A new enhancement to Hong Kong’s Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS), announced on Wednesday, will attract global innovation and technology (I&T) talents “faster and in greater numbers”, fill urgent skills gaps long holding back local firms and bolster Hong Kong’s role in a key cross-border innovation zone, lawmakers have said.

The enhancements include allowing technology companies and eligible talents to submit applications for quotas and visas/entry permits in parallel, and lifting the limit on the research fields of applicants.

A dedicated application channel for the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, officially put into service on Tuesday, will also be launched to provide one-stop assistance to its tenants.

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The measures will expedite the admission of I&T talents from around the world by eligible companies to facilitate their R&D activities in the special administrative region.

Speaking to China Daily, lawmaker and technology entrepreneur Johnny Ng Kit-chong endorsed the augmented policy, pointing out that a streamlined, simplified talent visa application process would give greater confidence in technology companies currently based elsewhere but looking to develop their presence, or even put down roots, in Hong Kong.

Ng highlighted the simultaneous relocation of key personnel to the city as a major worry for incoming firms; a separate, often protracted dual-application process for firms and individuals could deter investment.

Previously, relocating an entire company and its staff to Hong Kong could mean an operational freeze of several months, or up to a full year, a barrier many found too high, Ng said.

But the reformed arrangement — which allows companies and individuals to submit applications in a single parallel move — can now target completion within one month, he added.

READ MORE: Hong Kong to launch tech park amid sci-tech development push

In remarks to China Daily, Duncan Chiu, representing the science and innovation sector in the legislature, noted the enhancements as a constructive response by authorities to industry feedback, particularly as the policy shift away from restricting R&D to a predefined list of 14 technology fields.

The industry has long sought greater hiring flexibility to recruit talent for the many highly specialized and fast-changing roles in the I&T sectors, he explained.

As for the dedicated pathway for firms in the Hetao Hong Kong Park, Chiu said it would greatly reassure businesses there, with tailored support for application issues and the possibility of eventually helping with cross-border talent and project matching.

Spanning 87 hectares near the boundary, the Hong Kong Park adjoins a 300-hectare sister park in Shenzhen to form the Hetao zone — a national cross-boundary innovation base proposed by the central government in 2017.

READ MORE: Hetao: Zone of talent

Chiu said he envisions the channel to playing a role in facilitating smoother flows of people, capital, and data across the boundary, being instrumental in the zone’s realization as a world-class innovation hub that makes full use of the distinct yet complementary strengths of Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

William Wong Kam-fai, lawmaker and associate dean of faculty of engineering at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, also praised the policy enhancement as a timely move to aid tech firms to bring in needed talent.

He emphasized that companies should recruit talent from various nations to further internationalize Hong Kong’s innovation ecosystem.

And the HKSAR government should duly implement safeguards against potential misuse of the program through vigilant oversight and regular reviews, while ensuring local professionals are not put out of jobs, he added.

Between June 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, 167 out of 176 applications under TechTAS were approved, according to government data.

Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com