Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS)
A quota-free route for highly skilled people with no job offer, assessed against a twelve item checklist rather than a points total.
The scheme was rebuilt in November 2025: the old 245 point test with an 80 point pass mark became a twelve item true or false questionnaire with a pass mark of 6, and the annual quota was removed. A bachelor’s degree now scores nothing on the academic criteria, which require a master’s or doctoral degree from an eligible university.
Programme snapshot
| Item | Current rule |
|---|---|
| Main audience | Highly skilled people with no job offer who can score on the assessment |
| Route family | skilled-work |
| Validity | 36 months |
| Stay per entry | Time limitation only |
| Threshold | 6 of 12 criteria under the General Points Test, 2026. No income floor to apply |
| Renewal | 3 years then 2 years, time limitation only |
| Settlement | Switch required |
| PR clock | 7 years of continuous ordinary residence |
| Citizenship clock | None |
| Family | Spouse or recognised civil partner and unmarried children under 18 |
| Local employment | Yes. No sponsor, no restriction on work or changing jobs |
| Tax headline | Territorial salaries tax, progressive to 17%, capped at 15% standard rate |
| Processing | No published standard. Selection exercises run regularly, most cases take months |
What the twelve criteria cover
The checklist spans six aspects: age, academic qualifications, language ability, work experience, income or business achievement, and family ties. Six of twelve makes you eligible for a selection exercise. It does not make you approvable.
Three criteria carry most weight. Criterion 10 is annual income of HK$1,000,000 or more in the year before application. Criterion 11 is a business with annual profit of HK$5,000,000 or more. Criterion 12 is ownership of a listed company. All three are self-reported and document heavy.
Application flow
- Score yourself honestly against all twelve criteria before paying anything.
- Assemble third party proof for every criterion claimed, including income and business ownership.
- Submit the application and the non-refundable fee.
- Immigration checks that every prerequisite is documented. A missing document means refusal without further processing.
- Eligible applications enter a selection exercise, where the panel weighs Hong Kong’s manpower needs.
- If selected, receive the 36 month limit of stay and extend at year three.
Good fit
A mid-career professional with a master’s degree, English plus another language, five years of experience and income around HK$1,000,000. A business track record also scores well, because profit and company ownership are separate criteria.
Poor fit
A young graduate with a bachelor’s degree only and no income history, who will reach two or three criteria and cannot hit 6. Anyone who needs certainty before relocating, or cannot document income and business claims.
Watchpoints
- Six criteria is eligibility, not approval. The panel weighs manpower needs, and more criteria are viewed more favourably. A bare 6 is weak.
- A bachelor’s degree scores zero academically. Criteria 2 and 3 require a master’s or doctoral degree from an eligible university. This disqualifies most young applicants.
- The fee is non-refundable in every circumstance. Refusal, withdrawal and ineligibility all forfeit it.
- Missing documents mean immediate refusal. There is no request for further information.
- There is no appeal on the merits. The Director of Immigration has absolute discretion and need not give reasons.
Sources
- Immigration Department, QMAS FAQ and Guidance Notes ID(E) 982, checked 2026-10-22
- Immigration Department, QMAS assessment criteria, checked 2026-10-22