What is the Hong Kong Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS)?

TechTAS is a fast-track scheme that lets an eligible Hong Kong company bring in overseas or Mainland technology talent to carry out research and development work. It has run since 2018 and is administered by the Innovation and Technology Commission alongside the Immigration Department. The company first secures a quota, then sponsors individual applicants against it. Official source: Immigration Department, Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS). Reviewed 17 July 2026.

How is TechTAS different from a standard Hong Kong work visa?

The standard route, the General Employment Policy, is filed case by case for each individual role. TechTAS instead gives an approved company a quota that can cover a number of non-local R&D hires, and the government has said it is targeting faster processing at the individual visa stage once a quota is in place. TechTAS is also narrower in scope, since it is built around genuine R&D roles rather than any professional job.

Do I need to work in a specific technology sector to qualify?

Not any more as a strict rule. Until December 2025, applicants needed to be principally engaged in R&D within a fixed list of designated technology areas. That requirement was lifted as part of the December 2025 enhancement package, though a genuine, substantive R&D role is still expected. Official source: Innovation and Technology Commission, government press release on TechTAS enhancement measures, 24 December 2025. Reviewed 17 July 2026.

What qualifications do I need for TechTAS?

The standard route asks for a degree in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics subject from a university ranked in the top 100 of a widely used global ranking. Master's and doctoral holders are not asked for a separate minimum experience period, while bachelor's degree holders are generally expected to show at least one year of relevant experience. A case-by-case route exists for strong practical skills or experience without a formal qualifying degree. Official source: Immigration Department, Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS). Reviewed 17 July 2026.

How big is the employer quota under TechTAS?

Reported guidance points to a cap of up to 100 people per company per year under the standard process, with higher numbers considered case by case where the company can justify the request. Treat this as the reported general position rather than a guaranteed figure for every company, and confirm the current cap with the ITC.

How long does a TechTAS quota last?

A granted quota is generally valid for 24 months, during which the sponsoring company can use it to bring in individual hires without a fresh quota approval each time. Official source: Immigration Department, Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS). Reviewed 17 July 2026.

How long does a TechTAS visa take to process?

The Immigration Department has said it is aiming for around two weeks for the visa or entry permit stage once a quota is in place and all documents are submitted, and since December 2025 the quota and visa applications can be filed in parallel, which the government says can cut combined processing by up to four weeks compared with filing them one after the other. These are targets rather than guaranteed turnaround times, so confirm current processing expectations before you plan around a specific date. Official source: Innovation and Technology Commission, government press release on TechTAS enhancement measures, 24 December 2025. Reviewed 17 July 2026.

Does my employer have to hire local staff alongside me?

Some official and practitioner guidance describes a linked local hiring condition, historically cited as one new local graduate hire plus two local interns for every one to three non-local staff a company brings in under its quota. We could not confirm with certainty whether this ratio still applies in full after the December 2025 changes, so check the current position directly with the ITC or your employer's immigration advisers rather than assuming it is unchanged.

How much does a TechTAS application cost?

The employer's quota application does not carry its own government fee. Official source: GovHK, Online Application for Quota / Entry for Employment under Technology Talent Admission Scheme. Reviewed 17 July 2026. The individual visa or entry permit application carries the standard fee under Hong Kong's specified schemes fee structure, which is non-refundable regardless of the outcome, so check the current published fee before you apply. Official source: Immigration Department, fee structure for specified schemes. Reviewed 17 July 2026.

Can I bring my family with me?

Yes. You can apply to bring your spouse and unmarried dependent children under 18 as dependants. A spouse on a dependant visa generally has largely unrestricted work rights in Hong Kong. Official source: Immigration Department, Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS). Reviewed 17 July 2026.

Does TechTAS lead to permanent residency?

TechTAS does not have its own separate settlement track. Like most work-based entry routes into Hong Kong, it feeds into the general rule that continuous ordinary residence of at least seven years, taking Hong Kong as your permanent home, makes you eligible for the right of abode and permanent resident status. Official source: Immigration Department, Eligibility for the Right of Abode in the HKSAR. Reviewed 17 July 2026.

Is TechTAS legal and a genuine government scheme?

Yes. TechTAS is a Hong Kong government scheme run by the Innovation and Technology Commission in cooperation with the Immigration Department, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, and Cyberport. It is a legitimate immigration route, not a private or third-party product, though eMigr8's coaching and guidance sit alongside it rather than replacing the official application process.

Does eMigr8 give legal or immigration advice on TechTAS?

No. We give coaching, profile review, and guidance to help you understand TechTAS and prepare a strong case. We do not give legal advice or immigration consultation, and quota sizes, eligibility rules, fees, and processing times are set by the Innovation and Technology Commission and the Immigration Department and can change, so always confirm your specific position with them or a qualified immigration professional.

Hong Kong's fast-track route for R&D and tech talent

TechTAS has run since 2018 and is administered by Hong Kong's Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC), working alongside the Immigration Department, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, and Cyberport. Rather than each hire filing a standalone work visa case from scratch, an eligible company first applies to the ITC for a quota covering a number of non-local R&D staff. Once that quota is granted, the company can sponsor individual applicants for an employment visa or entry permit against it, within the quota's 24-month validity window. Official source: Immigration Department, Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS). Reviewed 17 July 2026.

Who it is for

Engineers, data scientists, and other STEM graduates whose role in Hong Kong is principally R&D based, rather than general operations or sales; Technology companies in Hong Kong, from Science and Technology Parks and Cyberport tenants through to other firms with substantive local R&D activity, who need to bring in overseas or Mainland specialists at volume; Employers who expect to hire more than one or two non-local technologists over the coming year and want a standing quota rather than filing separate cases each time; People already weighing TechTAS against Hong Kong's other routes, such as the General Employment Policy or the Top Talent Pass Scheme, and who want to understand where the fit is closest.

How eMigr8 helps

eMigr8 gives you coaching and guidance to understand how TechTAS works and to prepare a strong application. We do not give legal advice or immigration consultation. Quota sizes, designated technology areas, fees, and processing times are set by the Innovation and Technology Commission and the Immigration Department and change from time to time, so confirm the current position with the ITC, the Immigration Department, or a qualified immigration professional before you rely on anything here.