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The Hong Kong Entrepreneur Visa and the Startup visa comes into being (of sorts).

In his recent Policy Address, the Chief Executive of the HKSAR, CY Leung announced the 2015 Hong Kong Immigration Enhancement Measures to the business investment visa essentially splitting it into 2 streams – the Hong Kong Entrepreneur visa and also the Startup visa.

This short Update offers commentary on these changes.

PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy:

Historically, this flagship cornerstone guide laid out the comprehensive blueprint for securing an Investment as Entrepreneur visa under the General Employment Policy (GEP). The Geeza framed the route as the ultimate vehicle for commercial self-determination in Hong Kong, demystifying the statutory test of “substantial contribution to the economy of the HKSAR.” In that era, the entire regime was celebrated for its pragmatic flexibility: ImmD evaluated applications holistically, favoring commercial viability, relevant experience, and genuine intent over raw balance-sheet strength. Foreign founders and solo practitioners were routinely approved with modest seed capital of a few hundred thousand dollars, a flexible desk in a serviced office or co-working space to conserve runway, and a well-reasoned business plan promising to gradually create local jobs over a two- to three-year ramp-up period.

The game has changed from an accessible, narrative-driven assessment into an unforgiving, empirical institutional reset. ImmD has completely excised administrative discretion and qualitative storytelling from the independent entrepreneur stream. Under post-April 2026 administrative practice aligned with TTPS Category A operational substance (~HKD 2.5M enterprise scale), the statutory “substantial contribution” test is now enforced as a rigid compliance audit demanding non-negotiable corporate hardware audited on day one: HKD 1.5M–2.0M in deployed corporate bank liquidity sitting in a local bank account, an executed commercial lease for exclusive physical premises (“four walls”) disqualifying serviced and co-working desks entirely, and active Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) payroll contributions for 2–3 local Hong Kong permanent residents.

Consequently, the traditional, bootstrapped “entrepreneur visa” described in historical guides is effectively dead for independent applicants. Hong Kong’s business immigration framework now strictly bifurcates founders: either you arrive with enterprise-scale corporate funding and immediate operational infrastructure, or you hold documented, formal admission into an officially accredited government incubator (such as Cyberport, HKSTP, or the Design Incubation Programme). Because incubator accreditation is the sole statutory mechanism that waives the mandatory HKD 1.5M–2.0M liquidity, dedicated commercial lease, and immediate MPF headcount mandates, any early-stage founder attempting to secure an entrepreneur visa independently on historical assumptions of lean bootstrapping faces swift and summary refusal.

More Stuff You May Find Useful or Interesting

2015 Hong Kong Immigration Enhancement Measures Applicable to the Employment Visa and Visas Issued Under the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents & Professionals

Hong Kong Immigration Policy Changes 2015 – Security Bureau Report to Legco – Rationale for the New Measures

Hong Kong Immigration Policy Changes – Enhancement Measures to Make Things a Bit Easier

Capital Investment Entrant Scheme Suspended – Business Investment Visa Gets a Boost!

The Visa Geeza Interviews – A Call For Entrepreneurs to Get in Touch