HK to Launch Admission of Mainland Professionals Scheme on June 1The Admission of Mainland Professionals Scheme will be implemented on June 1, and the Immigration Department will start to receive applications from that date onwards, said an spokesperson of the Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Friday."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 globalized market with a view to facilitating the economic development of Hong Kong," he added. The scheme is open to all Mainland residents, including those currently working or studying overseas and in Hong Kong. The candidate must be a qualified professional with skills or knowledge not readily available or in shortage locally. Initially, only those engaged in the information technology and financial services sectors are eligible to apply. They must be offered a job by a Hong Kong registered company with a remuneration broadly comparable to the local market rate. There is no ceiling or quota set on the scheme. The Immigration Department will issue an employment entry permit to the employer for onward transmission to the successful candidate. The candidate needs to obtain an Exit-entry Permit for Traveling to Hong Kong and Macao (EEP) with an exit endorsement from the relevant Public Security Bureau office in the mainland and affix the entry permit issued by the Immigration Department onto the EEP. For a successful candidate who is currently working or studying in Hong Kong, he/she is required to return to the mainland to obtain a proper EEP and the relevant exit endorsement before taking up employment under the scheme. Successful candidates will normally be granted an initial stay of 12 months upon entry. Extension of stay will be approved if the candidate continues to meet the eligibility criteria. Application for change of employment will not normally be considered in the first year of admission. This restriction will be lifted one year after admission provided that the candidate continues to fulfill the eligibility criteria and is employed in a job relevant to his/her qualifications and expertise. |
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