In his 2026 Policy Address delivered on 16 September, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee announced a dedicated "Training Visa" that will allow overseas and mainland professionals to attend recognised skills-development programmes in the city for up to 12 months without switching to an employment visa. The South China Morning Post, citing government insiders, reports that the new visa could be open for applications as early as Q1 2027. The measure complements existing talent schemes—the Top Talent Pass, Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS) and the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme—by filling a gap for short, intensive courses in areas such as green finance, marine insurance, AI ethics and advanced manufacturing. Participants will be permitted part-time internships directly linked to their training, easing corporate secondments from mainland China and ASEAN. Immigration lawyers say the training visa simplifies compliance for multinationals that previously had to rotate staff on multiple successive visitor visas, which restricted hands-on learning. The government has pledged to release an approved-programme list and designate five academies—including the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy and a new Academy of Policing—to host cohorts. For Chinese enterprises expanding along the Belt and Road, the visa provides a cost-effective way to upskill regional teams in an English-speaking environment without committing to long-term relocation. However, employers must still provide medical insurance and proof of accommodation; dependants will not be eligible to accompany holders under current proposals. Analysts expect the scheme to attract 8,000–10,000 participants annually once mature, supporting Hong Kong’s goal of becoming an international training centre and reinforcing its “Go Global” service role for mainland companies.
Source: South China Morning Post
