SAR launches facilitation program to enhance economic ties and tourism

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government launched a new immigration facilitation program on Tuesday offering streamlined border clearance and simplified visa processes to invited travelers from 10 Southeast Asian countries.

Eligible participants will receive multiple-entry visas with extended periods of stay and relaxed application requirements. They will also gain access to courtesy channels or e-channels at control points, which previously were reserved primarily for frequent travelers.

The policy, known as the Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Invited Persons, was introduced by Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in his 2024 Policy Address. It aims to facilitate travel for individuals who have made significant contributions to Hong Kong’s development or have been invited to attend major events in the city.

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The program is now open to people from countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations — Hong Kong’s second-largest trading partner, only after the Chinese mainland.

Unveiling the program’s commencement at a news conference ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting, Lee said various policy bureaus and departments will send out invitations to eligible participants to join the program.

Once invitees accept invitations, the Immigration Department will send out links for an online application. Successful applicants will be issued electronic cards valid for three years that enable them to enjoy enhanced immigration services.

Lee said the new measure aims at encouraging invited visitors to “participate more actively in international events held in Hong Kong and to invest in Hong Kong”, and for them to “enter the Chinese mainland and global market through Hong Kong as a springboard”, thus contributing to the city’s economic growth.

The multiple-entry visa policy will benefit eligible nationals from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, who currently need a visa to enter Hong Kong.

Nationals from other ASEAN countries already enjoy varying lengths of visa-free stays, including 90 days for visitors from Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore; 60 days for Thailand; 30 days for Indonesia; and 14 days for the Philippines.

Daryl Ng Win-kong, chairman of the Hong Kong-ASEAN Foundation, told China Daily that the facilitation marks a significant step in deepening relations between Hong Kong and ASEAN, and will further bolster exchanges and activities across all sectors.

Businesses from various industries can engage and collaborate with their counterparts in ASEAN to devise exchanges and programs and tap into the region’s rich talent pool, he said.

Hong Kong lawmaker Johnny Ng Kit-chong said the program further fosters exchanges and cooperation between ASEAN and Hong Kong, especially in the realms of trade, investment, and tourism.

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Ng visited three ASEAN nations last year as part of a high-level delegation led by Lee. He added that ASEAN’s strong economic growth and young population can inject momentum into Hong Kong through enhanced trade exchanges and cooperative ventures.

Johnny Chong, CEO of INNOX Group — a Singapore-based IT company with offices in Hong Kong and other Southeast Asian countries — said the program will make it easier for his colleagues from Southeast Asia to come to Hong Kong. Chong added that a longer period of stay for ASEAN invitees will also help business development between the two places.

The latest measure is among moves by the HKSAR government aimed at facilitating travel and business exchanges. These include the elimination of arrival and departure cards for visitors from October, and extending the validity period of multiple-entry visas from two to three years for nationals of Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar from 2024, and for nationals of Vietnam from 2023.