General Policy on Entry for Employment

The Immigration Department controls the entry of foreigners for employment. Foreigners may work or invest in Hong Kong if they possess a special skill, knowledge or experience of value to and not readily available in Hong Kong and are employed with a remuneration broadly commensurate with the market level, or if they can make a substantial contribution to the economy.

    The department applies the policy in a flexible manner. Genuine business persons and entrepreneurs are welcome to establish a presence in Hong Kong, bringing with them capital and expertise. Qualified professionals, technical staff, administrators and managerial personnel are also admitted with minimum formalities. During the year, 16 929 foreign professionals and persons with technical, administrative or managerial skills from more than 100 countries/territories were admitted for employment.

Importation of Labour

Apart from the above, a Supplementary Labour Scheme is operated for the importation of workers who do not fall under the general policy on entry for employment. The Government's policy on importation of labour is based on two cardinal principles:

    This scheme commenced in February 1996. All applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. To ensure priority of employment for local workers, each application for imported workers has to pass three tests before it is submitted to the Labour Advisory Board for consideration and the Secretary for Economic Development and Labour for a decision—advertising in newspapers, job-matching by the Labour Department for four weeks, and tailor-made retraining course for workers, if appropriate. In all, 817 visas/entry permits were approved during the year and a cumulative total of 9 566 visa/entry permit applications had been approved by the end of 2002.

Admission of Talents

The Admission of Talents Scheme was introduced in December 1999 to attract talented people, especially those from the Mainland, to come to Hong Kong for employment. The aim of the scheme is to enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness as a manufacturing and services centre, in particular in technology-based, knowledge-intensive, and value-added activities. Further details are set out in Chapter 20, Population and Immigration.

Admission of Mainland Professionals

The Admission of Mainland Professionals Scheme was introduced in June 2001. The scheme aims to attract Mainland professionals to come to work in Hong Kong in order to meet local manpower needs and to enhance the competitiveness of local companies in the globalised market with a view to facilitating the economic development of Hong Kong. Further details of this scheme are given in Chapter 20.

Admission of Mainland Students Graduated from University Grants Committee
(UGC)-funded Institutions in Hong Kong

With effect from August 1, 2001, Mainland students graduated from UGC-funded institutions since 1990 may be admitted for employment, provided that they possess a special skill, knowledge or experience of value to and not readily available in Hong Kong and are employed with a remuneration broadly commensurate with the market level. The objective of this arrangement is to attract outstanding Mainland students who have completed full-time studies at the bachelor degree level or above to re-enter for employment after graduation so as to increase Hong Kong's competitiveness in the knowledge-based global economy.

Foreign Domestic Helpers

Foreign domestic helpers may be admitted subject to the conditions that they have relevant experience, that their employers are bona fide Hong Kong residents who are prepared to offer reasonable terms of employment including suitable accommodation and wages not lower than a minimum level set by the Government, and that the employers are willing to provide for the maintenance of the helpers in Hong Kong as well as to meet the costs of repatriation of the helpers to their country of origin.

    Demand for foreign domestic helpers has increased over the past two decades. By the end of 2002, there were 237 104 such helpers in Hong Kong, an increase of 0.78 per cent compared with the number of 235 274 in 2001. About 62.6 per cent of the foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong were from the Philippines and 33 per cent from Indonesia.

    Having considered the views of local drivers' labour unions and employers of foreign domestic helpers, the Government decided to tighten the practice of allowing foreign domestic helpers to perform driving duties incidental to and arising from domestic duties. With effect from January 1, 2000, employers are required to obtain prior approval from the Immigration Department before they may deploy their foreign domestic helpers to perform such driving duties.

Home Pages

Economic Development and Labour Bureau: http://www.edlb.gov.hk

Education and Manpower Bureau: http://www.emb.gov.hk

Security Bureau: http://www.gov.hk/sb

Labour Department: http://www.labour.gov.hk

Occupational Safety and Health Council: http://www.oshc.org.hk