Hong Kong’s plan to lure talent

Amid an unprecedented emigration wave, are the chief

executive’s new measures enough to attract overseas
talent and convince them to stay?

E XPLORER

CONTEXT: HONG KONG’S JOHN LEE UNVEILS 2-YEAR

VISA FOR TOP UNIVERSITY GRADUATES AMONG
STRATEGIES TO WOO OVERSEAS TALENT
• The new scheme will allow high earners and graduates
of global top universities to come to Hong Kong without
having to secure a job offer beforehand
• The measures were meant to address the city’s
emigration wave in recent years

Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu presented his first

policy address on October 19 and showed his plan for the
next five years.
One highlight included a two-year visa for people
earning at least HK$2.5 million per year, as well as those
who graduated from the world’s top 100 universities and
have at least three years of work experience.
People who have graduated from these universities in
the past five years will also be eligible, even if they have Hong Kong’s workforce
has shrunk by 140,000
yet to fulfil the work experience requirement. The annual
QUESTION PROMPTS over the past two years.
quota for these individuals is capped at 10,000. Photo: Felix Wong
This would be more flexible than the current Quality
Migrant Admission Scheme. > Why does John Lee want to “proactively trawl for global
Listing out several other measures, Lee said his talent”? Support your answer with evidence from Context.
administration would allow employers to hire overseas > Which of the measures mentioned in Context is likely to be
talent without having to prove difficulties in hiring locally,
most successful in enticing international or mainland Chinese
extend employment visas to three years, and refund extra
talent to work and stay in Hong Kong? Explain.
stamp duty to foreigners-turned-permanent residents who
are still holding property.
Lee said the city would “proactively trawl for global
talent” to bring back international or mainland Chinese
expertise. The measures are meant to address the city’s
loss of highly trained people in recent years. The city QUESTION PROMPTS
leader admitted the local workforce had shrunk by 140,000
over the past two years. He highlighted the need for his > Based on
administration to do everything it could to fix the situation. Context, which
The city has also seen a huge drop in the number group of people
of work visas being issued since 2020. According to
are the fish in the
government statistics, 13,821 visas were issued last year
cartoon meant to
under the general employment policy, compared with
14,617 in 2020. In 2019, a total of 41,793 were approved.
represent?
Lee also announced the start of a unit, called the Office > What might the
for Attracting Strategic Enterprises. This unit would work government be
Compiled by Doris Wai

to bring high-performing firms from overseas to Hong missing out on

Kong, along with their workers and families.
by not “trawling”
“Hong Kong is one of the most competitive economies
in the world. It also serves as an important gateway
for these fish?
connecting the mainland with global markets. We must Explain using
be more proactive and aggressive in ‘competing for your own
enterprises’ and ‘competing for talent’,” he said. knowledge.
Staff writers

10 OCTOBER 31 - NOVEMBER 6, 2022

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