Hong Kong top talent scheme ‘should have age limits, target sectors lacking skilled labour’
- Lawmakers raise suggestions after Chief Secretary Eric Chan reveals government wants to broaden Top Talent Pass Scheme
Their suggestions were made after Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki revealed on Monday that the government wanted to broaden the Top Talent Pass Scheme by including universities that have prestige in some subjects but are not in top 100 global rankings.
Apart from widening the net, lawmaker Wendy Hong Wen said on Wednesday that the scheme’s criteria could also be tightened in two ways.
“First, we need an age restriction,” she said, adding the scheme had so far attracted some people who were near-retirement age, when Hong Kong’s priority should be to bring in younger, high-skilled talent who can contribute in the long-term.
She explained that while the number of applicants over the age of 60 was not “extremely high”, an age restriction should be put in place in future for applicants and their dependants.
Hong also suggested adopting targeted restrictions based on specific professional fields and industries.
