
Recently, after Ronnie O'Sullivan ("Rocket") immigrated to Hong Kong through the "Quality Migrant Admission Scheme," the current world number one snooker player, Judd Trump, also immigrated to Hong Kong through the same route.
Judd Trump stated that one of his goals for immigrating to Hong Kong is to promote the development of snooker in the region, expand the influence of the sport, and inspire more young people to take up snooker. He hopes to witness the birth of a future Hong Kong-born world champion.
Hong Kong’s Advantages
Hong Kong’s low tax rates are highly attractive to high-income athletes, allowing them to retain more of their earnings. This is a significant advantage compared to many Western countries.
In addition, snooker tournaments often require participation across China and other parts of Asia. By immigrating to Hong Kong, players can shorten long-haul flight times and better adapt to the time zones and lifestyle of Asia, which could improve their competition performance.
From the perspective of living quality, Hong Kong, as a cosmopolitan city blending Eastern and Western cultures, offers advanced infrastructure and a highly internationalized environment—factors that are important considerations for international talent contemplating immigration.
Advantages of the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme
This scheme aims to attract high-skilled and outstanding talent to settle in Hong Kong, thereby enhancing the city's international competitiveness. Applicants do not need to secure a local employer’s sponsorship or make any investment projects before arriving in Hong Kong.
The scheme is divided into two systems: the "General Points Test" and the "Achievement-based Points Test." Applicants need to meet the requirements of one of these scoring systems.
Achievement-based Points Test
Players like Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump, who have won world-class championships, meet the requirements of the "Achievement-based Points Test." Upon their first entry, they are allowed to stay in Hong Kong for up to 8 years without other stay conditions.
General Points Test
Category | Assessment Criteria | Options |
(A) Age | (1) Is the applicant 50 years old or younger? | ▢ |
(B) Education | (2) Does the applicant hold a Master's or Doctorate degree from a recognized university? (3) Is the degree related to "STEM" subjects—Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics? | ▢ ▢ |
(C) Language Proficiency | (4) Does the applicant have proficiency in both written and spoken forms of two languages? (5) Does the applicant have proficiency in written and spoken English? | ▢ ▢ |
(D) Work Experience | (6) Does the applicant have at least five years of work experience equivalent to a degree or expert level? (7) Does the applicant have at least three years of work experience at a degree or expert level in a multinational corporation or renowned company (e.g., listed companies or those in the Forbes Global 2000, Fortune Global 500, or Hurun China 500)? (8) Does the applicant have at least three years of work experience in specific fields/industries such as "Innovation & Technology," "Finance," and "International Trade" (including cross-border sea and air transport, and supply chain management)? (9) Does the applicant have at least two years of international work experience at a degree or expert level? | ▢
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(E) Annual Income | (10) Did the applicant earn at least HKD 1 million (or equivalent in foreign currency) in the most recent year before applying? | ▢ |
(F) Business Ownership | (11) Does the applicant currently own a business entity that made a profit of at least HKD 5 million (or equivalent) in the year before the application? (12) Does the applicant currently own a listed company? |
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The government has optimized the scoring system by replacing the traditional item-by-item scoring method with a questionnaire system. Applicants need to meet at least 6 of the above criteria to enter the next round of selection. For more details on the scoring system, please refer to the Hong Kong policy updates.
Upon first entry, applicants are allowed to stay in Hong Kong for 36 months without other stay conditions. After this period, they may apply for an extension of 2-3 years without further stay restrictions.
Conclusion
If you are considering moving to Hong Kong, feel free to contact Oceanus Strategic. In the future, we will continue to release more exciting content—stay tuned!
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