Hong Kong faces “many competitors” in attracting talent, the city’s immigration chief has said, following snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan’s announcement that he may move to the Middle East, just months after obtaining Hong Kong residency.
Top talent like O’Sullivan have many options to choose from when deciding where to reside, Director of Immigration Benson Kwok said during a Metro Radio programme on Sunday.
It is “not surprising” for the seven-time world champion to consider relocating to the Middle East, as he has opened a snooker academy there, Kwok said.
“For top talent like O’Sullivan, there are many options for places of residence. Hong Kong has a lot of competitors,” the immigration chief said in Cantonese.
The British snooker player, who has a snooker academy in Saudi Arabia, told the BBC on May 3 about his plan to leave the UK this year to live in the Middle East. He may return to the UK in six months, O’Sullivan said, adding that he does not know how his “new life” will pan out.
The snooker star did not mention his life in Hong Kong during the BBC interview, despite having become a resident in October through the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS).
In a video released by the Immigration Department at the time, O’Sullivan said he had spent quite some time in Hong Kong, “made good friends here,” and had always enjoyed his time in the city. He also cited the city’s tax system, food, and culture as reasons for his relocation.
Kwok, who was featured in the video and congratulated the snooker star on obtaining his Hong Kong residency, said on Sunday that O’Sullivan was preparing to launch a snooker club in Hong Kong but had been unable to return to the city in recent months to prepare for his “new career and life.”
The immigration chief added, “Perhaps we need to wait until he is back in Hong Kong later to decide on where his future place of living will be.”
Attracting talent
The QMAS was introduced in 2006 with an annual quota of 1,000, but the limit was scrapped in 2022. A successful applicant is initially granted a visa of three years or eight years depending on their skills and background.
Apart from the QMAS, the Hong Kong government currently admits mainland Chinese and overseas professionals through six other schemes, including the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS), launched in 2022.
The TTPS aims to attract talent after an exodus of professionals following the imposition of a national security law and years of strict Covid-19 curbs.
The immigration chief said on Sunday that as of the end of April, Hong Kong had approved 310,000 applications under various talent schemes.
Taking into account family members of approved applicants, around 400,000 to 500,000 people have arrived in the city, Kwok said.
