Can same-sex civil partners join under Hong Kong's ASSG in 2026?
Yes. An entrant admitted under the Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents (ASSG) may apply to bring in the other party to a same-sex civil partnership, same-sex civil union or "same-sex marriage" entered into outside Hong Kong, alongside a spouse and unmarried dependent children under 18, under the prevailing dependant policy. The rule is set out on the Hong Kong Immigration Department's "Enhancement Measures on Admission Schemes for Talent, Professionals and Entrepreneurs" page, as of October 2026. Two conditions do most of the work: the relationship must have been entered into in accordance with the local law in force of the place of celebration, and that status must be legally and officially recognised by the local authorities there.
Who qualifies as an ASSG dependant?
The Immigration Department lists two parallel tracks. One is the spouse. The other is "the other party to" a relationship formed abroad in one of five forms: same-sex civil partnership, same-sex civil union, "same-sex marriage", opposite-sex civil partnership or opposite-sex civil union. Unmarried dependent children under the age of 18 form a separate category, again dealt with under the prevailing dependant policy.
The ASSG entrant acts as the sponsor of any accompanying dependants. Sponsorship follows admission: the wording on the page is that an entrant "admitted under the ASSG" may apply to bring in these family members, so the main application has to succeed first.
What makes a same-sex relationship eligible?
The page gives a short definition before it lists anything else. The terms "civil partnership" and "civil union" mean "a legal institution of a nature which is akin to spousal relationship in a marriage" — an official status created by law, not a private arrangement between two people. The same restriction applies to same-sex civil partnerships, civil unions and "same-sex marriage", and to their opposite-sex equivalents: they count only if entered into under the law of the place of celebration and legally and officially recognised by the authorities there.
Recognition abroad is therefore the gate, not the label a couple uses informally. A relationship that carries legal weight in one jurisdiction but none where it was formed does not meet the wording on the page.
How do the qualifying features work in practice?
The department says these relationships "normally" have four features, which together describe a status created and dissolved by law rather than by agreement:
- Governed by legislation. The entering into and the dissolution of the relationship are governed by the legislation of the place where it was entered into. An arrangement that a couple can walk away from without any legal process is unlikely to fit.
- Registered with a competent authority. The legislation of that place must require registration by a specified authority, such as a registry or similar public body.
- Evidenced in writing. The registration has to be evidenced in a written instrument issued by that competent authority — a certificate or comparable document, not a private deed or a joint tenancy agreement.
- A permanent mutual commitment. The parties must have a mutual commitment to a shared life akin to spouses, to the exclusion of others, on a permanent basis.
Suppose an applicant registered a same-sex civil union in a jurisdiction where a statute creates the status, a registrar records it, and the couple received an official certificate. That arrangement maps onto the four features. Suppose instead two people describe themselves as partners and share a home with no registration anywhere. Nothing in that arrangement can be produced as a written instrument from a competent authority, so it falls outside the categories.
Which partnerships are excluded?
The page closes the definition with an explicit list of what these relationships do not include: de facto spouse, partners in cohabitation, fiancé/fiancée and similar arrangements. The distinction is registration and legal status, not duration or commitment.
| Counted for ASSG dependant purposes | Not counted |
|---|---|
| Spouse | De facto spouse |
| Other party to a same-sex civil partnership, same-sex civil union or "same-sex marriage" recognised where celebrated | Partners in cohabitation |
| Other party to an opposite-sex civil partnership or civil union recognised where celebrated | Fiancé or fiancée |
| Unmarried dependent children under 18 | Any arrangement without legal registration by a competent authority |
Can dependent children join the same sponsorship?
Yes, within a narrow margin. The eligible category is unmarried dependent children under the age of 18. A child who has married, or who has reached 18, sits outside that category on the face of the rule. The page does not attach further conditions to this group, and children travel under the same prevailing dependant policy as the partner.
What does the sponsor have to show?
ASSG applicants already have to meet a financial criterion before they are admitted, and it is written with dependants in mind. Applicants must "have sufficient financial means and are able to meet the living expenses for his/her (including his/her dependants, if any) maintenance and accommodation in Hong Kong without recourse to public funds". That sits alongside the scheme's other criteria: age between 18 and 40, birth overseas, at least one parent holding a valid Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card at the time of application who was a Chinese national settled overseas at the time of the applicant's birth, a good education background (normally a first degree), and proficiency in written and spoken Chinese or English. The department also applies the "normal immigration requirements" to every applicant.
For planning purposes, the entrant's own stay runs on a known pattern: an initial stay of 24 months on time limitation only, with no employment offer required at the point of application, while later extensions require employment at a level commonly taken up by degree holders with remuneration at market level, or proof of an established or joined business.
What this eligibility rule does not settle
The ASSG answers on dependants are about who fits the categories, not about how a dependant application is assembled. Documentary checklists, processing timelines, fees and the stay pattern granted to dependants sit with the prevailing dependant policy and the department's own application guidance, which this page does not restate, so treat the official published requirements as the operative version at the time you file. This summary describes published rules for general reference and is not advice on any individual case; because outcomes turn on the documents and facts actually submitted, checks against the current official pages — and a professional opinion where the facts are contested — carry more weight than any reading here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a same-sex marriage treated the same as a spouse under ASSG?
Yes, the Immigration Department lists "same-sex marriage" among the relationships whose other party an ASSG entrant may bring in. It is placed alongside same-sex civil partnership and same-sex civil union, subject to the same recognition test. The relationship must comply with the local law in force where it was celebrated and be legally and officially recognised there.
Does the relationship have to be registered in Hong Kong?
No. The page does not require registration in Hong Kong, and it does not describe any local registration route. It requires that the relationship was entered into in accordance with the local law in force of the place of celebration and is recognised by the local authorities of that place. Evidence normally takes the form of a written instrument from the competent authority there.
Are opposite-sex civil partners covered as well?
Yes. Opposite-sex civil partnership and opposite-sex civil union appear in the same list as the same-sex categories. They are judged by the identical definition and must show the same features, including registration by a competent authority and a permanent mutual commitment akin to spouses.
Do cohabiting partners qualify if the couple has lived together for years?
No. Partners in cohabitation and de facto spouses are named on the page as excluded from the definition. Length of cohabitation does not change this, because the test is whether a legal institution created and registered under the law of the place of celebration exists.
Can children over 18 come as dependants?
Not under the category described here. The eligible group is unmarried dependent children under the age of 18. A child who has reached 18, or who is married, falls outside the category as stated on the Immigration Department page.
Does the ASSG applicant need a job offer before applying?
No. The Immigration Department states that an applicant is not required to have secured an offer of employment upon application under the ASSG. Employment becomes relevant later: extension applications look for work at a level commonly taken up by degree holders with remuneration at market level, or proof of business.
Does meeting the definition guarantee the dependant application succeeds?
No. The page defines who may be brought in under the prevailing dependant policy; it does not state that any application meeting those descriptions is approved. Other requirements, including the "normal immigration requirements" and the sponsor's financial position, remain part of the assessment.