Corporate event planners and HR teams received welcome news on 4 November when the Immigration Department confirmed it had added five more sectors to its Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Visitors Participating in Short-term Activities (STV Scheme). Effective 1 November, the environment, occupational safety and health, maritime, think-tank and ‘other’ buckets join 12 existing categories ranging from finance to creative industries.
Under the STV Scheme, nearly 500 authorised Hong Kong entities can invite foreign nationals for remunerated activities of up to 14 days without the need for an employment visa. Since the pilot’s launch in 2022 the programme has facilitated over 38,000 visitor-arrivals—from fintech keynote speakers to Rugby Sevens commentators—generating an estimated HK$1.2 billion in event-related spending.
![Hong Kong Widens Short-Term Visitor Scheme to 17 Sectors, Adding Green, Maritime and Think-Tank Categories]()
The latest expansion reflects both policy continuity and post-pandemic competition. Rival hubs such as Singapore have rolled out “Work Pass Exemption” lists for similar engagements; Hong Kong’s move levels the playing field, especially for new-economy conferences mushrooming under its ‘Mega Event Economy’ roadmap.
Companies must still ensure invited experts remain within the scheme’s strict parameters—no hands-on project work and no displacement of local labour. Immigration advisers urge corporates to keep invitation letters and activity schedules on file; spot-checks at immigration counters have increased.
For multinationals, the broader list simplifies logistics: a maritime-insurance executive can now fly in to negotiate contracts, while environmental scientists may keynote green-finance forums, all on visitor status. The confluence of easier entry and the city’s busy Q4 conference calendar is expected to lift hotel occupancy and stimulate ancillary sectors from F&B to ground transport.
Under the STV Scheme, nearly 500 authorised Hong Kong entities can invite foreign nationals for remunerated activities of up to 14 days without the need for an employment visa. Since the pilot’s launch in 2022 the programme has facilitated over 38,000 visitor-arrivals—from fintech keynote speakers to Rugby Sevens commentators—generating an estimated HK$1.2 billion in event-related spending.
The latest expansion reflects both policy continuity and post-pandemic competition. Rival hubs such as Singapore have rolled out “Work Pass Exemption” lists for similar engagements; Hong Kong’s move levels the playing field, especially for new-economy conferences mushrooming under its ‘Mega Event Economy’ roadmap.
Companies must still ensure invited experts remain within the scheme’s strict parameters—no hands-on project work and no displacement of local labour. Immigration advisers urge corporates to keep invitation letters and activity schedules on file; spot-checks at immigration counters have increased.
For multinationals, the broader list simplifies logistics: a maritime-insurance executive can now fly in to negotiate contracts, while environmental scientists may keynote green-finance forums, all on visitor status. The confluence of easier entry and the city’s busy Q4 conference calendar is expected to lift hotel occupancy and stimulate ancillary sectors from F&B to ground transport.
