Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES)

What is the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme?

The New Capital Investor Entrant Scheme is an investment immigration scheme launched by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in the 2023-24 Budget. It aims to allow some investors who transfer funds to Hong Kong but will not operate any business in Hong Kong to immigrate to Hong Kong, so as to further enrich the local talent advantages and attract some new funds to settle in Hong Kong for development. The "New Capital Investor Entrant Scheme Office" under the Investment Promotion Department will be responsible for reviewing the financial assets and investments of applicants under this scheme, and monitoring whether the approved applicants continue to comply with the investment requirements and investment management requirements. The Immigration Department will review applications for visas/entry permits, extensions of stay, and unconditional stay.

 

Application Eligibility and Methods

Investors can invest their funds in some permitted asset classes without running any business. Approved applicants can bring their dependants (i.e. spouse and unmarried and dependent children under the age of 18) to Hong Kong. They are generally allowed to stay in Hong Kong for two years. After the expiration of the period, they can apply for an extension of their stay for three years. They can then apply for an extension of their stay for another three years at the end of each three-year period. Applicants can usually apply to become Hong Kong permanent residents in accordance with the law after they have lived in Hong Kong continuously for not less than seven years.

 

Qualified Persons

• Foreign nationals (except nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba and North Korea)

• Residents of the Macau Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR)

• Chinese nationals who have obtained permanent residency in a foreign country

• Taiwanese Chinese Residents

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Asset and investment requirements

• Be 18 years of age or older when applying for a net assets review

• A net asset review application must be submitted and the Director-General of Investment Promotion must be certified and approved to have net assets or net capital of not less than HK$30 million (or equivalent in foreign currency) in the two years prior to submitting the net asset review

• Must invest HK$3 million in a new Capital Investment Entrant Scheme Portfolio to support the innovation and technology sector and other key industries that contribute to the long-term development of Hong Kong’s economy

• Within 180 days of arriving in Hong Kong, they must invest at least HK$30 million in permitted investment assets in Hong Kong, with the exception of investment in certificates of deposit, which must be approved in principle by the Director of Immigration and must be absolutely beneficially owned by the applicant from the time of investment until the maturity date of the certificate of deposit.

• Have no adverse record (including adverse immigration record) in Hong Kong and its place of residence, and meet the general immigration and security requirements

• Can demonstrate the ability to support and house himself and his dependants without relying on any income from permissible investment assets in Hong Kong, employment income or public assistance

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Conditions of stay

• After obtaining "approval in principle", investors can initially visit Hong Kong as visitors for no more than 180 days.

• After obtaining "formal approval", investors can be allowed to stay in Hong Kong for no more than 24 months, during which time they must comply with the relevant requirements of the program.

• According to the above criteria, investors can be granted an extension of stay. If approved under the same conditions and criteria, the extension of stay is generally not more than three years.

• Investors and their dependants who have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for more than seven consecutive years may apply for Hong Kong permanent residency in accordance with the law.

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Stock

Stocks of companies listed on the Stock Exchange traded in HKD or RMB

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Bonds

• The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

• Foreign exchange funds

• Hong Kong Mortgage Securities Limited

• MTR Corporation Limited

• Hong Kong Airport Authority

• Other specified corporations, institutions or bodies wholly or partly owned by the Hong Kong Government

• Stock Exchange listed companies trading in HKD or RMB

 

Certificate of Deposit

Hong Kong dollar or RMB denominated certificates of deposit issued by an authorized institution; the certificates of deposit must be purchased with a maturity date of not less than 12 months (the purchase date must be after the Immigration Department has approved the investor's participation in the scheme in principle; upon maturity, the certificates of deposit should be replaced with certificates of deposit with a maturity date of not less than 12 months or other permitted investment asset classes)

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List of Eligible Collective Investment Schemes

Hong Kong dollar or RMB denominated certificates of deposit issued by an authorized institution; the certificates of deposit must be purchased with a maturity date of not less than 12 months (the purchase date must be after the Immigration Department has approved the investor's participation in the scheme in principle; upon maturity, the certificates of deposit should be replaced with certificates of deposit with a maturity date of not less than 12 months or other permitted investment asset classes)

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Non-residential real estate

Refers to non-residential real estate for commercial and/or industrial purposes in Hong Kong (including office buildings, commercial buildings, retail units and factory buildings but excluding land and multi-purpose real estate partly used for residential purposes), and the investment amount is capped at HK$10 million