Pathway

Hong Kong Graduate Residence

Hong Kong Residency

Updated October 6, 2026

Pathway overview

At a glance

Eligible graduates can apply to stay in or return to Hong Kong for work. Apply within six months of graduation to use the usual option without a job offer; later applicants generally need a suitable job.

Who can apply: Graduates of specified Hong Kong or Greater Bay Area programs
Recent graduates: Usually no job offer needed within six months of graduation
Later applicants: Normally need a suitable Hong Kong job

Summary

If you completed an eligible program in Hong Kong or at an approved linked campus in the Greater Bay Area, you may be able to stay in or return to Hong Kong for work. The scheme is called the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates.

Applying within six months of graduation usually means you do not need a job offer first. If you apply later, you generally need a suitable Hong Kong job.

Eligibility

Your qualification

You must have completed an eligible full-time program. For Hong Kong study, this means either:

A bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree lasting at least one academic year; or
An accredited award at Hong Kong Qualifications Framework level 5 or above, with at least 120 credits and one academic year of study.

Separate rules cover approved joint-university campuses in the Greater Bay Area. Check the exact institution, campus, qualification, and study mode rather than relying on the university name alone.

When you apply

If you apply within six months of graduation, you can normally apply without a job offer. Keep documents proving your completion date.

If you apply later, you normally need a Hong Kong job requiring graduate-level skills and paying the local market rate.

Nationality and documents

You must meet the identity, immigration, and document requirements. Nationals of Afghanistan, Cuba, and North Korea are excluded. Applicants from Laos, Nepal, or Vietnam face additional limits on eligible Hong Kong programs; eligible Greater Bay Area graduates can also apply.

The Immigration Department makes the final decision. Meeting the listed conditions does not guarantee approval.

Applying after graduation

Check your course is covered Confirm the institution, campus, qualification, and full-time study rules.
Check your graduation date Within six months, a job offer is normally unnecessary; later applicants usually need one.
Apply with the right documents Provide graduation records and any required job offer.

The six-month deadline changes the job-offer requirement. Not every qualification is covered.

What This Route Allows

Recent graduates can normally receive 24 months to stay in or return to Hong Kong without securing a job first. Approved holders can work under the scheme’s conditions, and eligible family members can generally apply to join them.

Permanent residence may become possible after seven years of qualifying residence, under separate rules.

What This Route Is Not

Not every Hong Kong qualification is covered. The institution, course, length, credits, and full-time study requirements matter.

Applying after six months generally means you lose the option to apply without a job offer.

Next Steps

Check that your course, campus, qualification, credits, and study length meet the current definition.
Work out whether you can apply within six months of graduation.
If applying later, get a suitable Hong Kong job offer and its supporting records.
Apply online with your graduation records and any required employment evidence.

Discussed in these reports

Sources

Hong Kong Immigration Department - Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates - official recent-graduate, returning-graduate, employment, stay, and dependent rules.