Hong Kong’s Immigration Department has quietly removed one of the biggest pain-points for sponsored employees and their employers. From 1 March 2026, assignees admitted under six core visa categories—including the General Employment Policy (GEP), Mainland Talents & Professionals (ASMTP), the Science & Technology Talent Admission Scheme, the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme and the popular Arrangement for Non-Local Graduates—may apply to extend their stay up to 90 days before their current limit of stay expires.
Under the old rules, renewal applications could be filed only four weeks before expiry. That narrow window often left global mobility teams scrambling to gather company letters, tax returns and proof of residence while employees worried about inadvertent overstays that could jeopardise employment contracts or children’s school registration. The Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) was given the 90-day benefit in late 2024; the new announcement levels the playing field for all other work-authorised categories.
Practically, the change gives HR departments and immigration service providers significantly more planning flexibility. Renewals can now be aligned with payroll cycles and international travel plans, reducing the risk that key executives are grounded while waiting for passport endorsement. For assignees on commuter arrangements between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, the longer runway also avoids a clash with PRC visa renewal peak periods.
Employers and individual talent who want an extra layer of certainty can turn to VisaHQ: the firm’s Hong Kong team coordinates document collection, double-checks compliance and submits renewal packets in person, streamlining the entire 90-day-advance application. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/
The earlier-filing policy is another signal that the HKSAR Government is determined to retain the foreign expertise it spent the last two years attracting. Authorities estimate that more than 270,000 people have entered via various talent schemes since 2023; ensuring that they can remain in status seamlessly is critical to Hong Kong’s competitiveness as a regional headquarters hub.
Companies should update their internal calendars immediately and advise impacted staff to begin compiling renewal documentation well ahead of upcoming travel or project deadlines. Dependants may file simultaneously, but stand-alone dependant and training-visa renewals are explicitly excluded, so families should plan accordingly.
