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SINGAPORE: To cope with an ageing population and boost its workforce, Hong Kong has announced plans to include more universities in its elite talent visa scheme, a move some lawmakers said should include age limits and targeted industries to address persistent manpower problems.
Like much of Asia, Hong Kong is recovering from political turmoil and a pandemic-induced brain drain and has been seeking to attract more global talent. Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) to be launched in 2022.
Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration Paul Chan said during an event in Hangzhou this week that the Hong Kong SAR government hopes to amend the TTPS program to include some “very famous and excellent schools”, including several universities from mainland China that are not currently among the top 100 universities in Hong Kong, the South China Morning Post reported.
That could include schools like Renmin University in Beijing, as one Hong Kong legislator has suggested.
“The more talents we have, the more useful they will be to Hong Kong,” Mr Chan said, adding that the quality of applicants would not be affected.
Chan Mo-po said Hong Kong is “opening its doors” to applicants from mainland China.
“We share the same culture and language, so coming to Hong Kong is the best and easiest way for them to adapt,” he told the state-run China News Service.
According to figures provided by the Hong Kong Immigration Department, more than 20,200 applications were approved under the Immigration Scheme in the first half of this year.
Nearly 50,000 applications were approved last year.
Under the program, graduates from the top 100 universities with at least three years of recent work experience are eligible to apply for the program.
Hong Kong’s immigration department said the vast majority of applicants were from mainland China, a trend that has raised concerns among observers and lawmakers that it could undermine Hong Kong’s status as a diversified international financial center.
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