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 at least 18 years old at the time of applying for participation in the VPAS. They must be admitted to Hong Kong to pursue a VPAS eligible VTC full-time Higher Diploma programme in specified academic years and complete the programme within three academic years after admission to be eligible (non-local students may be under 18 when studying the programmes).
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.
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.
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.
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.
If a VPAS participant is promoted or transferred to another position within the same employer or its subsidiary under the parent company group, as long as the new job is relevant to the disciplines of their programmes of study, such a change of job position will not be considered as a change of employer. However, the participant must notify VTC of the details of the new job position to seek endorsement to confirm that the promotion or transfer is the same employment under the same employer. Once confirmed, VTC will issue a letter of proof for the VPAS participants to bring along to the Immigration Department to update their entry permit/visa under the VPAS accordingly.
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.
The HKSAR Government announced in the "2025 Policy Address" that restrictions have been relaxed to allow non-local students, including VPAS participants, to enrol in part-time sub-degree, undergraduate, or research postgraduate programmes, so as to encourage them to pursue continued professional development and education.
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.
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.
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.
| Types of Letter of Proof | Usage |
| Proof of First Application Eligibility (Category A Applicants) | Issued for Category A applicants to apply to the Immigration Department for an initial stay arrangement under the VPAS |
| Proof of First Application Eligibility (Category B Applicants) | Issued for Category B applicants to apply to the Immigration Department for returning to Hong Kong for employment under the VPAS |
| Proof of Eligible Employment | Issued for Category A applicants to apply for an extension of stay to work in Hong Kong under the VPAS for the first time |
| Proof of Extension Eligibility | Issued for Category A applicants (Subsequent) / Category B applicants to apply for an extension of stay to work in Hong Kong under the VPAS |
| Proof of Extension Eligibility (After being granted to stay on employment condition for a continuous period of 48 months or more) | Issued for applicants to apply for an extension of stay to work in Hong Kong after being granted to stay in Hong Kong on employment condition for a continuous period of 48 months or more under the VPAS |
| Proof of Extension Eligibility (Change of Employer) | Issued for applicants to apply for a change of employer during their first 48 months’ stay in Hong Kong on employment condition under the VPAS |
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.
