QMAS Hong Kong 2026: Points Test, Eligibility & How to Apply

The Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) is Hong Kong's points-based visa for highly skilled people who want to move to Hong Kong without a job offer. Since 1 November 2024, most applicants use a new General Points Test with 12 yes or no criteria covering age, education, languages, work experience, income and business ownership. You need to meet at least 6 of the 12 to apply, and a government panel then picks the strongest candidates. In 2025, about 38% of applications were selected. Successful applicants get 36 months with no employment condition, then extensions of 3 and 2 years, and can apply for permanent residency after seven years.

If you're reading an older guide that talks about scoring 80 points out of 245, it's out of date. This guide explains how the QMAS works today, what each criterion means, worked examples, documents, fees, renewals, and when the TTPS or GEP is a smarter choice. For the full overview of every route, see our complete guide to Hong Kong work visas.

What Is the QMAS?

The QMAS is one of Hong Kong's oldest talent schemes, running since 2006. It's designed for people the government wants to settle in Hong Kong long term, not just fill a vacancy. You don't need an employer or a business plan to apply. Once admitted, you can work for anyone, change jobs, or start a company without asking the Immigration Department (ImmD).

Unlike the TTPS, the QMAS is not automatic. Meeting the minimum criteria only gets you into the pool. A high-level Assessment Panel, chaired by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, then selects applicants based on Hong Kong's manpower needs and the strength of each profile.

The QMAS is not open to nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba or North Korea.

If you're moving to Hong Kong under the QMAS and want an English-speaking job, check out ExpatJobBoard.com. We list thousands of jobs that don't require Cantonese or Mandarin.

QMAS Eligibility: The Four Prerequisites

Before ImmD looks at your points, you must meet all four prerequisites. If you can't prove any one of them, the application is refused straight away.

The QMAS General Points Test: All 12 Criteria

This is the route most people use. You answer yes or no to 12 criteria and upload proof for each "yes". The current passing threshold is 6 out of 12.

Source: ImmD QMAS FAQ. ImmD also has an online self-assessment tool on its QMAS page.

The Details Behind the Criteria

• "Eligible university" (criteria 2 and 3) means the QMAS aggregate list. It includes every university on the TTPS list plus the top 10 postgraduate-only business schools in the QS Global MBA and Financial Times MBA rankings. A bachelor's degree doesn't count for these two criteria, even from a top university. For joint degrees, every awarding institution must be on the list.
• Verification: you'll need verification of your qualifications from a third-party credential verification organisation or the awarding university.
• STEM: ImmD publishes a reference list of STEM subjects. Subjects not on the list can still be considered if you provide supporting documents.
• Industry experience (criterion 8) is judged by your actual role, not just your employer's industry. A software engineer at a retailer can count as innovation and technology. For CEOs and general managers, the company's business is taken into account.
• International exposure (criterion 9) means professional work outside your home country or territory.
• Income (criterion 10) is proven with a salaries tax assessment, stock option documents or your own company's accounts. The online form converts 17 major currencies automatically.
• Business ownership (criteria 11 and 12) means holding 50% or more of a private company, or normally 10% or more of a listed company, as the absolute beneficial owner.

Is Meeting 6 Out of 12 Enough?

It's enough to apply, not enough to guarantee approval. ImmD states that applications meeting more criteria are viewed more favourably. In practice, applicants who meet 8 or more criteria, work in a sector Hong Kong is short of, or have a profession on the Talent List are in a much stronger position. Talent List professionals are favourably considered under the General Points Test.

QMAS Worked Examples

Two fictional profiles show how the test plays out.

Example 1: Priya, 34, software engineer. Master's in computer science from a listed university (criteria 2 and 3), fluent in English and Hindi (4 and 5), eight years' experience (6), four years at a Fortune Global 500 tech company (7) in an engineering role (8), and three years working in Singapore (9). Aged under 50 (1). Income HK$900,000, no business. Score: 9 out of 12. A strong QMAS candidate. If her bachelor's is also from a listed university, the TTPS Category B would be quicker.

Example 2: Tom, 41, marketing director. Bachelor's degree only (no for 2 and 3), English only (5 but not 4), 15 years' experience (6), five years at a listed company (7), marketing rather than tech, finance or trade (no for 8), has only worked in the UK (no for 9), income HK$1.2 million (10). Aged under 50 (1). Score: 5 out of 12. Not eligible for the General Points Test. Tom's better options are the GEP with a job offer, or the TTPS Category B if his bachelor's is from a listed university.

The QMAS Achievement-Based Points Test

The second route is for people with exceptional achievements. You must meet one of two criteria:

1. You've received an award for exceptional achievement, such as an Olympic medal, a Nobel Prize, or a national or international award
2. Your work has been recognised by your peers or contributed significantly to your field, such as a lifetime achievement award from your industry

The bar is very high, and if you don't meet either criterion the application is refused immediately. The reward is a much longer first visa: eight years, with no conditions.

QMAS Documents Checklist

The full list is in the QMAS Guidance Notes (ID(E) 982). Expect to upload:

• Passport and recent photo
• Degree certificates, transcripts and third-party verification
• Proof of language proficiency
• Employer reference letters showing your role, dates and level
• Proof of employers' status where you claim criterion 7 (for example, a listing or a Fortune Global 500 ranking)
• Tax assessments or payslips proving income
• Company registration and accounts if you claim business ownership
• Proof of funds to support yourself and your family
• For each dependant: passport, photo and proof of relationship

The quality of your evidence matters more than the number of documents. Reference letters should state your title, start and end dates, and responsibilities, on company letterhead.

How to Apply for the QMAS: Step by Step

1. Self-assess against the 12 criteria. Use ImmD's self-assessment tool and be strict with yourself.
2. Get your degree verified and collect reference letters and tax documents.
3. Apply online through GovHK. Include accompanying dependants in the same application. Pay HK$600 per person.
4. Wait for a selection exercise. ImmD passes eligible applications to the Assessment Panel. Selection exercises are held regularly.
5. Respond to any requests. ImmD may ask for originals or extra documents.
6. Pay the visa issuance fee. HK$1,300 per person once approved.
7. Enter Hong Kong with your passport and e-Visa, then register for a Hong Kong ID card within 30 days.

Mainland Chinese residents also need a letter of consent from their working unit and an Exit-entry Permit with the right endorsement.

How Long Does the QMAS Take?

ImmD doesn't publish a processing target for new QMAS applications, because selection happens in rounds. Plan for several months. Immigration practitioners commonly report six to twelve months from submission to approval, which is far slower than the four weeks for the TTPS or GEP. Treat your application as still under processing until you receive a result notification. Extensions are quicker, normally two to three weeks.

Already in Hong Kong on Another Visa?

You can apply, but ImmD treats you, your spouse and children as fresh entrants with no existing right to remain. Under the General Points Test, people who are on a talent scheme, or were in the previous six months, must also meet the QMAS extension criteria at the point of application. In practice, that means already having settled in Hong Kong with a job or business.

QMAS Approval Rate

The QMAS is the most selective of Hong Kong's major talent schemes. According to ImmD's 2025 annual review:

Approvals in a year aren't always from that year's applications, so treat these as rough rates. The drop in applications after the November 2024 reform is the 6 out of 12 threshold working as intended: weaker profiles can no longer apply. Once you're in, the odds flip. In 2025, 9,639 of 9,906 QMAS extension applications were approved, about 97%.

QMAS Fees in 2026

The QMAS is a "Specified Scheme", so since 26 February 2025 each applicant and each dependant pays:

• HK$600 application fee, non-refundable even if you're not selected
• HK$1,300 visa issuance fee after approval (for stays over 180 days)

That's HK$1,900 per person, or HK$7,600 for a family of four. Every extension costs the same. See the ImmD fee schedule.

How Long Is a QMAS Visa Valid?

All QMAS stays are on "time limitation only", so there are no employment conditions at any stage.

QMAS Renewal: What You Need to Show

You can apply from three months before your visa expires, and at least six weeks before. You must be in Hong Kong when you apply. A pending application doesn't let you stay past your expiry date.

First extension (after 36 months): show you've taken steps to settle in Hong Kong, for example by getting a job or setting up a business.

Later extensions: show that you've settled in Hong Kong and contributed to it, through graduate, specialist or senior level employment with a stable income, or a business of a reasonable size.

Top-tier stream: if you've been in Hong Kong for at least two years and had assessable income for salaries tax of HK$2 million or more in the previous year of assessment, you can apply for a five-year extension, even before your 36 months are up. The five years are added on from your current expiry date.

Bringing Your Family on a QMAS Visa

You can bring a spouse, or a partner in a same-sex or opposite-sex civil partnership, civil union or same-sex marriage that is legally recognised where it was entered into, plus unmarried dependent children under 18. Apply for them in the same online application.

You need to show enough personal net worth to support and house your family through the first 12 months without relying on public assistance. Dependants can work or study in Hong Kong.

QMAS vs TTPS: Which Should You Choose?

Our verdict: if you qualify for the TTPS, choose it. It's faster, far more predictable, and the renewal test is similar. The QMAS is the right choice when the TTPS isn't open to you, for example if your degree isn't from a listed university but you have a strong mix of experience, languages, international exposure and income. Don't apply to the QMAS hoping it's a fallback for a weak profile. With 6 out of 12 as a floor and panel selection on top, only strong applications get through.

QMAS and Permanent Residency

QMAS holders can apply for the right of abode after seven years of continuous ordinary residence. The QMAS is explicitly a settlement scheme, so ImmD expects you to actually live in Hong Kong. A 3 then 3 then 2 year visa history with a job, a home and taxes in Hong Kong is the strongest foundation for a permanent residency application. Read our full Hong Kong permanent residency guide.

FAQs: QMAS Hong Kong

What is the QMAS passing score in 2026?

Under the General Points Test, you must meet at least 6 of the 12 assessment criteria. The old 80-point pass mark was scrapped on 1 November 2024.

Do I need a job offer for the QMAS?

No. The QMAS is designed for people who want to settle in Hong Kong before finding a job or starting a business.

Does a bachelor's degree count for the QMAS?

A first degree is a basic prerequisite. But the two academic criteria in the points test only count a master's or doctorate from an eligible university.

How long does the QMAS take?

ImmD doesn't publish a target because selection happens in rounds. Practitioners commonly report six to twelve months.

What is the QMAS approval rate?

In 2025, 7,101 applications were selected from 18,707 received, roughly 38%. Renewals are approved at about 97%.

How much does the QMAS cost?

HK$600 to apply plus HK$1,300 when the visa is issued, per person. The application fee isn't refunded if you're not selected.

Can I apply for the QMAS if I'm over 50?

Yes. Being 50 or under is just one of the 12 criteria. You'd need to meet 6 of the other 11.

Is the Talent List useful for the QMAS?

Yes. Applicants whose profession is on the Talent List are favourably considered under the General Points Test.

Can my spouse work on a QMAS dependant visa?

Yes. Dependants of QMAS holders can take up employment or study in Hong Kong.

What happens after my first 36 months on a QMAS visa?

You apply to extend and show that you've taken steps to settle in Hong Kong, such as holding a job or running a business. Extensions normally follow a 3 then 2 year pattern.

Is the QMAS better than the TTPS?

For most people who qualify for both, no. The TTPS is faster and more certain. The QMAS suits strong candidates who don't meet the TTPS categories.

Key Takeaways

• The QMAS lets highly skilled people settle in Hong Kong without a job offer.
• Since November 2024, the General Points Test has 12 yes or no criteria, and you need at least 6.
• Meeting the threshold only gets you into selection. About 38% of 2025 applications were selected.
• Only a master's or doctorate from a listed university earns the academic criteria.
• Fees are HK$600 plus HK$1,300 per person, and processing usually takes several months.
• First visas last 36 months with no conditions, followed by 3 and 2 year extensions or a 5-year top-tier extension.
• If you qualify for the TTPS, it's usually the better route.

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

Find Your Hong Kong Job on ExpatJobBoard

Your first QMAS renewal depends on showing you've settled, and a job is the clearest proof. ExpatJobBoard.com lists English-speaking roles in Hong Kong that don't require Cantonese or Mandarin.