Why ASSG and TechTAS Struggle to Gain Momentum in Hong Kong's Talent Landscape

The Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents (ASSG) and the Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS) are two of the least popular visa schemes among those designed to attract overseas talent and professionals to Hong Kong. As shown in the statistics below, these two programmes consistently account for less than 1% of total visa approvals under Hong Kong’s seven primary talent admission schemes in recent years:

Visa Programmes 2021 2022 2023 2024 Top Talent Pass (TTPS) Not Introduced 875 49,737 41,057 General Employment Policy (GEP) 13,821 13,495 26,270 35,058 Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents & Professionals (ASMTP) 9,065 11,768 19,757 25,344 Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS) 60 60 130 118 Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) 2,004 2,845 12,969 11,848 Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG) 7,259 10,391 26,089 25,475 Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents (ASSG) 39 56 97 80 Total 32,248 39,490 135,049 138,980 Source: Immigration Department

Given this persistent underperformance, it’s worth unpacking what these visa schemes entail and identifying the root causes behind their inability to resonate with prospective applicants.

The ASSG Programme: A Restrictive Legacy Policy

According to Article 5 of the Nationality Law of the People’s Republic of China, children of Chinese citizens who: 1. Were born overseas; 2. Acquired foreign citizenship at birth; and 3. Had parents already settled abroad at the time of their birth are not recognized as Chinese citizens. As non-Chinese citizens, these individuals are ineligible to obtain the right of abode (i.e., permanent resident status) in Hong Kong under paragraph 2(c) of Schedule 1 of the Immigration Ordinance — even if their parents hold permanent resident status in the city. Before the ASSG scheme was introduced, these affected individuals could submit an application for the right of abode even though they were not eligible.  While those applications were ultimately rejected, applicants were typically granted the right to land as a form of compensation. This status allowed them to reside, work, and study in Hong Kong indefinitely — without the need to apply for extensions or obtain a visa.

Introduced in 2015, the ASSG programme replaced the segment of the right to land policy that applied to this group.  Since then, the Immigration Department has effectively ceased granting the right to land. Now, eligible applicants must go through the ASSG visa route, which includes the following criteria: a. Aged between 18 and 40; b. Have a good education background, normally a bachelor’s degree; c. Proficient in written and spoken Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese) or English; d. Have sufficient financial means. In contrast to the earlier right to land policy, ASSG visa holders must also renew their visas every two to three years, and at each renewal stage, demonstrate that they are either gainfully employed or operating a business in Hong Kong. These significant conditions shift the scheme from being a pathway rooted in ancestral ties to one governed by relatively strict merit-based metrics. The reality is that many second-generation Hongkongers raised overseas — often holding comfortable citizenship rights in developed countries where they enjoy stable residency, career options, and social benefits.  When compared with ASSG’s requirements and uncertainties, the incentive to relocate often falls short.

The TechTAS Programme: Over-Engineered and Under-Utilized

Launched in 2018, the Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS) set out with an ambitious goal: attract non-local STEM professionals to support Hong Kong’s growing innovation and technology sector. At the time, industry buzz surrounded the announcement, but the momentum quickly faded once the scheme's details were made public. TechTAS is a two-tiered system requiring: 1. An employer to first apply for a quota from the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC); and 2. If granted a quota, to then sponsor the selected applicant’s visa through the Immigration Department. But the complexity doesn’t end there. Key requirements include: • The applicant must be engaged in R&D work in a specified technology field and hold a STEM degree from a top 100 globally ranked university. • The employer must be operating in designated technology sectors. • A typical employer can only receive up to 100 quotas per year, which must be used within 24 months. • As with other work visa schemes (e.g., GEP, ASMTP), the employer must also prove local recruitment difficulties and offer market-aligned salaries. These layers of red tape have created a programme that is administratively burdensome and operationally rigid. Worse still, eligible employers and candidates often qualify for alternative, more straightforward visa schemes. For example: • Applicants with top university degrees can usually qualify under the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS), which doesn’t require a job offer. • Employers can bypass quotas altogether by applying directly under GEP or ASMTP, which involve only one government body — the Immigration Department — and offer potentially quicker turnaround times and greater flexibility Effectively, TechTAS has positioned itself as a niche programme with limited practical value. It’s hard to justify its use when simpler or flexible options exist that achieve the same outcomes with less friction.

Conclusion

Both ASSG and TechTAS reflect thoughtful policy goals — reconnecting overseas Hongkongers with their roots and fueling the city’s innovation ecosystem. Yet their uptake remains low due to procedural rigidity, overlapping alternatives, and a possible misreading of what makes a scheme attractive. The ASSG programme suffers from a fundamental mismatch between the government's expectations and the actual motivations of its target demographic. By layering bureaucratic requirements onto what was once an automatic or discretionary right, the scheme inadvertently alienated the very people it sought to attract. Meanwhile, TechTAS programme reveals the risks of excessive institutional control in areas where agility and responsiveness are critical. The quota system, dual-department processing, and narrow eligibility have all limited its effectiveness. The existence of alternative, more popular visa schemes only underscores TechTAS’s shortcomings. Both programmes illustrate that over-regulation can often stifle the very goals a policy aims to achieve. In an increasingly competitive global race for talent, where countries are streamlining their immigration pathways and offering attractive incentives, Hong Kong must ensure that its visa schemes are not only principled — but also pragmatic and user-friendly.

References

Immigration Department. “Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS).” Retrieved from: https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/TECHTAS.html Immigration Department. “Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents (ASSG).” Retrieved from: https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/secondgenerationhkpr.html Immigration Department. “Annual Report 2023 – Appendix 5.” Retrieved from: https://www.immd.gov.hk/publications/a_report_2023/en/appendix5.html Immigration Department. “Facts and Figures: Visa Control.” Retrieved from: https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/facts/visa-control.html Immigration Department. “Annual Report 2018 – Chapter 2.” Retrieved from: https://www.immd.gov.hk/publications/a_report_2018/en/chapter02.html Immigration Department. “FAQ: Right of Abode.” Retrieved from: https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/faq/faqroa.html Immigration Department. “Nationality Law of the People’s Republic of China.” Retrieved from: https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/residents/immigration/chinese/law.html Immigration Department. “Meanings of Right of Abode and Other Terms.” Retrieved from: https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/roa/term.html Immigration Department. “Eligibility Criteria for Right of Abode in the HKSAR.” Retrieved from: https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/roa/eligible.html HKSAR Government News. “Pilot Technology Talent Admission Scheme to be Rolled Out.” Retrieved from: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201805/08/P2018050800532.htm?fontSize=1 Hong Kong E-Legislation. “Cap.115 Immigration Ordinance.” Retrieved from: https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap115?xpid=ID_1438402608628_001

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