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Hong Kong Capital Investment Scheme

The Capital Investment Entrant is a Hong Kong migration scheme meant for foreign investors who wish to relocate to Hong Kong by making an investment. The aim of this scheme is to make the entry for residence easy by capital investment entrants (the entrant), i.e. applicants who make capital investment in Hong Kong but would not be engaged in the running of any business here.
Under the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES), qualifying applicants are granted residence in Hong Kong if they make a capital investment of at least HKD 10 million (appox. 1.28 million USD) in permissible asset classes. Individuals under this visa scheme are not required to operate any business out of Hong Kong or be employed in Hong Kong although they are free to do so if desired.
Residence is granted to successful applicants for an initial two year period which can be further extended in a 2-2 year pattern upon continuing to meet the eligibility criteria. Applicants are allowed to bring their family (spouse and unmarried dependent children under the age of 18) to Hong Kong under the Dependant Visa scheme. Applicants are also eligible to apply for Hong Kong permanent residence after seven years.
There is no quota system under this category. Each application is considered based on its own merit.
The Scheme is applicable to:

• Foreign nationals (except nationals of Afghanistan, Albania, Cuba and Democratic People's Republic of Korea);
• Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR) residents;
• Chinese nationals who have obtained permanent resident status in a foreign country;
• stateless persons who have obtained permanent resident status in a foreign country with proven re-entry facilities; and
• Taiwan residents.
• To qualify for admission under the Scheme, the applicant must:
• Applicants to be aged 18 or above when applying for entry under the Capital investment Scheme;
• Applicants have net assets of not less than HK$10 million to which they are absolutely beneficially entitled throughout the two years preceding the application;
• Applicants have invested within six months before submission of the application to the Immigration Department, or will invest within six months after the granting of approval in principle by the Immigration Department, not less than HK$10 million in permissible investment asset classes (except Certificates of Deposit which must be invested within the latter period) as detailed in page;
• Applicants have no adverse record both in Hong Kong and country/region of residence; and
• Applicants to be able to demonstrate that he is capable of supporting and accommodating himself and his dependants, if any, on his own without relying on any return on the permissible investment assets, employment or public assistance in Hong Kong.

Applicants must invest a minimum of HKD 10 million in either or combination of the following permissible investment asset classes:

• Equities - Hong Kong listed and Hong Kong denominated
• Debt securities - Hong Kong denominated and issued by the Hong Kong government and Hong Kong Stock Exchange listed corporates
• Certificates of deposits - Hong Kong denominated and issued by authorized institutions as defined in the Banking Ordinance with a remaining term to maturity of not less than twelve months at the time of purchase
• Subordinated debt - Hong Kong denominated and issued by authorized institutions
• Eligible Collective Investment Schemes

Additionally, the applicants will have to stick to the portfolio maintenance and ring-fencing requirements which ensure that the applicants do not reduce the investment commitment during the permitted period of residence in Hong Kong, under the scheme. Applicants are allowed to transact only in the permissible investments, as mentioned above, in the designated account opened with a single financial intermediary.
The financial intermediary must be an authorized institution as defined in the Banking Ordinance or a licensed corporation licensed to perform Type 1, 4 or 9 regulated activities under the Securities and Futures Ordinance; or an insurer authorized to carry on Class C business as specified in Part 2 of the First Schedule to the Insurance Companies Ordinance.

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