Immigration authorities have arrested 18 people over false documents used to apply for Hong Kong talent visas, including alleged members of a local forgery syndicate and mainland Chinese accused of using the documents.
The Immigration Department said in a Thursday statement that the syndicate was suspected of having arranged for mainland Chinese people to “obtain Hong Kong entry permits using false instruments including forged academic qualifications, employment proof, foreign visas and immigration stamps.”
The department’s investigation found that the syndicate had arranged at least 22 Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) applications, charging up to HK$2.5 million each. That amounted to a total estimated transaction value of around HK$55 million.
The forgery ring continued to offer services, such as producing false local employment and salary records, upon their clients’ arrival in Hong Kong after they obtained entry permits under the TTPS.
The top talent visa was first introduced in December 2022 to attract more high earners and university graduates to the city amid a wave of emigration. An overwhelming majority of the talent visas are issued to mainland Chinese.
Forged documents
Since April, five Hong Kong residents – members of the syndicate – have been arrested and charged with “aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the making of a false statement for the purpose of obtaining an entry permit,” the statement said.
The five, aged 42 to 56, are also suspected of money laundering but have yet to be charged. The investigation is still ongoing.
A total of 13 mainland Chinese people suspected of using the syndicate’s services – seven men and six women aged 27 to 47 – have also been arrested for “causing to be made a false statement for the purpose of obtaining an entry permit.”
The Immigration Department “reiterates that should any person be found to have obtained their entry permit or residence status in Hong Kong by fraudulent means, such an entry permit or residence status will be declared invalid according to the laws of Hong Kong and they will be subject to criminal liability,” the statement said. “They will also be subject to removal back to their place of origin.”
Presenting false documents to an immigration officer or ordering such documents carries a maximum fine of HK$150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years. Making, possessing or using a false instrument carries a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment.
The Immigration Department said it began to step up verification measures in June last year. It now requires all applicants for Categories B and C under the TTPS, both of which target recent graduates, to submit proof of academic qualifications issued by designated third-party credential verification organisations or the awarding institutions.
