FAQ

To alleviate the manpower shortage in local industries, the HKSAR Government announced the launch of the VPAS in 2023. This Scheme allows non-local students enrolled in VPAS eligible VTC full-time Higher Diploma (2-year) programmes for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic years to apply upon graduation for a one-year stay in Hong Kong to seek employment relevant to the disciplines of their programmes of study. The arrangement would be reviewed after a two-year pilot. Following a review of this Scheme in 2025, the HKSAR Government announced an extension of the pilot for two more academic year cohorts, allowing non-local students enrolled in VPAS eligible VTC full-time Higher Diploma programmes for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 academic years to apply for participation in the VPAS upon graduation. VTC is the largest Vocational and Professional Education and Training (VPET) provider in Hong Kong. In addition to nurturing local talents proactively, VTC further expands its student admission to non-local applicants riding on its edge and experience in VPET to follow the policies of Hong Kong and the nation and fully support the HKSAR Government in launching the VPAS. The VPAS will broaden pathways for vocational professionals to stay and work in Hong Kong, facilitating talent connectivity within Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area (GBA), and other countries/regions, thereby filling the manpower gaps in crucial industries in Hong Kong. More importantly, Hong Kong can leverage its international advantage and play the role of "Super-Connector" by nurturing VPET talents from Belt and Road countries and the Chinese Mainland, particularly the GBA. The VPAS can ensure an ample supply of professional talents to advance the economy of Hong Kong and the nation.

The VPAS aims to provide talents for industries facing severe manpower shortage, particularly in trades that are vital to the economic development of Hong Kong. Non-local students are required to enrol in a VPAS eligible VTC full-time Higher Diploma programme and complete the programme with a minimum study duration of one year within three academic years after admission. According to VTC's understanding, the HKSAR Government has applied the following criteria when selecting eligible programmes under the VPAS:

(i) relate to the trades essential for the sustainable development of Hong Kong, but with an acute local manpower shortage in specific occupations which have to be filled only by trained or even licensed technicians;
(ii) provide training in technical skills as necessary for the occupations mentioned above, and 
(iii) encounter difficulties in the enrolment of sufficient local students to ensure a steady supply of manpower for the relevant technical occupations to meet the market demand.

The HKSAR Government announced the implementation of the VPAS in 2023, allowing non-local students enrolled in any of the 27 VPAS eligible VTC full-time Higher Diploma programmes across five trades in Hong Kong for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic years to apply upon graduation to remain in Hong Kong to seek employment relevant to the disciplines of their programmes of study. In the 2024 Policy Address, the HKSAR Government announced the inclusion of seven additional eligible programmes in seven new trades for the 2025/26 academic year, followed by an announcement in 2025 Policy Address to include one additional trade starting from the 2026/27 academic year.

By the 2026/27 academic year, the VPAS will cover 13 trades, including: Aviation, Transport and Logistics; Innovation and Technology; Electrical and Mechanical Services; Building, Civil Engineering and Built Environment; Maritime Services; Environmental Conservation; Healthcare; Life and Health Technology; Laboratory Service; E-commerce; Property Management; Automobile Engineering, and Hotel and Tourism. There will be a total of 34 VPAS eligible VTC full-time Higher Diploma programmes.

Non-local graduates must be aged 18 or above when applying for participation in the VPAS.  They must be admitted to Hong Kong with a student visa/entry permit issued by the Director of Immigration to take up study in specified academic years and have completed a VPAS eligible VTC full-time Higher Diploma programme within three academic years after admission (non-local students may be under 18 when studying the programmes).

If non-local students need to apply to the VTC for an extension of their study to the third year due to failing modules or other special circumstances, they must first obtain the VTC’s approval and then apply to the Immigration Department for an extension of stay to continue their studies in Hong Kong.  Non-local students enrolled in VPAS eligible VTC full-time Higher Diploma programmes who wish to work in Hong Kong after graduation under the VPAS must complete their programmes within three academic years after admission. 

Category A Applicants: Non-local VTC graduates who submit applications for initial stay to the Immigration Department after obtaining the “Proof of First Application Eligibility (Category A applicants)” from the VTC and within six months after the date of graduation (i.e. the date as shown on their graduation certificates) are classified as Category A applicants. Category A applicants are not required to have secured an offer of employment at the time of application. Provided that normal immigration requirements are met, they may be granted 12 months' stay on time limitation only without other conditions of stay to seek and take up a full-time job relevant to the disciplines of their programmes of study.

Category B Applicants: Non-local VTC graduates who submit applications for return to work in Hong Kong to the Immigration Department within 7th to 12th months after the date of graduation (i.e. the date as shown on their graduation certificates) are classified as Category B applicants. Category B applicants are required to have secured an offer of a full-time job relevant to the disciplines of their programmes of study (which is at a level commonly taken up by holders of higher diploma qualifications or above, with the remuneration package at market level and an employment contract period of not less than one year) and have obtained the “Proof of First Application Eligibility (Category B applicants)” issued by the VTC. 

Non-local VTC graduates must first obtain the “Proof of First Application Eligibility (Category A applicants)” or “Proof of First Application Eligibility (Category B applicants)” from the VTC and other required documents as stipulated in Part IX of the "Guidebook for Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme (Applicable to non local graduates of eligible Higher Diploma programmes for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic cohorts)" before submitting their applications to the Immigration Department.
 

Step 1: Application for Proof of First Application Eligibility

Category A Applicants
Category A applicants must obtain the “Proof of First Application Eligibility (Category A applicants)” from the VTC before submitting their applications to the ImmD.  The VTC normally requires four weeks to issue this document upon receipt of all required documents and the application fee. 

Category B Applicants
Category B applicants, having secured an offer of an eligible full-time employment (i.e. a full-time job relevant to the disciplines of their programmes of study, which is at a level commonly taken up by holders of higher diploma qualifications or above, with the remuneration package at market level and an employment contract period of not less than one year), must obtain the “Proof of First Application Eligibility (Category B applicants)” from the VTC before submitting their applications to the ImmD.  The VTC normally requires eight weeks to issue this document upon receipt of all required documents and the application fee. 

Step 2: Application for Visa/Entry Permit

ImmD normally takes four weeks to process visa/entry permit applications under the VPAS upon receipt of all the required documents and the relevant application fee.  However, the processing time will depend on the circumstances of individual applications and the number of applications received at a particular time.  A longer processing time may be required during the application rush period.  The ImmD will not be able to start processing the application unless all the required documents and the relevant application fee have been received.

Applicants should first apply to the VTC for the following relevant Letters of Proof to be used in their subsequent applications for corresponding visas/entry permits at the Immigration Department under the VPAS.

The actual processing time will depend on the circumstances of individual applications and the number of applications received at a particular time. Applicants should allow the above-mentioned 4 or 8 weeks to apply for the relevant letters of proof from the VTC in accordance with the intended submission date of their applications for visas/entry permits under the VPAS to the Immigration Department. Failure to allow sufficient time for applications of letters of proof may affect the relevant applications under the VPAS submitted to the Immigration Department.

Non-local students enrolled in VPAS eligible VTC full-time Higher Diploma programmes in specified academic years can apply upon graduation for a one-year stay in Hong Kong seeking employment in the disciplines relevant to their programmes of study. If the graduates successfully secured an offer of employment relevant to the disciplines of their programmes of study within their first year of stay in Hong Kong, they may apply for an extension of stay. They will normally be granted 2 years' stay on employment condition (or in accordance with the duration of the employment contract, whichever is earlier). Graduates staying in Hong Kong on employment condition under the VPAS shall only take up employment relevant to the disciplines of their programmes of study.

With its wealth of industry network, VTC will provide the necessary support for students to seek employment by arranging industrial attachments, regular recruitment talks, employment support, job matching, etc. to enhance the competitiveness of students in job applications.

Regarding the follow-up works, VPAS participants should submit their employers' and job information to VTC upon securing an offer of employment to verify that their jobs are relevant to the disciplines of their programmes of study, at a level commonly taken up by holders of higher diploma qualifications or above, with the remuneration package at market level and an employment contract period of not less than one year. After obtaining the letter of proof issued by the VTC, VPAS participants may apply to the Immigration Department for their first or subsequent extension of stay under the VPAS. VTC has also established a dedicated VPAS Secretariat to process applications from the relevant graduates for their first-year stay in Hong Kong and subsequent renewals. The Secretariat will be responsible for monitoring the employment status of VPAS participants in relevant industries during their first 48 months' stay in Hong Kong on employment condition, including verifying employment contracts and conducting site visits to declared workplaces, among other measures.

According to the Immigration Department's website, VPAS applicants who have established or joined in a business in the HKSAR will not be regarded as having secured an offer of employment; therefore, they are not eligible to apply for remaining in Hong Kong under the VPAS.

No.  Non-local students cannot apply under the VPAS before graduation.  To be eligible, applicants must complete an eligible VTC full‑time Higher Diploma programme within three academic years after admission.   They may apply for the "Proof of First Application Eligibility (Category A applicants)" ONLY after receiving their Transcript of Study showing the awarded Higher Diploma qualification and the award date.  After obtaining the "Proof of First Application Eligibility (Category A applicants)", applicants may then submit visa/entry permit applications to the Immigration Department within six months after the date of graduation. 

Provided that normal immigration requirements are met, they may be granted 12 months' stay on time limitation only without other conditions of stay to seek and take up a full-time job relevant to the disciplines of their programmes of study in the HKSAR.

The length of stay granted under the VPAS is determined by the Immigration Department, taking into account the type of application and specific circumstances of each case:

All applications are processed and determined by the Immigration Department. Approval of applications is entirely discretionary and is subject to changes in government policies. The Director of Immigration reserves absolute discretion to refuse any application even if the application meets all eligibility criteria.

The VTC will assess the applicant’s remuneration package, including income, accommodation, medical and other fringe benefits, based on the information on market-level remuneration provided by the Government of the HKSAR for applications under the VPAS.  Applicants must provide the relevant documentary proof to support their applications as needed.

VPAS applicants should submit an application for extension of stay to the Immigration Department for extension of stay in the HKSAR as early as possible within three months before their limit of stay expires, and in all circumstances, at least six weeks before their limit of stay expires, provided that they fulfil the normal immigration requirements as stipulated in the "Guidebook for Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme (Applicable to non-local graduates of eligible Higher Diploma programmes for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic cohorts)".

Unless approved by the Director of Immigration under exceptional circumstances, persons subject to a limit of stay must depart Hong Kong before the expiry of their limit of stay, even if they have applied to the Director of Immigration for an extension of stay and the application is under processing.  Breach of condition of stay (including overstaying) is a serious criminal offence.  Offenders may be liable to prosecution and removal from Hong Kong.

Before submitting their applications to the Immigration Department, VPAS participants must first obtain the relevant "Letters of Proof" from the VTC.  The VTC normally requires about eight weeks to process these requests upon receipt of all required documents and the application fee.  Different types of "Letters of Proof" are tabulated below:-

The Immigration Department normally takes about two to three weeks to finish processing an application under the VPAS upon receipt of all the required documents and the relevant application fee.  The actual processing time is subject to the specific circumstances of individual applications and the number of applications received at the time. 

A longer processing time may be required during the application rush period.  The Immigration Department will not be able to start processing the application unless all the required documents and the relevant application fee have been received. 

Please note that not all applications for extension of stay will necessarily be approved.  Unless approved by the Director of Immigration under exceptional circumstances, applicants for an extension of stay must still depart Hong Kong before the expiry of their limit of stay while awaiting the application result.

Non-local students who are admitted to Hong Kong to take up study in specified academic years and have completed a VPAS eligible VTC full-time Higher Diploma programme within three academic years after admission can apply to the Immigration Department for a one-year stay to seek employment after obtaining the “Proof of First Application Eligibility (Category A applicants)” from the VTC and within six months after the date of graduation (i.e. the date as shown on their graduation certificates). These graduates may apply for an extension of stay, provided that they have successfully secured an offer of a full-time job relevant to the disciplines of their programmes of study in Hong Kong. They will normally be granted 2 years' stay (or in accordance with the duration of the employment contract (whichever is earlier)).

If VPAS participants would like to change employment during the currency of their permitted limit of stay under the VPAS, the following arrangements will be applied:

i. During the first 48 months' stay on employment condition, VPAS participants shall only take full-time employment relevant to the disciplines of their programmes of study as approved by the Director of Immigration. During this period, VPAS participants shall only apply to change their employer once, while the change of employer upon application for extension of stay after expiry of each limit of stay is not subject to this restriction.

ii. If the employment contract is terminated before the expiry of their limit of stay, the concerned VPAS participants are permitted to remain in Hong Kong only for 12 weeks from the date of termination of the contract or for the balance of the permitted stay, whichever is earlier. If the VPAS participants have secured an offer of new employment relevant to the discipline of their programmes of study within 12 weeks or before the expiry of their permitted limit of stay (whichever is earlier), they may apply to the VTC for a “Proof of Extension Eligibility (Change of Employer)” and apply for extension of stay to the Immigration Department.

VPAS participants must meet relevant requirements (i.e. being employed in a full-time job relevant to the disciplines of their programmes of study, the jobs are at a level commonly taken up by holders of higher diploma qualifications or above, the remuneration package is at market level and the employment contract duration is not less than 1 year) to apply for an extension of stay with the Immigration Department. If VPAS participants fail to secure an offer of employment that meets the relevant requirements of the VPAS before their limit of stay expires, the Immigration Department reserves the right to refuse their applications for an extension of stay, and the VPAS participants will only be allowed to remain in Hong Kong until the expiry of their limit of stay.

Employers hiring VPAS participants must ensure that the job offered complies with all eligibility requirements of the VPAS.  The position must be a full-time job relevant to the discipline of the programme of study of the VPAS participant, which is at a level commonly taken up by holders of higher diploma qualifications or above, with a remuneration package at market level and an employment contract of not less than one year. 

There are no restrictions on the size or nature of the company.  Both large corporations and SMEs, as well as organisations across any local industry or sector, may employ VPAS participants provided that the employment meets the above criteria.

The applications for "Letters of Proof" and visas/entry permits under the VPAS are initiated by non-local graduates of eligible programmes. However, employers play an essential role in providing the necessary support throughout the process as follows: 

Before applying to the Immigration Department for a visa/entry permit, applicants must first obtain a "Letter of Proof" issued by the VTC.

To facilitate the VTC's processing of "Letter of Proof" applications, employers are required to:

- Complete an Employment Confirmation and Consent Form, which confirms the key employment details necessary for verifying eligibility under the VPAS and provides the employer's consent for potential site inspections and the provision of further information or cooperation with the VTC when required; and
- Submit a copy of their valid Hong Kong Business Registration Certificate, which is required for processing the application. 

Once the applicant has obtained the "Letter of Proof", they may proceed to submit their visa/entry permit applications to the Immigration Department. For the Immigration Department to process the application, employers must upload the documents specified in Section IX Part (iii) of the "Guidebook for Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme (Applicable to non‑local graduates of eligible Higher Diploma programmes for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic cohorts)".

All fees payable in connection with the applications are to be borne by the applicants.

The law requires an employer to take all practical steps to ensure that the job seeker is lawfully employable.  VPAS participants may commence the approved employment in Hong Kong once their visa/entry permit application under the VPAS is approved by the Immigration Department and the visa/entry permit is activated.

The arrangements depend on the VPAS participant’s conditions of stay:

For Category A applicants who are granted 12 months’ stay on time limitation only without other conditions of stay, their employers are not required to report employment termination to the Immigration Department or the VTC.

For VPAS participants who are permitted to stay on employment condition under the VPAS, if their employment contracts are terminated before the expiry of their limit of stay, both the VPAS participants and their employers should notify the Immigration Department and the VTC within seven days before the date of termination, or within one working day after the termination if no prior notice is given. 

No. Participants under the VPAS are not "Imported Workers". 

VPAS participants should consult their employers, and if it is deemed necessary to work outside of Hong Kong, both parties must ensure compliance with local visa requirements, rules and regulations, and employee insurance arrangements.

Under the Scheme, there are no restrictions on the participants' place of residence. However, VPAS participants must be employed full-time in the discipline relevant to their programmes of study in Hong Kong.

The VPAS aims to attract non-local graduates to join the local industries that require professionals trained at the Higher Diploma level to fill manpower gaps. If non-local graduates decide not to take up any employment in relevant trades in Hong Kong, they will not be eligible to participate in the VPAS. Those who wish to pursue full-time undergraduate studies in Hong Kong must apply separately to the Immigration Department for a new student visa.

Under the existing policies, persons on employment condition are not precluded from taking up part-time studies, subject to the overall factual assessment that the studies are part-time and do not affect the employment immigration status in Hong Kong as a whole.  If the concerned persons intend to take up full-time studies, they should apply for an appropriate visa/entry permit to enter Hong Kong for study.

No. Completing a part‑time degree programme does not affect eligibility under the VPAS.  Participants remain eligible for an extension of stay as long as they continue to meet all eligibility criteria and other requirements set out under the VPAS.

According to the "Guidebook for Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme (Applicable to non‑local graduates of eligible Higher Diploma programmes for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic cohorts)", non-local graduates of VPAS eligible programmes admitted or seeking admission under the VPAS may apply to bring their spouse and unmarried dependent children under the age of 18 to the HKSAR under the prevailing dependant policy. The length of stay of such dependants will normally be linked to that of their sponsors (i.e., the VPAS participants). Please refer to the Guidebook for details or contact the Immigration Department directly for enquiries.

For detailed information, please visit the Immigration Department's website, https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/vpas.html 

Or

Part VI of the "Guidebook for Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme (Applicable to non‑local graduates of eligible Higher Diploma programmes for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic cohorts)".

Enquiries should be directed to the Immigration Department.
Hotline: 2824 6111 | Email: enquiry@immd.gov.hk

Please visit the Immigration Department’s website for detailed information.
https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/right-of-abode-in-hksar.html

Enquiries should be directed to the Immigration Department.
Hotline: 2824 6111 | Email: enquiry@immd.gov.hk