Almost 500 applicants have been admitted to Hong Kong since the launch of the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, giving impetus to Hong Kong's economic development and international competitiveness, Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee says.

Speaking at a dinner reception today, Mr Lee noted the scheme was launched in June, 2006 and revisions rolled out in January lifted the age limit and adjusted the assessment scheme.

"Since the scheme's launch, nearly 500 applicants have been allocated quotas to come to Hong Kong. They are from a wide array of professions, including commerce and industry, finance, accounting, legal, logistics, IT, academic and education, arts and culture, engineering and architecture, performing arts, media and sports," Mr Lee said.

Turning to the Entry for Employment as Professionals Scheme, Mr Lee said more than 210,000 people have come to Hong Kong through the arrangement since the 1997 reunification.

The arrangement gives employers the flexibility to recruit talented people in different fields according to relevant sectors' changing demand and the market.

From the 2008-09 academic year, non-local students having freshly graduated from full-time recognised programmes at degree level or above in Hong Kong are allowed to stay for one year, during which they are free to take up or change employment. 

This arrangement is geared to developing Hong Kong into a regional education hub to attract promising non-local students to pursue their studies and develop their careers in Hong Kong after graduation, Mr Lee added.

Mr Lee said non-local graduates, who have obtained a degree or higher qualification in a full-time and recognised programme, can apply to return to work in Hong Kong as long as they were offered a job commonly taken up by degree holders with a remuneration package in line with the market rate.

Liberal measures

He said these measures are among the most liberal in the world's developed economies.

"New application forms and streamlined procedures have been adopted by the Immigration Department starting from this month. Now, talented people from both the Mainland and overseas use the same newly simplified form to apply to work in Hong Kong," Mr Lee said.

The Immigration Department will continue to explore ways to streamline and expedite the application and processing procedures to offer the greatest convenience to the prospective entrants and their employers, he added.