Hong Kong's top talent scheme approves 59,000 applications
Tourists visit the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong, south China, April 30, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]
Hong Kong's Top Talent Pass Scheme has received enthusiastic responses with nearly 59,000 applications approved, Chris Sun, secretary for labor and welfare of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said on Wednesday.
In replying to a lawmaker in writing in the HKSAR Legislative Council, Sun said that till the end of February, the authorities had received over 72,000 applications in total under the Scheme. About 44,000 of the applicants approved have arrived in Hong Kong.
The Scheme, launched by the HKSAR government in December 2022, is intended to attract the top talent with high income, good academic qualifications and extensive work experience to pursue development in Hong Kong.
Along with the other talent admission schemes, around 108,000 applicants approved have arrived in Hong Kong since last year, Sun said.
Based on data related to the Top Talent Pass Scheme, the HKSAR government has put the Scheme's direct contribution at an estimated 34 billion Hong Kong dollars (4.35 billion U.S. dollars) per year to the local economy, or about 1.2 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), according to Sun.
Sun said the Scheme entrants and their spouses are generally younger, with more than half of them aged under 40, who, along with their children after settling in Hong Kong, will add new impetus to the local labor force and bring about positive impact on Hong Kong's demographic structure.
Related articles
Stock market today: Asian shares mostly rise to start a week full of earnings, Fed meeting
TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly rose Tuesday, as investors kept their eyes on potentially market-mo2024-04-30Bruins, Hurricanes, Canucks and Avalanche look to advance to second round of the NHL playoffs
When Andrew Brunette was playing for Minnesota, the Wild worked their way back from two separate 3-g2024-04-30Democratic mayor joins Kentucky GOP lawmakers to celebrate state funding for Louisville
The amount of state funding headed to Kentucky’s largest city to support downtown renewal, education2024-04-30Sea off New England had one of its hottest years in 2023, part of a worldwide trend
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The sea off New England, already warming faster than most of the world’s ocea2024-04-30US opens investigation into Ford crashes involving Blue Cruise partially automated driving system
DETROIT (AP) — Two fatal crashes involving Ford’s Blue Cruise partially automated driving system hav2024-04-30Cachin receives souvenir from Nadal after losing to the 22
MADRID (AP) — After taking more than three hours of Rafael Nadal’s time on court, Pedro Cachin wante2024-04-30
atest comment