Hong Kong - Changes Made to Application
Process for the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme
by Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen &
Loewy, LLP01/30/2008
Effective immediately, the Hong Kong Immigration Department
has altered the application process through which foreign nationals may apply
for residence under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme.
The Quality Migrant Admission Scheme ("the Scheme") allows applicants to apply
for residence in Hong Kong without the requirement to secure an offer of local
employment prior to entry. Under the Scheme, applicants are scored under a
General Points Test system which will assess their candidacy by assigning points
for age, academic and professional qualifications, work experience, language
proficiency and family background. Those who receive a score of 80 or more are
then placed into a selection pool, from which applicants are selected and
offered residence in Hong Kong in accordance with predetermined quota numbers.
Those who are allotted a quota number in this selection process are subject to
further documentary requirements.
The following changes have been made to the criteria for determining an
applicant's candidacy for residence under the Scheme:
Age: Persons 51 and older are now
eligible to apply. Previously, those 50 and older were barred from applying
for residence under the Scheme.
Work Experience: The minimum work
experience requirement to apply for residence under the Scheme has been
reduced from five years to two years.
Language: Candidates may now be
assigned points under the General Points Test if they are proficient in either
Chinese (Putonghua or Cantonese) or English. Additional points will be granted
to candidates who are proficient in a foreign language in addition to Chinese
or English.
Character: Candidates who receive
a score of 80 or above on the General Points Test and who are allotted a quota
number in the selection process must now submit a certificate indicating the
absence of a criminal conviction from the relevant authority in each country
in which the candidate has lived for one year or more in the 10 years
preceding their quota allotment. Previously, candidates were required to
submit such a certificate for every country in which he or she lived for one
year or more since attaining the age of 10 years.
The content of this alert is provided for
informational purposes only.
If you have any questions regarding this alert, please do not hesitate to
contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen
Global Immigration Services or send an email to the appropriate regional
mailbox:
canada@fragomen.com,
lar@fragomen.com
(for Latin America),
asiapac@fragomen.com,
or
emea@fragomen.com
(for Europe, Middle East and Africa).
Source:
http://pubweb.fdbl.com/news1.nsf/c8abb103352ef95a86256e3100809438/8d974338e506f776852573e0005997e6?OpenDocument
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