The Government announced today a new arrangement to allow outside individuals to apply for entry into Hong Kong to join eight skilled trades facing acute manpower shortages.

The arrangement, which will come into force on June 30, involves the introduction of a new channel under the General Employment Policy (GEP) and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP).

Applicants are required to be non-degree professionals aged between 18 and 40 and meet the relevant qualifications specified in the Technical Professional List.

The arrangement will be piloted for three years. Numbers will be capped at 10,000, including 3,000 for each skilled trade.

The Technical Professional List covers eight specified skilled trades: new industrialisation technicians; nurses; aircraft maintenance technicians; marine services technicians for local vessels; information technology technicians; lift/escalator technicians; building information modeling co-ordinators; and electrical technicians.

The Government said the skilled trades identified are all critical to sustaining Hong Kong’s operations as a city, but that they all face acute manpower shortages for at least the next five years as the workforce cannot be replenished locally through training in that time.

Additionally, the new channel targets mid-level qualified and experienced non-degree technical professionals in specified trades, with a goal to attract them to settle in Hong Kong in the long run. This is distinct from and does not overlap with the existing Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme and sector-specific labour importation schemes.

The new arrangement will be on a pilot basis for three years, subject to a review after the first year.

According to prevailing requirements under the GEP and the ASMTP, professionals availing themselves of the new arrangement are required to have secured an employment offer from a local enterprise before applying, while the remuneration involved should be commensurate with the market level for similar jobs.

Depending on the trade involved and the applicant’s qualifications, the first entry visa will be valid for 24 or 36 months. When applying for visa renewal, a technical professional must continue to be employed in the same skilled trade in Hong Kong.