Hong Kong SAR: New Criminal Conviction Disclosure Required for Talent Admission Scheme Applicants
February 27, 2023
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At a Glance
- Applicants under the Talent Admission Schemes must now declare any criminal convictions or offenses in their applications.
- Applicants who fail to disclose serious criminal convictions or offenses as required may have their applications rejected or visas cancelled.
- Applicants with criminal convictions may experience longer processing times due to the additional background check conducted by immigration authorities.
The situation
The Hong Kong Immigration Department announced that certain applicants seeking admission under certain Talent Admission schemes are now required to declare whether they have any criminal convictions and provide relevant details.
A closer look
Certain Talent Admission Scheme applicants, including Top Talent Pass, General Employment Policy, Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, Technology Talent Admission Scheme, Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates and Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents, must disclose any criminal convictions and provide relevant details. Applicants under the Capital Investment Entrant and the Foreign Domestic Helper schemes are excluded from the new requirement.
Impact
- Possible cause of rejection or visa cancellation. Applicants who fail to disclose serious criminal convictions or offenses as required may have their applications rejected or visas cancelled.
- Possible longer processing times. Applicants may experience longer processing times due to the additional background check conducted by immigration authorities.
Background
The government has implemented the new requirement in line with its policy to limit security concerns for entrants to Hong Kong SAR.
Looking ahead
It is likely that the government will extend the new criminal conviction disclosure requirement to other Talent Admission Schemes in line with the government’s goal of ensuring security in Hong Kong SAR. Fragomen will report on relevant developments.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
