I’ve just been approved to move to Hong Kong under TTPS

Posted by NitpickAway@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 18 comments

I’m in the US and I’ve just received my approval to move to Hong Kong after applying for the Top Talent Pass Scheme. I’m married and my husband is approved to join me as a dependent as well.

I’m posting here to see if I can find out more about the experiences of anyone else who had moved to HK under TTPS specifically. Some of my questions are below but I’d love to hear anything you’d like to share.

What was your timeline after approval?
How long did it take you to get the HKID? Any challenges?
Did you move immediately? How did you find housing?
Did you look for a job or start a business? How was that experience for you?

Thanks so much!

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ian_de_muner@reddit

Hi, TTPS holder here. Submitted my application for extension yesterday actually and looking to get 3 years now.

The TTPS is so simple and easy.

Approval: First week 2024. (took 3 weeks). I moved to HK in April 2024.
I applied for my HKID on the following day after I arrived and it took 7 days to get it in hands. After the HKID is ready, you start to actually live like a local. Open bank account, mobile , etc et .
I took a holiday as I moved here from Shanghai (I'm not Chinese though). Housing was way easier than the nightmare that i was told it would be. It's just insanely expensive, at least for my target districts (HK island).
Started applying for jobs and networking very ahead of even applying for the visa. The job market is BRUTAL here. Awful. Finance concentrated. Compensation is not aggressive for non-banking roles and the work culture is not great either. I got an offer for a role that I started interviewing in March and my first day of work was 1 month after my arrival here.
But if you speak Cantonese, are Chinese, have a HK close group of friends and influential people that can opem you doors for the big banks, then you will love it. Also if money is not an issue for you. Hong Kong comes at a cost.

I am actually leaving HK but I am renewing the TTPS regardless.

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HopefulDecision8975@reddit

Hey sorry to jump in here, but did they ask you for a lot of supporting documentation for the TTPS? what did you have to submit online?

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NitpickAway@reddit (OP)

Thanks for the helpful response! Luckily I speak some Canto and am part Chinese on my dad’s side (though he was not born in HK/China) and my husband is American born Chinese so hopefully it’ll be a good move for us. We have some distant relatives in HK that we plan to reconnect with when we get there.

When you applied for your HKID, did you provide a HK address? I’m trying to pre-fill the form now for my May appointment and it’s confusing as to whether I should use my US address as the Correspondence Address or if I should use the hotel address or my relative’s address as my Residential Address.

For interviewing, do HK companies tend to interview remotely? I know for US companies, it’s normal to expect remote interviews now - hopefully it’s the same there?

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ian_de_muner@reddit

Just being recognised by HK locals as a familiar or not so blatantly stereotypical looking westerner might even work for you, if you happen to have those characteristics.

HKID: i provided the address I was stayinh in. They didnt require proof when I showed up for my appointment. I dont think you should use a US address for a HKID.

Remote working? Forget about it. It's office and the working culture is not the best. But yeah, they do have remote interviews, with last stages being in person.

Curious though is that in banking I see a lot of remote or hybrid positions here and can attest to that from friends working in those.

Seriously, the remote work/hybrid is not a conversation happening here. Welcome back to pre-Covid in terms of work framework, office obssession, facetime, etc.

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NitpickAway@reddit (OP)

Were you staying at an actual residence or a hotel? I had read somewhere that the HKID folks didn’t want people using hotel addresses for some reason.

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ian_de_muner@reddit

I was staying at a hotel for my first 2 weeks. I think I just wrote the address, and not the hotel name.

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Solirisx@reddit

What type of job did you do?

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ian_de_muner@reddit

Marketing Director for a "fintech"

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TheMieberlake@reddit

I'm currently waiting for my results after 4 weeks post-application. How long did you have to wait?

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NitpickAway@reddit (OP)

About 6 weeks

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ian_de_muner@reddit

i am also waiting my results (for extension of TTPS) and ... nothing. 4 weeks and not even an email.

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TheAlanski@reddit

How about now? I also applied recently, just waiting.

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ian_de_muner@reddit

TTPS extension – 1‑year approval, dates + key points

Apr 2024 – Arrived in Hong Kong on TTPS (24‑month stay)
11 Mar 2026 – Applied online to extend stay.
9 Apr 2026 – Immigration requested extra documents: degree verification, employer documents, and proof of income
10–14 Apr 2026 – Uploaded:
University‑issued digital diploma + official online verification + government signature‑validation, as my university isn’t on the suggested third‑party platforms.
Employer forms/accounts and several months of bank statements showing salary.T
15 Apr 2026 – Extension approved for 1 year (until 24 Apr 2027).
Letter says that next time they’ll review my work and presence again, and that I didn’t sufficiently demonstrate the company is in genuine, healthy and sustainable operation.

Takeaways

You can satisfy the degree check with proper university digital verification if they’re not on Parchment/QualificationCheck etc
The “up to 3 years” extension under TTPS is not guaranteed; Immigration can shorten it if they’re not entirely comfortable with the employer, even when your own profile is fine.immd+1

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explosivekyushu@reddit

I have no experience with the TTPS but I have lived in HK for well over a decade but I can answer a couple of these for you

How long did it take you to get the HKID? Any challenges?

It's pretty straightforward, once you get your visa in your passport you can travel. When you arrive you need to schedule a visit to the Immigration office and you go in person to apply for your HKID, they will give you a paper one at that appointment for you to use in the meantime. As soon as you have this piece of paper in hand you can access government healthcare etc, so don't lose it.

The real card will be ready for collection a few weeks later. You need to make the application within 30 days of your initial arrival or they will be very unhappy with you.

As a US citizen, you are a real pain in the ass for banks to deal with and sometimes it can be challenging to convince them to let you open an account without either a huge deposit ready to go, or at the very least an employment contract for a job that you have commenced. HSBC told us to pound sand, so we ended up going with Citibank and I have no complaints over the last 14 years.

Did you move immediately? How did you find housing?

28hse.com is the big real estate website here, you can also enlist an agent to help you if required. Get ready to pay a lot of rent for not a lot of house. You will need your first month of rent plus two months security deposit ready to go, if you went through a real estate agent you will also need to pay half of their fee which is usually half a month's rent. The landlord will cover the other half. It can be anywhere from very difficult to impossible to get a landlord to agree on a lease with you before you are physically in town with a HKID in hand, so what most people do is book a serviced apartment for the first month or two- this is kind of like a medium to long stay hotel with housekeeping etc. There are some decently priced options available and they are usually in pretty good locations.

Did you look for a job or start a business? How was that experience for you?

I don't have much to say here other than if you don't speak Chinese (or have a particularly niche set of skills) the job market is pretty shit right now.

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NitpickAway@reddit (OP)

Thanks for the info! Super helpful. The job market is pretty awful where I am too - hopefully it will get better soon everywhere. My husband and I both speak some Cantonese and HK has always seemed attractive to us so figured may as well give it a try at least once in our lives. Do you have any recs for service apartments?

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explosivekyushu@reddit

You're welcome!

For serviced apartments, there are legitimately dozens and dozens of providers. The only ones I have personal experience with are Dash Living (good), Weave Living (very good but $$$$) and Shama (wouldn't let my dog stay there)

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NitpickAway@reddit (OP)

I will take a look at dash and weave then! Thank you!

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ian_de_muner@reddit

Summary: if you or your husband dont speak Chinese, dont plan to open a business, or if money can become an issue for you, I strongly advise you to think twice before coming. Not great to come jobless. Maybe secure an internal transfer with your current employer and then plan the move.