The Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC) announced on 12 October that it anticipates receiving at least HK$4 billion (US$510 million) under the 2026 tranche of the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES)—double the amount collected in 2025. The projection is based on nearly 3,200 applications lodged since the scheme’s March 2024 relaunch, each requiring a minimum HK$30 million outlay, including HK$3 million earmarked for HKIC-managed funds. CIES allows high-net-worth individuals to obtain a renewable two-year visa by investing in permissible assets such as equities, funds and non-residential real estate, excluding property purchases after an April 2025 tightening. The HKIC’s dedicated portfolio focuses on innovation-and-tech startups and home-grown asset managers, aligning with the government’s strategy to diversify Hong Kong’s economy beyond finance and real estate. According to HKIC CEO Clara Chan, the 2024 and 2025 investment pools—together worth HK$2.3 billion—have already backed seven fintech and biomedical ventures, creating 380 local jobs. If the 2026 forecast materialises, the agency will have over HK$6 billion under management, giving it greater firepower to co-invest alongside private-sector funds. For employers, the figures signal a growing pipeline of globally mobile investors who often relocate senior staff and family offices to Hong Kong. Immigration advisers note that CIES applicants typically bring two dependants and may later recruit domestic staff or corporate teams under separate visa categories. Practical implication: companies in asset management, family-office services and high-end schooling should prepare for increased demand from new CIES entrants beginning in Q1 2027, when this year’s approvals are expected to land.
Source: The Standard
