Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

‘Bad timing’: industry experts pan expanded fast-track immigration scheme by Hong Kong government to lure tech talent

Lawmaker Charles Mok bemoans city’s battered global image amid protest violence and coronavirus outbreak, while experts say plan could be more beneficial if extended to other industries

Industry experts in Hong Kong have panned an expanded fast-track immigration scheme unveiled by the government and aimed at luring talent to the city’s technology sector, questioning its timing amid ongoing protests and the Wuhan coronavirus crisis.

The Innovation and Technology Commission on Thursday said it sought to raise the city’s attractiveness and spur innovation through its upgraded Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS), despite the lack of uptake.

Under the expansion, the scheme will double the number of areas in the industry that can receive support, with more firms able to take advantage of fast-tracked visa entries.

Francis Fong Po-kiu, one of Hong Kong’s leading IT experts, suggested the government had got its priorities wrong, questioning why the scheme’s expansion was not delayed for several months in light of the challenges the city was weathering.
“The virus outbreak is a public hygiene concern. I don't think people want to come to Hong Kong,” he said, also citing the negative images of long queues for masks compared with the organised distribution in Macau.

“The scheme comes at a very bad time because no one wants to visit.”

“The scheme comes at a very bad time because no one wants to visit.”

He added that while he welcomed the scheme, it would have more benefits if it were expanded to different industries, with a wider net for different countries.

In Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s policy address last year, the scheme was flagged as one element of focus for the government to boost international competitiveness.

In a statement, the commission said it expected more companies to benefit from the expanded scheme, citing “certainty and streamlined procedures” that would “encourage cross-fertilisation of local and non-local talent”.

Originally, companies based in Hong Kong’s two major innovation hubs, the Science Park and Cyberport, were permitted to use the scheme for hiring. Businesses that qualify have to come under any of the seven fields specified, such as biotechnology and artificial intelligence.

With the expansion, eligibility has widened to any company conducting research and development in Hong Kong, with new categories such 5G communications, digital entertainment, green technology and the internet of things – a phrase used to describe the online connection of devices – among others.

Kenny Shui, assistant research director at the Our Hong Kong Foundation, believed the expansion of TechTAS could help build a critical mass of technology talent in Hong Kong.

“The scheme should also include professionals in technology-related fields, such as intellectual property protection and technology management, to help Hong Kong realise the potential of science and technology in different aspects,” he said.

The coronavirus outbreak was an opportunity, he added. He said there was surging demand for technology applications, including biomedicine, big data and e-commerce. “The government needs to take a multipronged approach, such as supporting scientific collaboration and nurturing more talent.”

Charles Mok, lawmaker for the IT sector, echoed digital veteran Fong’s views over the timing of the scheme, expressing doubt that anyone would want to come to Hong Kong under the current political climate and the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
“It is not a good time to do anything except deal with the current problems,” he said. “Who would come to Hong Kong right now to work?”

He added that on top of an already battered global image, the city was losing its IT professionals in a brain drain to Japan, Taiwan and Singapore at an unprecedented rate.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×