Hong Kong · Work
Hong Kong Tech professionals (GEP-TP)
First stay: 3 yrs
General Employment Policy: Technical Professionals Stream (GEP(TP))
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Tech professionals (GEP-TP) is a work route for Hong Kong. Local work: limited. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Government fees
- HKD 600 ≈ $76 · HKD 1,300 ≈ $170
- Processing
- Up to 28 days
- First stay
- 3 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: 2 government fees listed below; decision: up to 28 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government feesHKD 600 ≈ $76 · HKD 1,300 ≈ $170
- HKD 600 (≈ $76)Non-refundable application fee, charged to the principal applicant and each dependant.
- HKD 1,300 (≈ $170)Visa issuance fee when the relevant period of stay is more than 180 days (HK$600 for 180 days or less).
RenewalRenewable
Extensions are for up to 36 months or the contract length if shorter.
Permanent residenceAfter 7 years of residence
After a continuous period of not less than 7 years of ordinary residence you may apply for the right of abode (permanent resident status), and you must take Hong Kong as your place of permanent residence. Time as a foreign domestic helper, an imported-labour contract worker or a refugee, or spent unlawfully or in breach of a condition of stay, does not count.
Immigration Department, Hong KongImmigration Department, Hong Kong SAR Government
ProcessingUp to 28 days
Normally takes four weeks once all documents, including qualification verification, and the fee are received.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Hong Kong
- Work rights are limited
- Not open to passports from Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea
- Only for ages 18–40
What you'll need
Who can apply4
- The applicant is aged between 18 and 40 when applying.
- The applicant has no security objection and no known record of serious crime.
- The applicant meets the qualification, experience and licence requirements for the skilled trade on the Technical Professional List.
- The applicant has a confirmed Hong Kong job offer in a listed skilled trade with the minimum contract duration for that trade.
What you must show1
- The pay package is at market level for the trade and not below the median earnings of post-secondary non-degree holders.
Documents1
- Proof of qualifications, work experience and licences, plus an employer letter and employment contract, is uploaded.
Steps2
- The applicant and employer apply online; quota is secured on submission and processing takes about four weeks.
- The overall quota is 10,000 over 30 June 2025 to 29 June 2028, with at most 3,000 per skilled trade.
After you arrive1
- Extension in the same skilled trade is not subject to quota.
When you become tax resident
How Hong Kong decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 3 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- More than 60 days in a year of assessment (aggregated visits to Hong Kong)Non-Hong Kong employment: visits to Hong Kong totalling more than 60 days in the year of assessment make the pay for those services assessable on a days-in-days-out basis; any part of a day counts.
- Foreign-source income
Territorial
Hong Kong taxes under the territorial concept: salaries tax, property tax and profits tax apply to income arising in or derived from Hong Kong, whether the person is resident or not.
All tax rules for Hong Kong Tax records checked
Full official text
Quota-limited GEP stream for experienced non-degree professionals aged 18 to 40 with a confirmed Hong Kong job offer in a skilled trade on the Technical Professional List. 1 2 3 4
What you must show and pay
- A fee of HKD 600 (≈ $76) · Non-refundable application fee, charged to the principal applicant and each dependant. 2 3
- A fee of HKD 1,300 (≈ $170) · Visa issuance fee when the relevant period of stay is more than 180 days (HK$600 for 180 days or less). 2 3
Requirements
- The applicant is aged between 18 and 40 when applying. 3
- The applicant has no security objection and no known record of serious crime. 3
- The applicant meets the qualification, experience and licence requirements for the skilled trade on the Technical Professional List. 3
- The applicant has a confirmed Hong Kong job offer in a listed skilled trade with the minimum contract duration for that trade. 3
- The pay package is at market level for the trade and not below the median earnings of post-secondary non-degree holders. 3
- Proof of qualifications, work experience and licences, plus an employer letter and employment contract, is uploaded. 3
- The applicant and employer apply online; quota is secured on submission and processing takes about four weeks. 3
- The overall quota is 10,000 over 30 June 2025 to 29 June 2028, with at most 3,000 per skilled trade. 3
- Extension in the same skilled trade is not subject to quota. 3
Stay
- Initial stay normally 36 months on employment condition, or 24 months for trades where local registration is not yet held; extensions up to 36 months or the contract length, whichever is shorter.
- First stay: 24 to 36 months, decided case by case.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
Not open to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and North Korea; Mainland residents apply under the ASMTP. Not open to: Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea.
Work
Employment only as approved by the Director of Immigration; changing skilled trade is not permitted.
Family
Spouse or recognised partner and unmarried dependent children under 18 may apply as dependants; dependants are not prohibited from working or studying. Your spouse or partner may work in Hong Kong without a separate permit.
Official sources
- General Employment Policy · Immigration Department, Hong Kong SAR Government · checked 2026-10-10
- New Fee Structure for Visa Applications under Specified Schemes · Immigration Department, Hong Kong · checked 2026-10-11
- General Employment Policy and ASMTP Technical Professionals Stream · Immigration Department, Hong Kong · checked 2026-10-11
- Guidebook for Entry for Residence as Dependants in Hong Kong, ID(E) 998 (04/2026) · Immigration Department, Hong Kong SAR · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2026-04-01
- The Position of Non-Chinese Citizens (right of abode) · Immigration Department, Hong Kong SAR Government · checked 2026-10-11
- Notes for Guidance: Application for a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card · Immigration Department, Hong Kong SAR Government · checked 2026-10-11
Tech professionals (GEP-TP) and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tech professionals (GEP-TP) | – | 3 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Mainland talent (ASMTP) | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Work visa (GEP) | – | 3 yr, renewable | Limited |
| LTR · Highly Skilled Thailand | Needs income of $80k+ a year | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Engineer/Specialist visa Japan | – | 5 yr, renewable | Limited |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Tech professionals (GEP-TP)?
A fee of HKD 600 (≈ $76). Non-refundable application fee, charged to the principal applicant and each dependant. A fee of HKD 1,300 (≈ $170). Visa issuance fee when the relevant period of stay is more than 180 days (HK$600 for 180 days or less).
How long can I stay on the Tech professionals (GEP-TP)?
Initial stay normally 36 months on employment condition, or 24 months for trades where local registration is not yet held; extensions up to 36 months or the contract length, whichever is shorter.
How long does the Tech professionals (GEP-TP) take to process?
Normally takes four weeks once all documents, including qualification verification, and the fee are received.
Can I work on the Tech professionals (GEP-TP)?
Limited. Employment only as approved by the Director of Immigration; changing skilled trade is not permitted.
Can I bring my family on the Tech professionals (GEP-TP)?
Spouse or recognised partner and unmarried dependent children under 18 may apply as dependants; dependants are not prohibited from working or studying.
Who can apply for the Tech professionals (GEP-TP)?
Not open to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and North Korea; Mainland residents apply under the ASMTP. Not open to: Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea.
Does the Tech professionals (GEP-TP) lead to permanent residence in Hong Kong?
Time on the Tech professionals (GEP-TP) counts toward permanent residence in Hong Kong, which the rules allow after 7 years of residence.
How are Tech professionals (GEP-TP) holders taxed in Hong Kong?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Tech professionals (GEP-TP). The standard rules apply: Hong Kong taxes under the territorial concept: salaries tax, property tax and profits tax apply to income arising in or derived from Hong Kong, whether the person is resident or not. Income arising outside Hong Kong is not charged under those taxes; salaries tax follows where the employment services are rendered.
More in Hong Kong
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 6 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- General Employment Policy · Immigration Department, Hong Kong SAR Government · checked 2026-10-10
- New Fee Structure for Visa Applications under Specified Schemes · Immigration Department, Hong Kong · checked 2026-10-11
- General Employment Policy and ASMTP Technical Professionals Stream · Immigration Department, Hong Kong · checked 2026-10-11
- Guidebook for Entry for Residence as Dependants in Hong Kong, ID(E) 998 (04/2026) · Immigration Department, Hong Kong SAR · checked 2026-10-12
- The Position of Non-Chinese Citizens (right of abode) · Immigration Department, Hong Kong SAR Government · checked 2026-10-11
- Notes for Guidance: Application for a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card · Immigration Department, Hong Kong SAR Government · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.