Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese HK Permanent Residents 2026: The Six Requirements

The Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents comes down to six tests: you must be aged 18 to 40, born overseas, have a parent who holds a valid Hong Kong permanent identity card when you apply and who was a Chinese national settled overseas when you were born, hold a good education background (normally a bachelor's degree), have good written and spoken Chinese or English, and show enough money to cover your living and accommodation costs without relying on public funds. These criteria are set out on the Hong Kong Immigration Department's FAQ page "Enhancement Measures on Admission Schemes", as of the October 2026 official page.

The scheme exists because the department sees the overseas-born children of emigrated Hong Kong residents as a labour supply worth attracting: people raised with foreign languages and cultures, generally well educated, and with family ties that may make them more inclined to build a career in the city.

What are the six requirements, one by one?

Age. You must be between 18 and 40.
Birthplace. You must have been born overseas, meaning outside the Chinese mainland, the Hong Kong SAR, the Macao SAR and Taiwan.
Parent's status. At least one parent must hold a valid Hong Kong permanent identity card at the time you apply, and must have been a Chinese national already settled overseas at the time you were born.
Education. A good education background, normally a bachelor's degree. In exceptional cases, good technical qualifications, proven professional ability, and documented relevant experience and achievements can also be accepted.
Language. Good written and spoken Chinese or English. Spoken Chinese means Putonghua or Cantonese.
Financial capacity. Enough money to cover your own daily living and accommodation, and those of any dependants, without public funds.

These sit on top of the general immigration requirements that apply to anyone seeking to enter Hong Kong.

Which parent's status matters, and at what point in time?

The test looks at two different moments. Your parent's immigration status is assessed when you apply: the parent must then hold a valid Hong Kong permanent identity card. Your parent's nationality and residence are assessed when you were born: the parent must have been a Chinese national already settled overseas at that time.

A foreign passport held by your parent does not by itself settle the question. Under the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China and the 1996 NPC Standing Committee interpretation on its application in Hong Kong, a parent born in Hong Kong or elsewhere in China and of Chinese descent may still be regarded as a Chinese national, unless they have applied to the Immigration Department for a change of nationality and that application was approved — regardless of whether they now hold or once held a foreign passport.

How is the scheme different from a Certificate of Right of Abode?

Both routes care about your parent's nationality, but they apply to different people. A Certificate of Right of Abode ("居權證") requires that you held Chinese nationality at birth; in practice that means your parent had not yet settled in a foreign country when you were born.

The Second Generation Scheme generally covers the opposite situation: you were born overseas and did not have Chinese nationality at birth. Under Article 24(2)(3) of the Basic Law and the 1999 NPC Standing Committee interpretation, a person born outside Hong Kong to a Hong Kong permanent resident parent qualifies as a permanent resident only if that parent was, at the time of birth, a Chinese citizen born in Hong Kong or a Chinese citizen who had ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years. Article 5 of the Nationality Law adds that a person born abroad to a Chinese citizen parent who has settled abroad, and who acquires foreign nationality at birth, does not have Chinese nationality — which is why that group falls outside the right of abode route and into this scheme.

Do you need a job in Hong Kong before you apply?

No. The Immigration Department states clearly that applicants do not need to have found a job in Hong Kong when they submit their application.

That flexibility ends at the extension stage. Successful applicants are normally granted 24 months on first entry with no other conditions of stay attached, and they do not need to be employed on arrival. But to extend, you must already be employed in Hong Kong, in work normally taken by degree holders and paid at market level. If you have instead started or joined a business in Hong Kong, you must produce documents proving that business.

What happens when you apply to extend your stay?

You can apply within three months before your current limit expires. The department assesses employment and business cases on factors including remuneration or business operation and development, the economic benefit of the work or business, and the time you have spent in Hong Kong.

If approved, you are generally granted an extension of up to three years, or until your employment contract ends, whichever is shorter, with no other conditions of stay. Business applicants are considered on how the business is performing. An applicant who cannot show continuing employment or a business may be refused.

Is there a longer extension for high earners?

Yes, via the top talent category. To be considered, you must have stayed in Hong Kong under the scheme for at least two years, and your assessable income for salaries tax in the previous year of assessment must have reached HK$2 million or more, evidenced by Inland Revenue Department documents such as a salaries tax assessment notice. Successful applicants are generally granted six more years with no other conditions of stay.

Who counts as a dependant?

A person admitted under the scheme may apply to bring a spouse, or the other party to a same-sex or opposite-sex civil partnership, civil union or marriage that is legally and officially recognised in the place where it was entered into. Unmarried dependent children under 18 can also be included. The person admitted under the scheme becomes the sponsor for those dependants. The financial requirement covers them as well, not just the main applicant.

How is the application submitted and the visa issued?

Applications from outside Hong Kong are submitted online, with supporting documents uploaded through the GovHK page for the scheme. After approval, the Immigration Department's result notification contains a link for paying the visa issue fee; payment can be made by credit card (VISA, Mastercard, UnionPay or JCB), PPS, Faster Payment System, or mainland e-wallets (Alipay, WeChat Pay or UnionPay App). Once payment succeeds, the e-Visa can be downloaded or printed immediately.

Scheme rules, fees and documentary expectations can change, and eligibility is decided by the Immigration Department on the facts of each application. This article is general information about published rules, not an assessment of any individual case, so rely on the department's latest published version or a qualified professional for your own circumstances.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a job offer before applying?

No. The Immigration Department states that applicants do not need to have secured employment in Hong Kong at the time they apply. Employment becomes relevant only when you later ask to extend your stay.

How long can I stay on first entry?

Successful applicants are normally allowed to stay for 24 months on first entry, with no other conditions of stay imposed. You do not need to hold a job when you arrive.

What if I still have no job when my 24 months run out?

An extension application requires you to be employed in Hong Kong in a role normally filled by degree holders, paid at market level, or to have started or joined a business with documents to prove it. Without either, the application may be refused.

My parent has a foreign passport. Does that disqualify me?

Not automatically. A parent born in Hong Kong or elsewhere in China and of Chinese descent may still be treated as a Chinese national, even with a foreign passport, unless they applied to the Immigration Department for a change of nationality and it was approved.

I was born in Taiwan or Macao. Am I eligible?

No. "Overseas" for this scheme excludes birth in the Chinese mainland, the Hong Kong SAR, the Macao SAR and Taiwan. Birth in Taiwan or Macao does not meet the birthplace requirement.

Can my spouse and children come with me?

Yes. Dependants include a spouse or a recognised civil partner or spouse-equivalent partner, plus unmarried dependent children under 18. Your financial evidence has to cover them too.