Hong Kong wants fintech whizzes and creative types to boost economy

HONG KONG: If you’re a waste treatment specialist, actuary or naval architect, Hong Kong wants you.

The government this week unveiled a talent list to attract skilled workers in 11 professions that the city is seen as needing most. Experts in asset management, fintech and data science are also on the list. People in those fields will get prioritised immigration treatment even if they haven’t secured a job.

Qualifying applicants will score a maxi- mum of 30 bonus points under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme’s (QMAS) general points test for working in one of the 11 stated professions in the talent list.

Other factors such as age, education, working experience and language proficiency will also be counted. The minimum passing mark is 80 points.

The initiative comes as the Asian financial hub seeks to bolster its competitiveness in finance and catch up on technology with the neighbouring mainland hub of Shenzhen. Hong Kong is also looking to enhance its position as an international maritime hub despite intense competition from other cities in the region.

If you don’t qualify for any of those 11 fields on the talent list, however, fear not: another option to get in under the QMAS is via the achievement-based points test, with stated examples including winning Olympic medals or a Nobel prize. Here’s the full list:

Waste treatment specialists; asset management professionals; marine insurance professionals; actuaries; fintech professionals; data scientists and cyber security specialists; innovation and technology experts; naval architects; marine engineers and superintendents of ships; creative industries professionals; dispute resolution professionals and transactional lawyers — Bloomberg