In 2026, the battle for Hong Kong's status has escalated again. On one side, investment migrants are seeing a series of relaxation after years, and on the other side, the troika of meritocracy, seniority and specialization continues to be released. For mainland business owners, this may be the easiest window to get Hong Kong status in the last decade.

How fragrant is Hong Kong identity? Children can take the Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan Joint Entrance Examination with low scores to enroll in 985/211 in the Mainland, individuals can enjoy the 15% personal tax concessions in the Greater Bay Area, and Hong Kong companies can enjoy tax exemption for offshore income and facilitate the construction of cross-border structures. More importantly, after getting the identity, the family can benefit at the same time, realizing the double allocation of identity and assets. If you are considering Hong Kong status for your children's education, overseas business, or asset planning, please be sure to read this article to the end.

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First, Hong Kong's new investment immigrants: net assets of 30 million, the threshold is lowered again and again

Hong Kong's new Capital Investment Entrant Scheme has continued to heat up since its relaunch in 2024. Nearly 7,000 inquiries and over 800 applications were received in the first 10 months, which are expected to bring more than HK$24 billion of investment to Hong Kong. Entering 2026, the Hong Kong government has even made consecutive moves to further relax the application criteria, which has rekindled the hope of many wait-and-see bosses.

The most crucial change occurred in March 2026, when the Hong Kong government announced the optimization of the holding company arrangement, which was officially implemented in May. Applicants can hold the permissible investment assets with the help of a wholly-owned private company, and it is no longer mandatory to hold them in the name of an individual, which provides great flexibility in the overall allocation of family assets.

Specific liberalization measures include:

• The private holding company must be established or registered in Hong Kong, wholly owned by the applicant and used solely for the purpose of holding and trading in the permissible investment assets;
• The company must be a qualified family investment holding vehicle or employ at least 2 full-time staff in Hong Kong and incur an annual operating expenditure of not less than HK$2 million;
• Starting from March 1, 2026, applicants can apply using a privately held company that has been established for less than six months, and there is no longer a minimum establishment period, which greatly reduces the upfront setup costs.

As for the eligibility criteria, it remains that the applicant must be at least 18 years of age, have no criminal record, and have been absolutely beneficially owning a net asset of not less than HK$30 million in the six months prior to the date of application. The investment underlying covers financial assets, residential/non-residential real estate (residential property must be a single property of at least HK$30 million and the aggregate real estate limit is HK$15 million), as well as mandatory investment of HK$3 million in Venture Capital Portfolio.

The mode of renewal of investment immigration is 2+3+3, which does not require work or residence in Hong Kong, as long as the investment is maintained. After 7 years, if the conditions for permanent residence are not met, the applicant can also apply for an unconditional stay visa and withdraw the investment. This flexible arrangement is particularly suitable for entrepreneurs whose business focus is still in the Mainland but who wish to obtain the long-term right of abode in Hong Kong.

It should be noted that mainland residents must be paired with permanent residence status in a third country in order to apply for investment immigration. In practice, proof of assets, explanation of the source of funds, and the construction of the company structure need to be planned in advance.Qicaiying Group provides the whole process of Hong Kong investment immigration planning, with offshore permanent residence status, company registration and ODI filing and other services, so that your Hong Kong status in one step. Interested in can contact me at any time (consulting phone: 16620947137, add WeChat: Qicaiyingjituan).

Second, the Hong Kong Talents Scheme: bosses with profitable companies can easily meet the six criteria

Under the optimized QMAS in November 2024, the new version of the Comprehensive Points Scoring System (CPS) is significantly tilted towards entrepreneurs, with “holding a business entity” and “company profitability” explicitly included in the scoring of the 12 assessment criteria: holding shares of a company with an annual profit of HK$5 million or more, or holding shares of a listed company with an annual profit of 101 TP3T or more, can directly satisfy two of the criteria. Holding shares of a company with an annual profit of HK$5 million or more, or holding shares of a listed company with an annual profit of more than 101 TP3T, can directly fulfill two of the criteria.

For bosses with good academic qualifications and years of management experience, it is not difficult to gather all six items. The basic eligibility criteria include being at least 18 years old, having no criminal record, having a bachelor's degree or above, and having sufficient reserves for living expenses for individuals and dependents (over HK$120,000 for an individual and over HK$350,000 for a family). If you have more outstanding qualifications, you can also choose the Achievement-based Points System.

The renewal of the Merit Recognition Scheme is a 3+3+2 model, and there are two key points in the renewal requirements: having settled in Hong Kong and having made contribution to Hong Kong. In practice, traces of residence in Hong Kong, children studying in Hong Kong, working or starting a business in Hong Kong and paying tax are all recognized by the Immigration Department as ways of contribution. Many cross-border business owners will choose to register their companies, rent offices and employ local staff in Hong Kong as a way to fulfill the visa renewal requirement.

Qicaiying Group can assist you to complete a full set of operational services such as Hong Kong company registration, bookkeeping and tax reporting, bank account opening, etc., to help you build a real business in Hong Kong, to ensure that the renewal of the merits of the smooth passage. For more information, please add WeChat: Qicaiyingjituan, or call 16620947137 for direct consultation.

Third, the Hong Kong High Talent Pass Category A: annual income of 2.5 million Hong Kong dollars, the boss of the fastest 1 month approval

Designed for high-income earners, High Talent Pass Category A does not require academic qualifications or work experience, and has no quota restriction, making it one of the fastest channels for approval at this stage. Applicants can apply if their income reaches HK$2.5 million in the year prior to application. For business owners, income includes not only personal salary, but also profits from sole proprietorships or joint ventures.

The key detail is:

• If the shareholding is 100% and the company's pre-tax profit reaches HK$2.5 million and has been taxed, you can apply with the company's profit;
• If the shareholding is insufficient, e.g. 60%, the company's profit would need to reach approximately HK$4.16 million to meet the 2.5 million conversion criteria.

For cases where tax records are incomplete or the shareholding structure needs to be adjusted, and back taxes and shareholding reorganization are required, it is recommended that the feasibility be assessed by a professional organization in advance.

The renewal mode of the Highly Talented A category has been adjusted to 3+3+3, whereby the first visa is granted for 3 years. Visa renewal can be accomplished by being employed by a Hong Kong company or being self-employed by opening your own company in Hong Kong. Especially self-employment renewal, the requirement of actual office space, real business water and tax records, on the contrary, the time in Hong Kong is relatively relaxed. Many bosses choose to extend their cross-border e-commerce, trade consulting, brand management and other businesses to Hong Kong and set up an independent company to complete the renewal of identity and business overseas in one fell swoop.

Qicaiying Group can provide you with Hong Kong company registration, financial and tax compliance, ODI filing and other one-stop services, to help you comply with the completion of high talent renewal, to achieve cross-border business expansion. If you need to assess the income to meet the standard, planning the company's equity, welcome to contact me at any time (WeChat: Qicaiyingjituan, consulting phone: 16620947137).

IV. High Talent Pass Category B/C: young bosses graduating from prestigious schools can move seamlessly into

If your first degree is from one of the world's top 100 universities but your annual income does not reach HK$2.5 million for the time being, the Highly Qualified Pass Category B/C is for you. Category B requires a Bachelor's degree from an eligible university and at least 3 years of work experience in the 5 years prior to the date of application, with no quota restriction, while Category C is for those who have graduated within 5 years and have less than 3 years of work experience, with a quota of 10,000 places per year, on a first-come-first-served basis. Twenty-three mainland universities have already been included in the eligible list, including Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Zhejiang University, CUHK, Huashi University and Wuhan University.

The requirements for visa renewal are the same as those for Category A. All of them require working or conducting business in Hong Kong. Therefore, young entrepreneurs are advised to set up business in Hong Kong as soon as possible after obtaining their status, whether it is opening a branch or acquiring a small store, which can pave the way for visa renewal after two years.

V. Hong Kong Professionals Scheme (Self-employment): Bosses with Hong Kong companies “employ themselves”.”

If you already own a company with actual operations in Hong Kong, professional self-employment is the most direct route. Applicants need to have tertiary education and no criminal record, while the company must meet the requirements of being established for more than one year, having a physical office, real turnover (preferably not less than HK$3 million), hiring local staff and paying MPF. If the company is relatively new and does not meet the criteria for the time being, it can also be incubated and operated by a professional organization, and then submit an application after it has matured.

The renewal model for professionals is 3+3+2. Since the applicant is running the company himself, the conditions of employment relationship and business contribution required for renewal are naturally fulfilled, and the success rate is very high. The key is for the company to maintain compliance and to complete annual reviews, tax returns and audits on time.

Qicaiying Group has been deeply engaged in Hong Kong company services for many years, providing full-cycle corporate services from company registration, annual audit, bookkeeping and tax reporting to bank account opening, so that your Hong Kong company continues to be compliant and renewed without worry. If you need, please add WeChat: Qicaiyingjituan, or call 16620947137 for one-on-one program.

Hong Kong Identity Renewal Option for Business Owners: Starting a Business in Hong Kong for Self-employment

After reading the above five ways you will find that no matter which type of way to get the identity, the core of visa renewal almost all point to the same direction - to establish business connections in Hong Kong. And starting a business in Hong Kong for self-employment is undoubtedly the most flexible option with the highest success rate.

The essence of business start-up renewal is to prove your contribution to the Hong Kong economy by opening a company or store in Hong Kong, creating employment and paying tax in Hong Kong. It does not require you to be physically present in Hong Kong for a long period of time. As long as you can reasonably explain the reasons for your frequent travel to and from the Mainland, for example, to expand your business and visit your clients, it is usually recognized by the Immigration Department.

You can choose to replicate a mature business already existing in the Mainland and set up a branch in Hong Kong; or you can acquire a local Hong Kong light-asset project, such as a chain business of catering, laundry, beauty care, etc., and get started directly. Either way, the company cannot be an empty shell and must have real business flow, office space, employees and tax filing records.

If you are planning to go to Hong Kong to start a business to renew your visa, but do not know where to start, Enterprise Caiying Group can provide you with a series of landing services, such as company registration, financial and tax accounting, business operations and so on. At the same time, we also provide Hong Kong identity application, visa renewal, transfer to permanent residence throughout the follow-up, as well as cross-border e-commerce accompanied by running on behalf of the operation and other ancillary support. One-stop solution to your identity and business needs, now add WeChat Qicaiyingjituan, or directly call 16620947137, let us help you to the Hong Kong identity this matter, do a solid.