Hong Kong will broaden two immigration-facilitation schemes from October 1, opening its short-term visitor route to designated short-term activities in the social welfare sector and extending a separate invited-person arrangement beyond ASEAN to Central Asia and the Middle East.
Under the short-term visitor scheme, eligible non-local participants can enter as visitors for approved activities without applying to the Immigration Department for a work visa or entry permit. Each visit may last up to 14 consecutive calendar days, and participants may receive remuneration for the specified activity. The activity must support economic development or a relevant policy objective and must not replace local labour, the Security Bureau said.
Social welfare will become the scheme’s 18th designated sector. Recognised organisations will be able to invite participants to meetings, seminars, summits, workshops, performances and research benefiting the welfare sector, provided the activities do not involve filling part-time or full-time positions at the host organisations.
The government will also add authorised organisations and specified activities in the international and mega-events, higher-education and finance sectors. The government said the scheme now covers about 490 authorised organisations.
The short-term route began as a pilot in June 2022 and became permanent in June 2024. By the end of June, more than 56,000 non-local participants had taken part in over 9,500 activities, the government said. The activities included the Asian Financial Forum, the Hong Kong Sevens and the Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo.
Separately, the invited-person scheme, launched in 2025 for ASEAN visitors, will add five Central Asian countries and six Gulf states. The expanded coverage includes Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. All government bureaus and departments will be able to issue invitations, replacing the previous limit of five authorised bureaux or departments.
The Immigration Department will process invited-person applications through a one-stop electronic platform. Eligibility for self-service immigration clearance will be relaxed, and the information required for visa applications will be simplified where applicable. Unlike the short-term visitor route, the invited-person scheme is invitation-based: it does not create a general visa waiver.