Hong Kong Talent Visas 2026: Proving Business Ownership and Six-Figure Income
Yes — a company you own can carry your income evidence, not only your ownership evidence. The Hong Kong Immigration Department's Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (優秀人才入境計劃, QMAS) frequently asked questions page, which carries a page date of 1 March 2026, lists "documentary proof of financial standing of the applicant's self-owned companies (e.g. the latest audited financial report, trading profit and loss account, or profit tax return)" among the documents for showing an annual income of HK$1 million or above.
Does salary tax paperwork come first, or company accounts?
The official answer puts three kinds of document side by side, in one sentence, without ranking them:
- a notice of salaries tax assessment for the previous assessment year, issued by a local competent authority such as a taxation office or revenue department;
- documentary proof from your employing company stating the value of stock options granted to you;
- documentary proof of the financial standing of companies you own — the latest audited financial report, a trading profit and loss account, or a profit tax return — where applicable.
That third item is the one self-employed applicants rely on. It matters because the income criterion is written around the applicant's own annual income, yet the Department accepts company financials as one of the accepted ways to evidence that income, where the income flows through an entity you own.
What counts as a "business entity" you own?
A business entity is defined as a legally recognised company or corporation over which you have the right to exercise legal and financial control. Ownership is normally established one of two ways.
| Route | Holding required | What it must demonstrate |
|---|---|---|
| Non-listed company | 50% or more of the ownership interests, held absolutely beneficially | A controlling stake and influence over the business |
| Listed company | Normally 10% or more of the ownership interests, held absolutely beneficially | Substantial ownership, control and influence over strategic directions, operational decisions and overall governance |
Two phrases do most of the work here: "absolutely beneficially entitled" and "legal and financial control". A share register entry alone does not speak to either. Whatever document set you assemble has to tie the named shareholder to the person signing the application, and to the rights that come with the stake.
Which figure does each criterion actually test?
Business ownership and income are separate criteria inside the General Points Test, and they test different numbers on different bases.
| Criterion | What is measured | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Annual income | Your annual income in the year immediately preceding the date of application | HK$1 million or above, or foreign-currency equivalent |
| Business ownership (profit) | Annual profit of a business entity you currently own, same reference year | HK$5 million or above, or foreign-currency equivalent |
| Business ownership (listed) | Whether you currently own a listed company | No profit figure attached |
The profit test looks at the company; the income test looks at you. Clearing one does not clear the other, and each is scored separately.
You do not need all twelve criteria. The General Points Test carries 12 assessment criteria across six aspects — age, academic qualifications, language proficiency, work experience, annual income and business ownership — and the prevailing passing threshold is 6 out of 12. The Department states that the threshold is subject to change from time to time without prior notice, so it is worth checking the figure again on the official page before you file.
Separately from the points test, QMAS has a standalone financial requirement: you must be able to show that you can support and accommodate yourself and any dependants on your own resources, without relying on public assistance, during your stay in Hong Kong.
How should a business owner assemble the file?
Work in this order:
Fix the reference year first. It is the year immediately preceding the date of application.
Pull the latest audited financial report for the entity you intend to rely on.
Pull the trading profit and loss account covering the same period.
Pull the profit tax return filed with the local revenue authority.
Match the entity named in all three documents to the entity you claim to own.
Show your beneficial entitlement to the shares, not merely your name on a register.
Keep the three documents consistent in period, currency and entity name.
Check that the entity is one over which you hold legal and financial control.
Beyond these, the full list of documents required for an application is set out in the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme Guidance Notes (ID(E) 982). This reading of the published criteria is general reference only and is not a substitute for advice on your own file; the Immigration Department's assessment, and the official page as updated, govern the outcome.
What if the money is not in Hong Kong dollars?
The online application service offers 17 currencies besides the Hong Kong dollar: the Chinese renminbi, US dollar, pound sterling, Japanese yen, Canadian dollar, Australian dollar, Singapore dollar, New Taiwan dollar, Swiss franc, Korean won, Thai baht, Malaysian ringgit, euro, Philippine peso, Indian rupee, Indonesian rupiah and South African rand. You select the currency, and the system converts your income into Hong Kong dollars automatically.
If your income is denominated in none of those, you convert it yourself into Hong Kong dollars or one of the 17 currencies when you submit, and upload the supporting documents for the Department to assess.
Does this evidence matter again after approval?
It does, at renewal. Persons admitted through the General Points Test are normally granted an initial stay of 36 months on time limitation only, with no other conditions of stay. An extension application must be made within three months before the limit of stay expires, and the applicant must show, to the Department's satisfaction, that steps have been taken to settle in Hong Kong — by taking up residence and securing gainful employment or establishing a business. Approved extensions normally follow a "3+2" pattern on time limitation only.
There is also a faster track tied to income. A General Points Test entrant who has remained in Hong Kong for not less than two years and has assessable income for salaries tax of not less than HK$2 million in the previous year of assessment may apply for assessment under the top-tier employment stream even before the three-year limit approaches; approval normally brings a five-year extension, counted from the original limit of stay previously granted. Persons admitted through the Achievement-based Points Test are normally granted an initial stay of eight years instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can unaudited management accounts prove the income criterion?
The Department's answer names the latest audited financial report, a trading profit and loss account, or a profit tax return as examples of documentary proof of the financial standing of your own companies. Unaudited internal accounts are not among the examples given, and the page does not state that they would be accepted on their own.
Does the HK$5 million profit criterion replace the HK$1 million income criterion?
No. They are separate criteria under the General Points Test, scored separately, with different amounts and different subjects: company profit in one case, your own annual income in the other. Meeting one does not meet the other.
Do I need 50% of a listed company as well?
The 50% figure applies to a non-listed company to which you are absolutely beneficially entitled. For a listed company, the general expectation is a significant percentage, normally 10% or more, held absolutely beneficially, showing substantial control and influence over strategic and operational decisions.
Which year should my documents cover?
Both the income criterion and the business-entity profit criterion refer to the year immediately preceding the date of application. Aligning your financial report, profit and loss account and tax return to that same period avoids mismatches that slow down assessment.
What if my company reports in a currency the form does not list?
Choose one of the 17 currencies offered and let the system convert, or convert the figure yourself into Hong Kong dollars or one of those currencies before submitting, then upload the supporting documents for assessment.
Is the 6-out-of-12 passing threshold permanent?
No. It is the prevailing threshold, and the Department states that it is subject to change from time to time without prior notice. Confirm the current figure on the official page before submitting.