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I recently gave a talk at Campfire Collaborative Space on the topic of how to start a business in Hong Kong as a foreigner, which in essence is the journey of getting a Business Investment Visa as an Entrepreneur after the implementation of the Enhancement Measures in 2015 and the Audit Commission Report Number 66 from 2016.

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

Historically, this guidance addressed the critical question of local job creation for foreign nationals establishing a commercial enterprise under the General Employment Policy. The Geeza unpacked ImmD’s traditional expectations around headcount: while creating opportunities for the local workforce was a statutory touchstone of the approvability test, the department was commercially pragmatic and accommodating. ImmD recognized that an early-stage venture could rarely afford full-time local staff immediately. As a result, case officers routinely granted investment visas on the strength of a phased hiring forecast over a two- to three-year ramp-up period, allowing solo founders to rely on part-time help, local contractors, or no immediate local staff at all while getting the business off the ground with modest capital and serviced office space.

The game has changed from a forward-looking commitment into a non-negotiable prerequisite audited on day one. ImmD no longer grants entrepreneur visas on the promise of hiring local permanent residents in year two or three. Under post-April 2026 administrative practice aligned with TTPS Category A operational substance (~HKD 2.5M enterprise scale), local job creation must already be an active, verifiable reality at adjudication. The corporate sponsor must show active Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) payroll contributions for 2–3 local Hong Kong permanent residents, backed by bona fide employment contracts and competitive market salaries. Paired with mandatory thresholds for HKD 1.5M–2.0M in deployed corporate liquidity and an executed lease for exclusive physical premises (“four walls”), treating local headcount as a future milestones rather than immediate operational hardware ensures swift and summary refusal, unless the venture has secured backing through an accredited government incubator.

In this segment I talk about the need of a clear pathway for the creation of local employment opportunities.

The Rest of the Talk

Introduction

How We Got Here

Must Have Resources

The Startup Visa

Business Investment As An Entrepreneur (Visa)

Three Elements To Approval

Have You Got Enough Money?

Is Your Business Sustainable?

A Properly Set Up Office

How About Local Jobs?

Economic Sector Advantages

Hiring Yourself

D-I-Y Application

Important Materials Referenced In The Presentation

10 Must-Have Resources for Any Hong Kong Investment Visa Application

Accredited Startup Programmes in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Visa Handbook Free Kits

Your Questions Answered

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The reality behind the Hong Kong Immigration Department’s stated ‘4 weeks’ case consideration time frame

The challenge of Hong Kong investment visa approvability for freelance writers and reporters in the HKSAR