK$140 million in funding and recruited sufficient mentors for students to participate in some 800 activities. 

Chan added that the working group is now assessing the results of the program's first phase and will consider increasing the quota for students and expanding the program to cover more target groups.