Latest Immigration Department data shows 31,278 working visas granted to foreigners last year under General Employment Policy
5-MIN READ5-MINSimpson CheungPublished: 9:00am, 29 Aug 2026About 80 per cent of the foreign nationals granted working visas under Hong Kong’s General Employment Policy (GEP) last year were hired on short-term contracts, while nearly half of successful applicants earned less than HK$20,000 (US$2,564) a month.
According to the latest Immigration Department data, 31,278 GEP working visas for foreigners were approved last year. Mainland Chinese residents cannot apply to the scheme.
While the figure marked the second consecutive year the scheme had cleared the 30,000-level, the number was still shy of the more than 40,000 recorded annually in 2018 and 2019.
The latest statistics showed that 79.7 per cent of successful candidates, or 24,929, held short-term positions or jobs lasting less than a year. Among those granted visas, 47.5 per cent, or 14,850, were earning below HK$20,000 a month.
The proportion of approved applicants holding short-term contracts last year also marked an increase from 72.1 per cent in 2024 and 64 per cent in 2023.
The data also showed 13,640 GEP visas were approved in the first half of this year, with 68.6 per cent on short-term contracts and 49.8 per cent earning less than HK$20,000.
