Hong Kong Top Talent Pass (TTPS): Categories A, B, C for Sri Lankan Professionals (2026)

Hong Kong's Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) is the city's flagship fast-track route for high-earning professionals and graduates of the world's best universities — and it does not require a prior job offer. For Sri Lankan professionals with strong income history or a degree from an eligible institution, this scheme is one of the most accessible routes to live and work in Hong Kong. But the categories are specific, the 2026 university list was updated, and the financial documentation requirements differ sharply depending on which category you apply under. This guide explains everything you need to know before you submit.

What Is the Top Talent Pass Scheme?

The Top Talent Pass Scheme is administered by the Hong Kong Immigration Department and was introduced to attract globally mobile, high-calibre professionals to Hong Kong. Unlike most work visa categories, TTPS applicants do not need a confirmed employer or a job offer in hand at the time of application. Successful applicants receive an initial stay of 24 months, during which they are free to take up employment, change employers, or even explore entrepreneurial opportunities in Hong Kong.

The scheme is divided into three distinct categories — A, B, and C — each with its own eligibility criteria. Category A targets very high earners. Categories B and C target graduates of an approved list of universities, with the distinction being the amount of post-graduation work experience an applicant holds. Understanding which category you fall into before you start gathering documents is essential, because the evidence requirements are completely different across the three.

Category A: The HK$2.5 Million Income Route

Category A is the income-based route. To qualify, an applicant must have earned an annual income of at least HK$2.5 million in the year immediately preceding the date of application. There is no restriction on which university you attended or whether you hold a degree at all — the threshold is purely income-based.

HK$2.5 million per year is a substantial figure. At current exchange rates, this is approximately LKR 85–90 million per year (roughly LKR 7–7.5 million per month), though LKR/HKD rates shift regularly and you should verify the equivalent using the rate at the time of your application. This threshold effectively targets senior professionals, C-suite executives, specialist consultants, and high-earning business owners.

For Sri Lankan applicants applying under Category A, the financial documentation focus is on proving this income level comprehensively and credibly. The Immigration Department expects evidence from multiple sources — not just a single payslip. A robust Category A dossier should include an employer letter confirming the annual salary, payslips covering the full year (or the most recent 12 months), personal income tax returns or assessments for the relevant income year, and bank statements showing the salary credits arriving consistently. If income comes from a business or freelance work rather than a single employer, business accounts, audited financial statements, and contracts or invoices will also be required.

Category B: Degree Plus Three or More Years of Experience

Category B is the experienced-graduate route. To qualify, an applicant must hold a full-time bachelor's degree from an eligible university on the TTPS aggregate list, and must have accumulated at least 3 years of work experience within the 5 years immediately before the application date. Unlike Category A, there is no minimum income threshold for Category B — but both the degree and the experience must be verified.

The degree must be a full-time bachelor's degree — part-time, distance-learning, and professional qualifications do not qualify for this category. The 3 years of work experience must fall within the past 5 years, meaning experience accumulated more than 5 years ago does not count toward the Category B threshold. If your work experience is continuous, this is straightforward. If you have had gaps, career breaks, or periods of self-employment, document each period carefully.

For Sri Lankan applicants, Category B financial documentation focuses on proving the degree and the work experience rather than on a balance threshold. You will need your original degree certificate, official transcripts, and a document confirming the university's name as it appears on the eligible-institutions list. For work experience, reference letters from each employer covering the relevant periods, employment contracts or appointment letters, and payslips or EPF/ETF contribution records — which Sri Lankan employers issue — serve as strong supporting evidence.

Category C: Recent Graduate, Less Than Three Years of Experience

Category C is the recent-graduate route. To qualify, an applicant must hold a full-time bachelor's degree from an eligible university, and the degree must have been awarded within the 5 years immediately before the application date. The key distinction from Category B is that Category C applicants have less than 3 years of work experience in the past 5 years — or no work experience at all. Category C is therefore the entry-level pathway for graduates who have not yet built up a substantial employment track record.

A Category C applicant fresh out of university from an eligible institution can apply immediately after graduation. This is a significant advantage: most work-visa categories require an employer sponsor, which is difficult to obtain without an established network or prior in-country experience. TTPS Category C removes that barrier.

Documentation for Category C centres on the degree and the date of award. The degree certificate must clearly show the conferral date (within the past 5 years), and the university must appear on the 2026 aggregate eligible-institutions list. Any work experience you do have — even if it is less than 3 years — should also be documented, as it demonstrates employability to the officer reviewing your application.

TTPS at a Glance: Categories Compared

The 2026 Eligible-Universities List: 200 Institutions

The TTPS operates on an aggregate list of eligible universities and institutions, published by the Hong Kong SAR Government. As of 1 January 2026, the list contains 200 eligible universities and institutions. The list is updated periodically, and the current version is published on Hong Kong Talent Engage (www.hkengage.gov.hk) and on the TTPS webpage of the Immigration Department.

The 2026 list incorporates institutions across all major global ranking systems, not just the headline QS World University Rankings or Times Higher Education lists. Sri Lanka does not have any home institutions on the aggregate list — but Sri Lankan professionals who studied abroad at listed institutions in the United Kingdom, Australia, India, the United States, Canada, continental Europe, or Asia may find their degree qualifies. Always check the current published list directly before assuming your institution is included.

The aggregate list also now includes the top 5 institutions from the QS hospitality and leisure management ranking (covering the past 5 years of rankings) and the top 5 from the QS art and design ranking (again covering the past 5 years). Additionally, the top 20 Mainland Chinese universities under the Shanghai Jiao Tong Best Chinese Universities Ranking for the past 5 years are included. For Sri Lankan applicants who studied in China — a growing number given the scholarships available — this Mainland Chinese university inclusion may be particularly relevant.

What Changed on 1 January 2026: Additions and Removals

The update to the TTPS eligible-institutions list effective 1 January 2026 was not only about additions. Four universities were removed from the aggregate list: École Polytechnique (France), Université Grenoble Alpes (France), Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (USPC) (France), and University of Freiburg (Germany).

This is a critical point for Sri Lankan applicants who hold degrees from these four institutions. If you graduated from any of these universities before 1 January 2026 and were planning to apply under TTPS Category B or C, you should seek specific immigration advice regarding how the removal affects your application. The Immigration Department has not publicly stated a transitional provision that covers applicants who graduated from newly removed institutions before the removal date — this is precisely the kind of grey area where individual advice matters.

Initial Validity, Extensions, and Family

A successful TTPS application results in an initial stay of 24 months in Hong Kong. This is a meaningful runway — two full years to find employment, build a client base, establish a business, or explore the Hong Kong job market. Within those 24 months, applicants are free to work without restriction on employer, sector, or number of jobs.

The visa is extendable, though specific extension requirements will depend on the applicant's situation at the time of renewal — including employment status, income, and overall integration into Hong Kong. Processing for TTPS applications is generally faster than many other immigration routes: the scheme operates on a 2-week to 4-week processing window, which is notably quick by the standards of comparable high-skilled migration pathways globally.

Dependants — including spouses and children — may apply to join a TTPS visa holder in Hong Kong. Dependent visa applications are submitted separately and require their own documentation, including evidence of the relationship and the principal applicant's TTPS approval. Financial evidence for dependants will typically mirror the documentation required for any visitor or dependent seeking residence in Hong Kong.

What Sri Lankan Applicants Should Prepare: Income Case vs Degree Case

The documentation approach splits cleanly into two paths depending on your category. If you are applying under Category A, the entire case rests on your income evidence. The Immigration Department will scrutinise whether your income genuinely reached HK$2.5 million in the relevant year and whether the figure is sustainable. For a Sri Lankan professional earning in LKR, this requires careful documentation of all income sources and clear conversion figures.

• Category A: Employment letter on official letterhead confirming annual salary for the relevant income year
• Category A: Payslips for each month of the relevant income year (or at minimum the most recent 12 months)
• Category A: Personal income tax assessment or returns for the relevant year, certified where required
• Category A: Bank statements for the relevant period showing consistent salary credits — BOC, Commercial Bank, Sampath, HNB, People's Bank, NSB, Seylan, or DFCC statements are all recognised formats
• Category A: If self-employed or a business owner — audited accounts, business bank statements, and contracts or invoices to support the income figure
• Category B / C: Original degree certificate clearly showing your full name, the conferring university's name, and the date of award
• Category B / C: Official academic transcripts, preferably issued directly by the university's registry
• Category B / C: Documentary proof that your university appears on the 2026 TTPS eligible-institutions list (print the relevant entry from the official list and attach it)
• Category B only: Reference letters from each employer in the past 5 years confirming your employment dates and role
• Category B only: Employment contracts, appointment letters, or EPF/ETF contribution records covering the relevant period
• All categories: Valid passport with at least 6 months of remaining validity at the time of application
• All categories: A recent passport-sized photograph per Immigration Department specifications

How ShowMoneyLK Helps TTPS Applicants

ShowMoneyLK specialises in helping Sri Lankan applicants prepare financial documentation for overseas visa applications. For TTPS Category A applicants, the most common challenge is presenting complex income evidence — especially for business owners, company directors, or professionals with multiple income streams — in a format that satisfies Hong Kong Immigration Department standards. We help structure bank statements, arrange properly worded balance certificates and source-of-funds letters from Sri Lankan banks (BOC, Commercial Bank, HNB, Sampath, People's Bank, and others), and ensure your income documentation is internally consistent and clearly dated.

For Category B and C applicants, the financial documentation is lighter, but the degree and experience evidence must be correctly assembled. If you need a source-of-funds letter, a bank balance certificate for your initial Hong Kong settlement period, or help preparing an outward remittance paper trail for funds you plan to transfer to Hong Kong, we can assist. We will be honest about what is achievable — we do not inflate figures or arrange documents that misrepresent your financial position.