First, let’s make a distinction: the Skilled Worker Stream and the Professional Stream are two separate programs.

Many employers confuse the two. The Mainland Talent Admission Scheme (Professionals) is intended for individuals with specialized skills, knowledge, or experience; whereas positions for technicians and below—for which it is difficult to recruit locally—follow theSupplemental Workforce Optimization Program... with the Labor Department overseeing the quotas and the Immigration Department issuing visas.

The Supplementary Labor Optimization Program is designed to ensure priority employment for local workers; it imposes industry restrictions and quota management, and its approval criteria are more stringent. If you choose the wrong application channel, your application will often be rejected at the very first step.

Step 1: Start with a local open recruitment drive

Employers must prove that they have made every effort to recruit locally but were still unable to fill the vacancy. According to publicly available information from the Hong Kong Labor Department, general positions generally require a local recruitment period of approximately four weeks, during which recruitment results must be documented. Certain job categories (such as waitstaff and entry-level cooks) are subject to stricter requirements: the recruitment period is extended to six weeks, during which employers must participate in on-site job fairs every week and meet specific staffing ratio requirements.

Salary, working hours, and hiring requirements provided during the recruitment process will all be scrutinized. Offering unreasonable terms while recruiting is a common cause of failure.

Step 2: Apply to the Labor Department for approval in principle

The employer submits an application and relevant supporting documents to the Supplementary Labor Section of the Labor Department, which will review whether the local recruitment process was conducted in good faith, whether the salary is no less than the monthly median wage for the relevant position, and whether the position falls within an industry experiencing a genuine labor shortage.

ObtainedApproved in principleAfterward, the employer must submit an entry permit application to the Immigration Department for each prospective employee within the time limit specified in the approval notice; if the application is not submitted by the deadline, the quota will expire.

Step 3: Apply for an entry permit at the Immigration Office

Each prospective employee must submit an application form, a standard employment contract, proof of identity, and documentation of qualifications and work experience. According to information from the Hong Kong Government’s “One-Stop Portal,” the Immigration Department generally takes six weeks to process an application after receiving all required documents.

At the same time, several eligibility requirements must be met: the applicant must possess the qualifications and experience appropriate for the position; the terms of employment must be comparable to those in the local market; the applicant must be hired directly by the employer rather than through a subcontractor; neither the applicant nor the employer may have a history of misconduct; and the employer must have sufficient financial capacity to hire the applicant, provide appropriate housing, and cover living expenses and return travel costs.

Three Types of Fees and Contract Term

1. Entry License Fee: According to official figures, the price is 330 Hong Kong dollars.
2. Employee Retraining Levy: Employers must make a one-time payment for each imported worker, calculated by multiplying HK$400 by the number of months in the employment contract, up to a maximum of 24 months; under no circumstances will the levy be refunded.
3. Mainland China Document Fees: Approved mainland residents must apply for a Mainland Resident Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao and a Hong Kong entry endorsement at the public security bureau in their place of household registration, and must present their electronic visa when going through immigration procedures.

The standard employment contract term is generally limited to a maximum of twenty-four months, and the actual work arrangements must be consistent with the information provided in the application. Specific fees, form versions, and processing timesPlease refer to the official announcements from the Hong Kong Immigration Department and the Labor Department.The

No agency guarantees the outcome of the approval process. It is important to note that the policies and forms related to the Supplementary Labor Optimization Program are updated periodically, and recruitment period requirements, staffing ratios, and fee standards are subject to change. Employers should review the latest versions of the application forms and application guidelines before initiating the recruitment process and comply with the current requirements.Please refer to the official announcement by the Hong Kong Immigration Department.

Qicaiying can assist Hong Kong employers with reviewing employment contracts, MPF registration, and filing employer tax returns; specific requirements are subject to official announcements.