Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS) Hong Kong

The Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS) is a fast-track arrangement that lets an eligible Hong Kong company bring in non-local technology talent to do research and development (R&D) for it. You cannot apply on your own. The company asks the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) for a quota, then sponsors your employment visa with the Immigration Department (ImmD). Since 24 December 2025 the company no longer has to work in one of 14 designated technology areas, and the quota and visa applications can go in at the same time.

Two offices, two decisions

ITC decides whether the company gets a quota. ImmD decides the visa. A quota lets the company sponsor applicants. It is not a visa approval.

• Each company may be granted quotas for up to 100 people a year. ITC says it will consider requests for more case by case if they are fully justified.
• A quota is valid for 24 months.
• Applying to ITC for a quota is free of charge.

Read ImmD’s TechTAS page for the visa side and ITC’s TechTAS pages for the quota side. ImmD also keeps a separate TechTAS page for subsidised companies, so check whether it applies to your employer.

What changed on 24 December 2025

ITC launched further enhancement measures on 24 December 2025, according to the government announcement:

• Companies and talent can submit quota applications and visa or entry permit applications in parallel, instead of waiting for the quota first.
• The requirement to do R&D in 14 designated technology areas was lifted.
• A dedicated application channel opened for tenants and incubatees of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park.

Older guides and firm websites still list the 14 areas, from advanced communication technologies to robotics. Do not use that list to rule a company in or out. Read the current ITC page.

Who qualifies

ITC says the company must:

• have substantive business in Hong Kong and a valid Business Registration Certificate
• be engaged in technology-related R&D.

When it assesses a quota request, ITC looks at whether:

• the talent’s knowledge or skills fit the company’s technology activities
• the company shows it is engaged in technology-related R&D
• the number of quotas asked for is justified
• the company has shown genuine difficulty recruiting local talent in that field
• the talent’s qualifications or expertise, and the pay package, are suitable.

On the visa side, ImmD describes TechTAS talent as full-time employees of the company, engaged principally in R&D, holding a degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) from a well-recognised university, and paid no less than the prevailing market level for comparable jobs in Hong Kong. ImmD says TechTAS does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

How to apply, step by step

1. Pick the right ITC guide. Tenants, incubatees, grantees or occupants of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Cyberport or the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park use Application Guide TechTAS 01. Other companies use TechTAS 02. Both are on ITC’s application guides and forms page.
2. The company applies for a quota. Under TechTAS 02, the company submits the quota application form to ITC online, with a copy of its Business Registration Certificate, a pay reference for each job and supporting documents.
3. File the visa application online. The applicant, any accompanying dependants and the employing company submit their applications and upload supporting documents through the designated GovHK website, and pay the application fee there. This can be done while the quota application is pending or during the 24-month quota validity.
4. Wait for ImmD. ImmD normally takes two weeks to process a TechTAS visa application once it has all the required documents and the fee.
5. Enter on the approved terms. ImmD normally grants an initial stay of 36 months on employment condition, or the length of the employment contract if that is shorter.

After you arrive: job changes, family and extensions

• Employment condition. You may only take employment the Director of Immigration has approved, and you need prior approval for any change of employment. ImmD says it may consider a change favourably if you still meet the TechTAS criteria.
• Dependants. Their stay is normally linked to yours. They stay on time limitation only, without other conditions, and are not prohibited from working or studying. Our dependant visa guide covers who can come.
• Extensions. ImmD normally extends TechTAS stays on a 3-2 year pattern, still on employment condition, or for the length of the contract if shorter. TechTAS extensions are filed online, and for applications reaching ImmD on or after 1 January 2024 you must be in Hong Kong when you apply and when you pay for and collect the e-Visa. See our extension of stay guide.
• Quota expiry. ITC’s guide for park and Cyberport tenants says a company can ask for longer quota validity at least two weeks before the quota expires. Only fully justified requests are approved.

Common mistakes

• Treating TechTAS as a talent pass. It is employer-sponsored. For a route built on your own income or degree, see the Top Talent Pass Scheme.
• Relying on the old 14-area list to decide whether a company can apply.
• Starting work for a different company before ImmD approves the change.
• Letting the quota lapse before the visa application is filed.
• Assuming an ITC quota means ImmD will approve the visa. They are separate decisions.

Fees and professional help

ITC does not charge for a quota application. ImmD’s application fee is paid online with the visa application. Check the current amount on the ImmD TechTAS page, and see our guide to ImmD talent-scheme fees for how those fees are structured.

Hong Kong has no immigration consultant licence, so there is no official register to check a visa firm against. A firm can prepare the quota and visa papers, but ImmD decides the visa. If your employer wants outside help, compare the visa firms on our list. For professional jobs outside TechTAS, read our General Employment Policy guide.