GEP Visa Hong Kong 2026: Requirements, Fees & Timeline

The GEP (General Employment Policy) visa is Hong Kong's main employer-sponsored work visa for foreign professionals. To qualify, you need a confirmed job offer from a Hong Kong company, a relevant degree (or strong technical experience in special cases), a salary at the local market rate, and a role that can't readily be filled by the local workforce. Processing normally takes four weeks after the Immigration Department (ImmD) receives a complete application. Since 26 February 2025 the government fee is HK$600 to apply plus HK$1,300 when the visa is issued. Approved professionals normally get 36 months on the first visa, and seven years of continuous residence can lead to permanent residency.

This guide walks through every part of the GEP: who can use it, what ImmD actually checks, the documents you and your employer need, fees, timelines, renewals, changing jobs, bringing family, and how it compares with the TTPS, QMAS and IANG. For a side-by-side overview of every route, see our complete guide to Hong Kong work visas.

What Is the GEP Visa?

The General Employment Policy is the admission scheme ImmD uses for professionals from outside mainland China who have a Hong Kong job offer. In everyday conversation people call it the "Hong Kong employment visa", "Hong Kong work permit" or simply "work visa". They all mean the same thing: one e-Visa that lets you enter Hong Kong and work for the employer that sponsored you.

Three features make the GEP different from Hong Kong's newer talent schemes:

• It is tied to an employer. Your visa is issued on an "employment condition", so you can only work in the job ImmD approved.
• It is quota-free and open to every sector. There is no annual cap and no list of approved industries.
• The employer does most of the heavy lifting. The company sponsors the application and has to prove the role is genuine and the pay is fair.

Who Can't Use the GEP

The GEP is not available to:

• Residents of mainland China. They apply under the near-identical Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP).
• Nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and North Korea.
• Non-local graduates of Hong Kong universities (and of joint Greater Bay Area campuses). They normally use the IANG visa instead.

Overseas Chinese nationals holding PRC passports can still apply under the GEP if they have permanent residence overseas, or have lived overseas for at least one year before applying and submit the application from overseas.

If you're looking for an English-speaking job in Hong Kong with an employer willing to sponsor a GEP visa, check out ExpatJobBoard.com. We list thousands of jobs that don't require Cantonese or Mandarin.

GEP Technical Professionals Stream

There is also a separate GEP Technical Professionals (TP) Stream for experienced non-degree workers aged 18 to 40 in specific skilled trades. Unlike the main GEP, it has a quota and only covers listed trades. Most office-based professionals will use the standard GEP covered in this guide.

GEP Visa Requirements: The Five Criteria

ImmD will consider a GEP application favourably when all five official criteria are met. Here is what each one means in practice.

On top of these, you must meet "normal immigration requirements": a valid passport you can return on, no security or criminal concerns, and no likelihood of becoming a burden on Hong Kong.

Is There a Minimum Salary for a GEP Visa?

No. The GEP has no published minimum salary. The test is whether your total package is "broadly commensurate with the prevailing market level" for professionals doing that job in Hong Kong. A junior analyst and a senior engineer will be benchmarked very differently.

In practice, an under-market salary is one of the fastest ways to get refused or to receive a request for more information. If you want a sanity check before signing, compare the offer with official earnings data and recruiter salary guides. Our guide to average salaries in Hong Kong is a good starting point.

The one salary figure that matters is HK$2 million a year. If the total package reaches that level, the employer no longer has to prove it struggled to recruit locally.

Do I Need a Degree for a GEP Visa?

Normally yes, a first degree in a relevant field. ImmD can accept "good technical qualifications, proven professional abilities and/or relevant experience and achievements" instead, but only in special circumstances and with documentary proof. If you don't have a degree and you aren't in a niche technical role, expect closer questioning. Non-degree tradespeople in specific sectors should look at the GEP Technical Professionals Stream instead.

GEP Facilitation Measures: The Shortcuts Most Guides Miss

ImmD runs seven facilitation measures that cut down the paperwork for certain employers and applicants. If one applies to you, say so clearly in the application. These are the details that make a GEP application quick and clean.

ImmD can still ask for any document in an individual case, so treat these as shortcuts, not guarantees. Source: ImmD facilitation measures.

What Is the Hong Kong Talent List?

The Talent List is a government list of professions with a shortage of local supply. Since the update on 1 March 2025 it covers 60 professions, with recent additions tied to areas such as finance, technology, and aviation and shipping. If your job is on the list, your employer doesn't need to prove it couldn't find someone locally, which removes one of the hardest parts of a GEP application. Check the current list at talentlist.gov.hk.

GEP Visa Documents Checklist

Everything is uploaded online. Documents not in English or Chinese need a certified translation.

From you (the applicant):

• A recent photograph
• Your passport bio page (if you're already in Hong Kong, also the page with your latest arrival stamp, landing slip or e-Visa)
• Your Hong Kong identity card, if you have one
• Proof of academic qualifications and relevant work experience (degree certificates, transcripts, reference letters)
• For overseas Chinese with PRC passports: proof of overseas residence

From the employer:

• The employment contract or letter of appointment, showing job title, salary, benefits and contract period
• Business Registration Certificate
• Proof of financial standing, such as audited accounts, a profit and loss account or a profits tax return
• Company background: what the business does, how it operates, its products and markets (brochures and catalogues help)
• For companies set up within the last 12 months: a detailed business plan covering funding, expected turnover and planned local hiring

From each dependant:

• A recent photograph and passport bio page
• Proof of relationship, such as a marriage certificate or birth certificate

You may still see older guides mention paper forms ID 990A (applicant) and ID 990B (employer). Today, ImmD takes GEP applications online through GovHK, and the applicant, the employer and any dependants submit together.

What Makes a Strong Employer Justification Letter?

The documents above are the minimum. The application usually lives or dies on how well the employer explains the hire. A strong letter covers:

1. What the company does in Hong Kong and how many people it employs locally
2. The role's duties and who it reports to
3. The specific skills, languages or experience the role needs
4. Why the candidate has them, with evidence
5. What the company did to recruit locally, unless a facilitation measure removes that step
6. How the salary compares with the market

How to Apply for a GEP Visa: Step by Step

1. Get a signed job offer. The contract should state the title, salary, benefits and contract length.
2. Check for facilitation measures. Work out which of the seven shortcuts above apply, so you only gather what you need.
3. Gather documents. You prepare your personal documents and the employer prepares the company documents and justification.
4. Submit online and pay the HK$600 application fee per person. Payment is by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, JCB), PPS, FPS, or Alipay, WeChat Pay or UnionPay App.
5. Answer any follow-up requests quickly. ImmD may ask for more evidence or carry out a field visit to the employer.
6. Pay the HK$1,300 visa issuance fee once approved. The approval notice includes a payment link.
7. Download your e-Visa. Save it on your phone or print it on plain A4 paper.
8. Enter Hong Kong. Show your passport and e-Visa at immigration and scan the QR code.
9. Register for your Hong Kong ID card within 30 days. You need it for banking, renting and most day-to-day admin.

You can track your application online or through ImmD's 24-hour enquiry line on (852) 3160 8663.

Can I Apply for a GEP Visa While in Hong Kong as a Visitor?

You can submit the application online from anywhere, but you must not start working until the visa is approved and in effect. Visitors are generally not allowed to change their status after arriving in Hong Kong, so people who are approved while visiting typically activate the e-Visa by leaving and re-entering. Ask your employer's HR team or ImmD how they want your case handled before you book anything.

GEP Visa Processing Time

ImmD says a GEP application normally takes four weeks once it has all the required documents and the application fee. The clock does not start until the file is complete, so a missing certificate can easily add weeks.

In practice, plan for four to eight weeks for a clean application. Expect longer if ImmD asks for more information, needs to verify your qualifications, or visits the employer. Extensions are faster: routine extension applications are normally finalised in two to three weeks.

How to keep it close to four weeks:

• Upload everything at once, with certified translations already done
• Make sure the salary in the contract matches the salary in the justification letter
• Use the facilitation measures you qualify for and point them out
• Reply to any follow-up request within days, not weeks

What Is the GEP Visa Approval Rate?

High, when the basics are right. According to the Immigration Department's 2025 review, ImmD received 33,479 new GEP applications in 2025 and approved 31,278, roughly 93%. Extensions are even smoother: 13,429 of 13,604 extension applications were approved, about 99%. Refusals are rare, and they usually come down to the salary, the employer or missing paperwork rather than the applicant's nationality or background.

GEP Visa Fees in 2026

The GEP is a "Specified Scheme" under Hong Kong's immigration fee rules. Since 11am on 26 February 2025, every principal applicant and every dependant pays two fees:

For a normal 36-month GEP visa, that is HK$1,900 per person. A family of four (you, your spouse and two children) pays HK$7,600 in government fees. The same structure applies to every extension and change of employment.

Many older guides still quote HK$230. That was the pre-2025 fee and is now out of date. Source: ImmD fee structure for Specified Schemes.

There are no government fees beyond these. If you use an immigration consultant or law firm, their professional fees are on top.

How Long Is a GEP Visa Valid?

First-time GEP professionals normally get 36 months on employment condition, or the length of the employment contract if shorter. Extensions then follow a 3 then 2 year pattern, which takes a typical GEP holder to the seven-year mark for permanent residency.

Every stage is capped at your contract length, so a two-year contract gets a two-year visa.

The Top-Tier Employment Stream

If you have worked in Hong Kong under the GEP for at least two years and had assessable income for salaries tax of at least HK$2 million in the previous year of assessment, you can apply for the top-tier stream. Approval normally gives you five years on "time limitation only". That means no employment condition: you can change jobs by simply notifying ImmD online. You'll need your Inland Revenue Department salaries tax assessment as proof.

How to Extend a GEP Visa

You can apply to extend from three months before your limit of stay expires. ImmD asks applicants to apply as early as possible, and in all cases at least six weeks before expiry.

To apply, you must be physically in Hong Kong. You upload:

• Your passport and Hong Kong ID card
• A letter from your current employer stating your position, total monthly pay and period of employment
• If you're changing employer at the same time, the full set of new employer documents
• If applying for top-tier, your salaries tax assessment showing HK$2 million or more

One point catches people out. A pending extension does not let you stay past your expiry date. Unless ImmD approves otherwise in exceptional circumstances, you must leave Hong Kong before your limit of stay ends, even if the decision hasn't arrived. Apply early.

Changing Jobs on a GEP Visa

Because the GEP is tied to your employer, you need prior approval from ImmD before you start a new job. A change of employment is assessed against the same five criteria as a new application, so the new employer has to show a genuine role and a market-rate package. It also carries the same fees.

Top-tier holders on time limitation only are the exception. They just notify ImmD of the change online.

If you change jobs often, the Top Talent Pass Scheme or QMAS may suit you better, since neither ties you to a single employer.

What Happens If I Lose My Job on a GEP Visa?

Your visa does not disappear the day your job ends, but you can no longer work under it, and you can't start a new job until ImmD approves a change of employment. ImmD doesn't publish a fixed grace period for GEP holders. Realistically, you need to line up a new sponsoring employer and file a change of employment, or plan to leave before your limit of stay expires. If you're on the top-tier stream, you're in a much stronger position because your stay isn't tied to employment.

Bringing Your Family on a GEP Visa

GEP holders can sponsor:

• A spouse, or the other party to a same-sex or opposite-sex civil partnership, civil union or same-sex marriage that is legally recognised where it was entered into
• Unmarried dependent children under 18

De facto partners, cohabiting partners and fiancés don't qualify.

You must show a genuine relationship and that you can support your family "well above the subsistence level" with suitable housing. Dependants usually get the same limit of stay as you. The good news for working couples: dependants can work or study in Hong Kong without their own work visa.

GEP vs TTPS vs QMAS vs IANG: Which Should You Use?

Our verdict: if you already have a Hong Kong job offer and don't qualify for anything else, the GEP is the right choice and it's very reliable when the salary is fair. If you qualify for the TTPS, it is usually the better visa. It's harder to lose, lets you switch jobs freely, and doesn't depend on your employer's paperwork. Recent graduates of Hong Kong universities should almost always use IANG first.

Common Reasons GEP Applications Are Refused

1. Salary below market. The single most common red flag.
2. A vague justification letter. "The candidate is a strong fit" is not a reason. ImmD wants to know what skill is missing locally.
3. A thin employer. New companies with no staff, revenue or office get extra scrutiny.
4. Mismatch between background and job. An engineering graduate hired into a compliance role needs a careful explanation.
5. Incomplete documents. The four-week clock doesn't start until the file is complete.
6. Criminal or immigration history. Including old overstays.

There is no formal appeal under the GEP. If you're refused, you can submit a fresh application that fixes the problem.

GEP for Entrepreneurs

The GEP also has an investment stream for people who want to start or join a business in Hong Kong. It is assessed on the business plan, funding, local job creation and the value the business brings to Hong Kong, not on a job offer. If you're thinking of founding a company, compare it with the TTPS and QMAS, which let you arrive first and build the business afterwards.

From GEP Visa to Hong Kong Permanent Residency

After seven years of continuous ordinary residence in Hong Kong, GEP holders can apply for the right of abode, which comes with a permanent identity card. Time on a GEP visa counts in full, and so does time spent on other qualifying visas, so switching from IANG or TTPS to GEP doesn't reset the clock. Long absences, gaps between visas and not making Hong Kong your permanent home can all cause problems. Read our full guide to Hong Kong permanent residency for the details.

FAQs: GEP Visa Hong Kong

What does GEP stand for in Hong Kong?

GEP stands for General Employment Policy. It's the Immigration Department scheme that lets non-mainland professionals work in Hong Kong for a sponsoring employer.

How long does a GEP visa take?

Four weeks is ImmD's normal processing time after it receives a complete application and the fee. Plan for four to eight weeks in practice, and longer if ImmD asks for extra documents.

How much does a GEP visa cost in 2026?

HK$1,900 per person for a standard visa: a HK$600 non-refundable application fee plus a HK$1,300 visa issuance fee. Each dependant pays the same.

What is the minimum salary for a GEP visa?

There isn't one. Your package must be in line with the market rate for that job in Hong Kong. If it reaches HK$2 million a year, your employer doesn't need to prove local recruitment difficulty.

Can I get a GEP visa without a degree?

It's possible but harder. ImmD normally expects a relevant first degree and only accepts strong technical qualifications or proven experience in special circumstances, backed by documents.

Is a GEP visa the same as a Hong Kong work permit?

Yes. Hong Kong issues one e-Visa that covers both entry and the right to work. There's no separate work permit.

Can I change jobs on a GEP visa?

Yes, but you need ImmD's approval before you start the new job. Top-tier holders only need to notify ImmD online.

How long is a GEP visa valid for?

Normally 36 months for the first visa, or your contract length if shorter. Extensions follow a 3 then 2 year pattern, and top-tier holders can get five years.

When can I renew my GEP visa?

From three months before it expires, and no later than six weeks before. You must be in Hong Kong when you apply.

Can my spouse work in Hong Kong on a dependant visa?

Yes. Dependants of GEP holders can take up employment or study in Hong Kong without their own work visa.

Can I apply for a GEP visa myself without an employer?

No. The GEP needs a sponsoring Hong Kong employer. If you want to apply on your own, look at the TTPS or QMAS.

Does a GEP visa lead to permanent residency?

Yes. Seven years of continuous ordinary residence on a GEP visa (or a mix of qualifying visas) lets you apply for the right of abode.

Which countries can't apply for a GEP visa?

Nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and North Korea. Mainland Chinese residents use the ASMTP instead.

Key Takeaways

• The GEP is Hong Kong's main employer-sponsored work visa for non-mainland professionals.
• You need a confirmed offer, a relevant degree (or proven expertise), a market-rate package and a role that's hard to fill locally.
• Processing normally takes four weeks after a complete application.
• Government fees are HK$600 plus HK$1,300 per person since February 2025, not HK$230.
• First visas are usually 36 months, then extensions of 3 and 2 years, with a five-year top-tier option at HK$2 million income.
• Changing employer needs prior approval, and dependants can work freely.
• Seven years of continuous residence can lead to permanent residency.

For every other route into Hong Kong, read our complete guide to Hong Kong work visas.

Find a Visa-Sponsoring Job in Hong Kong

The GEP only works once you have a job offer. ExpatJobBoard.com lists English-speaking roles in Hong Kong that don't require Cantonese or Mandarin, from employers used to sponsoring overseas hires.