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Hong Kong will expand its Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Invited Persons from October 1 to cover Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries, while allowing all government bureaux and departments to invite eligible visitors under the initiative.
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The expansion, announced by the government on Thursday, aims to strengthen economic and trade ties and facilitate exchanges between Hong Kong and the two regions.
Launched on March 18 last year, the scheme initially allowed five government bureaux and departments to invite eligible visitors from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states and provide them with streamlined immigration arrangements.
Following a review, the government decided to extend the scheme's geographical coverage and allow all policy bureaux and departments to issue invitations, creating more opportunities for people from different sectors to visit Hong Kong.
The expanded scheme will continue to cover the 11 ASEAN member states — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
It will also include five Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — as well as six Gulf Cooperation Council member states: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Under the scheme, government bureaux and departments can invite individuals who could make significant contributions to Hong Kong's economic development or have been invited to attend major events in the city.
The Immigration Department will process applications through a one-stop electronic platform, relax eligibility requirements for self-service immigration clearance and simplify the documentation required for visa applications.
Eligible visitors will also be able to use e-Channels at Hong Kong's immigration control points, improving clearance efficiency and convenience.
The government said the initiative had facilitated exchanges with ASEAN countries since its launch, reinforcing Hong Kong's role as a super connector and super value-adder. The expansion is expected to encourage more visitors from different sectors to explore opportunities for cooperation with the city.
