Hong Kong "High Talent Pass Scheme" to "Snatch Talents" - "High Talents" Struggle to Find Employment After Coming to Hong Kong

Hong Kong street scene. (Song Bilong / Dajiyuan)

People News: "I want to develop in Asia; Hong Kong gives me this opportunity, and Hong Kong is an international metropolis, so I am interested in staying here," says Stephane from France. Through an exchange student program, he completed a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology at City University of Hong Kong, meeting the eligibility requirements for the "High Talent Pass Scheme." Therefore, he stayed in Hong Kong after graduation, hoping to continue developing his career here.

However, after applying to over 20 companies, he has not found a single job, leaving him feeling very frustrated.

"Finding a job is really not easy; perhaps I have to hope for an employer willing to try some unique candidates," he said to Voice of America with a sigh.

"High Talent Pass" Attracting Talents Properly

Since the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, especially with the severe and large-scale suppression of protesters, there has been a massive outflow of talent from Hong Kong. Particularly stimulated by the UK government’s relaxed immigration, employment, and study qualifications for British National (Overseas) passport holders, hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong people have chosen to leave and develop abroad in the past four years.

To mitigate the economic damage caused by this massive outflow of talent, the Hong Kong government established the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) in 2022, commonly referred to as "High Talent Pass," hoping to "snatch talents" from non-Hong Kong talent markets to fill the vacancies.

The eligibility criteria for High Talent Pass are divided into three categories: "annual income of HKD 2.5 million in the previous year," "bachelor's degree from an eligible university with at least three years of work experience in the last five years," and "bachelor’s degree from an eligible non-Hong Kong university with less than three years of work experience." To expand the talent pool, in his October policy address, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee announced the addition of four British and American arts and design universities and nine mainland Chinese institutions to the list of eligible universities, bringing the total to 198 eligible universities. John Lee said that Hong Kong welcomes more mainland Chinese people, aiming to admit over one million mainland residents by 2046 to counterbalance the declining birth rate and talent outflow.

According to official data from the Hong Kong government, as of September 30 this year, a total of 100,972 applications were received, with 81,463 approved, far exceeding the government's annual target of 35,000 approvals. Of these, 66,109 approved applicants have already entered Hong Kong. Among those meeting the "annual income of HKD 2.5 million" criterion, 20,919 applications were approved, with 18,100 individuals having already entered. The Hong Kong government claims that these individuals employed through the High Talent Pass Scheme have a median monthly income of HKD 50,000, expected to bring an economic contribution of HKD 34 billion, equivalent to about 1.2% of Hong Kong’s GDP.

High Talents' Job Hunting Road Blocked

However, behind these impressive figures, the Hong Kong government also released stark data. In a survey conducted last November by the Labour and Welfare Bureau on 5,000 applicants and their families who had been in Hong Kong for more than half a year under the High Talent Pass visa, only 54% of respondents stated they were "employed," while only 43% of respondents indicated they had "settled in Hong Kong."

The South China Morning Post quoted Kira Xiong, a 23-year-old from Shenzhen, who graduated from universities in Melbourne and Sydney and arrived in Hong Kong full of hope in July, saying, "I feel very confused. The government invited us, but now that we are here in Hong Kong, it feels like we’re not welcomed warmly."

Kira Xiong holds a two-year High Talent Pass visa and hopes to find a job in finance. However, after spending nearly three months sending over 100 resumes and lowering her salary expectations, she only found an administrative position unrelated to her expertise.

Peter Zhang, a 24-year-old Cambridge Economics graduate, had a similar experience. After arriving in Hong Kong under the High Talent Pass scheme last year, he continuously submitted resumes, spending six months before finally securing a junior financial analyst position in March.

Li Zhifeng, a graduate from an American university on the "High Talent Pass" eligible list, arrived in Hong Kong in August this year through the scheme to look for work, but still hasn’t found a job.

"I have sent nearly 100 job applications in these past few months. Although most offered interview opportunities, only a few advanced to second interviews, and then there was no news," he shared with Voice of America, expressing his helplessness. "I wanted to work in Hong Kong because companies here offer higher salaries and access to more foreign companies, so I hoped to give it a try."

Li Zhifeng stated that he hasn’t found a job yet, but the cost of living in Hong Kong has been high, so if there’s no progress by next month, he may return to mainland China to find work.

A July survey by the Hong Kong "High Talent Pass Talent Service Association" and the "Hong Kong Federation of Educators" on families who moved to Hong Kong with children found that 71.5% were High Talent Pass holders, but 21.6% of them stated they had yet to find employment.

Employers Only Hire Talent as Needed

For employers, the High Talent Pass scheme indeed provides more options, but whether they find suitable talent remains uncertain. Zhang Jianyun, owner of a logistics company with offices in both mainland China and Hong Kong, admitted that unless there is a special business need, he would not specifically open the door for foreign talent. He mentioned that he once hired talent from India for his Hong Kong office to develop the Indian market. However, after two months, he found that the hires did not meet expectations, and they were let go before the end of the three-month probation period. Since then, his company has only hired local employees in both his Hong Kong and mainland China offices.

Lin Xiaodong, who runs an international IT company and has hired employees from mainland China, India, and Indonesia, believes that hiring still depends on company needs, with nationality being a secondary consideration. He told Voice of America, "Our company runs ads on platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin, so we hire mainland employees because they understand the market’s needs. Frankly, after working with them, we realized cultural differences exist. But this difference is precisely why we need them to help expand our business in the mainland. Conversely, if we need familiarity with Facebook, mainland talent wouldn’t be suitable. I also need to hire for creative roles that meet international corporate requirements, where individuals proficient in English from diverse backgrounds may be more suitable."

Poor Results, Even Pro-Government Figures Criticize

Among the applicants under the High Talent Pass Scheme, over 95% are from mainland China, while the proportion of foreign applicants is even lower than in the previous "General Employment Policy." Additionally, with over 20% of approved applicants still unable to find employment, even the Legislative Council, now dominated by pro-government figures, has raised questions about the scheme's effectiveness. Election Committee member Lam Chin-shing pointed out that there are not many foreigners coming to work in Hong Kong, and it’s unclear if approved applicants are actually staying in Hong Kong. Another Election Committee member, Hung Man, stated at the recent Third Plenary Session of the Communist Party that the Hong Kong government has not tackled the issue effectively. The scheme has only attracted talents in finance and commerce, where there is no local shortage, naturally making it difficult for foreign talent to find suitable jobs.

Xu Zheng, Vice Chairman of the Institute for Future Cities at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, believes the term "High Talent Pass" is misleading, as these applicants do not have a significant advantage in Hong Kong's job market. He stated, "Their education level is not particularly outstanding in Hong Kong’s job market, and their qualifications are even less impressive than those of previous talent programs or mainland students graduating from local universities. Furthermore, they lack local residence and study experience, and their social connections are weak. Besides qualifications, social connections are essential for job searching, and weaker connections lead to a longer job search time."

On the other hand, Xu Zheng believes that as the scheme continues, the number of unsuitable applicants will decrease, and the proportion of talent unable to find jobs will also reduce. Additionally, Hong Kong’s general salary levels are only slightly lower than those in the U.S. and Singapore, while tax rates are much lower than in both countries. Thus, Xu Zheng believes Hong Kong still has a certain appeal for foreign talent. Moreover, even if these High Talent Pass holders fail to find jobs, given their relatively wealthy backgrounds, they can generally afford to stay longer in Hong Kong to search for work. From a consumption perspective, this can still bring benefits to Hong Kong. △ (Adapted from Voice of America)