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On December 10, 2015 I gave a talk at Centre O Connect in Sheung wan setting out the nitty gritty of the Hong Kong entrepreneur visa since the implementation of the Enhancement Measures on May 6, 2015.

PRACTICE UPDATE: How to read in light of current ImmD policy:

• Historical Editorial Standard: In this comparative module of the Centre O lecture series, the Geeza examines the distinction introduced by the May 2015 “Enhancement Measures” between a conventional business “entrepreneur” and a “startup” founder. Historically, the presentation explained this as an evolution of departmental mindset: while traditional entrepreneurs (traders, restaurateurs, established professional practitioners) were evaluated on conventional commercial track records and capital depth, “startups” were afforded a special, highly flexible corridor. Case officers were encouraged to look past traditional revenue, modest initial capital, and early unprofitability if the applicant could demonstrate an innovative concept, participate in the broader startup ecosystem, or leverage co-working spaces and incubators.

• Comparative Reading Under the Upgraded Regime: The historical narrative that “startup” status grants an applicant a general, discretionary pass around traditional business viability standards has been completely dismantled. Under ImmD’s post-April 2026 administrative restructuring, the boundary between standard entrepreneurship and the startup track has hardened into a strict, formal bifurcation:

  1. The Standard GEP Entrepreneur Route: Startup rhetoric, claims of innovation, or lean, disruptive business models no longer excuse a lack of balance-sheet substance. Unless officially admitted into an accredited government program, every commercial venture—regardless of whether it labels itself a “tech startup” or a “traditional business”—is evaluated against the rigid operational substance benchmark aligned with TTPS Category A (~HKD 2.5M enterprise scale). It must empirically prove day-one readiness: HKD 1.5M to HKD 2.0M in cleared, deployed liquidity in an active HK corporate account, dedicated physical premises under an exclusive commercial lease (“four walls”), and 2 to 3 local permanent residents actively on MPF payroll.

  2. The Accredited Startup Carve-Out: The leniency historically attributed to early-stage startups now applies exclusively to ventures officially accepted into a government-recognized incubation or accelerator scheme (such as Cyberport Incubation Programme, HKSTP Incubation Programme, Design Incubation Programme, etc.). Outside of these specific, certified programs, an unbacked startup attempting to file under the standard GEP Entrepreneur route using historical “startup flexibility” arguments will be summarily refused for failing to meet the mandatory capital, premises, and employment thresholds.

In this segment, I discuss the difference between being an applicant as an Entrepreneur under the Business Investment Visa and being an applicant as a Startup. Here, also, are the 10 Must Have Resources discussed in the talk, along with a synopsis of the various accredited programmes found here.

More In This Series

Introduction

How Did We Get Here?

Startup vs. Entrepreneur

Getting Approved

The Question of Money

Passing the Approvability Test

Improve Your Chances

D-I-Y Application

Other Relevant Content

How To Apply for a Hong Kong Business Investment Visa Without Any Professional Help

Hong Kong Entrepreneur Visa (Business Investment) – A Practical Guide

Is the Hong Kong Startup Visa All That It’s Cracked Up to Be?

Hong Kong Visa Handbook – The Entrepreneur Visa