John Lee expands talent drive, launches ‘Study in Hong Kong’ brand to turn city into global hub
Chief Executive John Lee also calls for creation of more student hostels under bid to become international tertiary education hub
Hong Kong’s talent trawl has been expanded to also focus on retaining at least 50,000 professionals annually over the next three years, while proactively inviting top-notch candidates to take up work in the city.
In his latest annual policy address on Wednesday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the government would also establish a “Study in Hong Kong” brand to help turn the city into an international tertiary education hub and push for hotels and commercial buildings to be transformed into student hostels.
Lee first unveiled his talent trawl in his 2022 address, with this year’s blueprint now focusing on retention alongside recruitment.
“More than 380,000 applications have been received to date, and about 160,000 talents have arrived in Hong Kong with their families,” he said, referring to various talent admission policies, such as the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS).
A government source said authorities updated their key performance indicators (KPIs) to not just focus on how much talent came in, but how many chose to remain in the city.
Under the new target, the government aims to approve at least 50,000 visa extension applications each year among those admitted under talent admission schemes between 2025 and 2027.
The figure represents an increase of at least 40 per cent over the annual average between 2021 and 2023.
