A 32-year-old mainland Chinese woman was bound over for two years and fined HK$2,000 after using forged academic documents to obtain a visa under Hong Kong’s Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS). The Eastern Magistrates’ Court heard on 10 November that the applicant submitted a counterfeit Australian bachelor’s degree to meet the income-threshold exemption.
The case is the first prosecution since Immigration Department officials warned in October of rigorous checks on TTPS submissions. Launched in late 2022, the scheme has processed more than 120,000 applications, granting two-year visas to high-earning professionals and top-university graduates. Officials say around 3 % of applications trigger document authenticity investigations.
![Fake-degree applicant fined under Hong Kong’s Top Talent Pass Scheme crackdown]()
Legal experts believe the lenient fine reflects the court’s view that the defendant cooperated and had no prior record, but note that future offenders could face jail terms of up to 14 years under the Crimes Ordinance for using false instruments.
Employers reliant on the TTPS talent pool should reinforce onboarding due-diligence, ensuring academic and income credentials are re-verified even after Immigration approval. The incident may also accelerate government plans to integrate blockchain-based credential verification, reducing fraud risk in high-volume visa schemes.
The case is the first prosecution since Immigration Department officials warned in October of rigorous checks on TTPS submissions. Launched in late 2022, the scheme has processed more than 120,000 applications, granting two-year visas to high-earning professionals and top-university graduates. Officials say around 3 % of applications trigger document authenticity investigations.
Legal experts believe the lenient fine reflects the court’s view that the defendant cooperated and had no prior record, but note that future offenders could face jail terms of up to 14 years under the Crimes Ordinance for using false instruments.
Employers reliant on the TTPS talent pool should reinforce onboarding due-diligence, ensuring academic and income credentials are re-verified even after Immigration approval. The incident may also accelerate government plans to integrate blockchain-based credential verification, reducing fraud risk in high-volume visa schemes.
