Hong Kong further improved its Top Talent Pass Scheme on Friday by extending the validity period of the first visas for high-income talent to three years, with an online service launched for talent under the scheme to renew their visas.

Also, 13 top universities in the Chinese mainland and overseas have been added to the scheme, further expanding its scope in trawling for leading talent.

The visa extension measure is applicable to Category A applicants — those with an annual income of HK$2.5 million ($321,000) or above in the year immediately preceding the date of applying to participate in the scheme.

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Previously, the visa validity period for talent in that category was only two years. From Friday, applicants can apply to extend that period by one more year within three months prior to the expiry date of their original limit, even if they are not employed in the city.

If they have secured an offer of employment or have established or are taking part in a business venture in Hong Kong when they apply for an extension, they may be granted an extension of up to three years after submitting relevant proof.

The bureau emphasized that Category A applicants are high-income earners, and that a higher proportion of them come to Hong Kong for employment or to start a business compared to other categories.

Additionally, as 90 percent of the applicants are married and more commonly bring their families with them to the city, the possibility of a visa extension will give them more confidence in coming to Hong Kong.

The 13 newly added universities include nine mainland universities that have ranked 11th to 20th under the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Best Chinese Universities Ranking in the past five years.

The nine institutions are Sichuan University, Beihang University, Southeast University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Tongji University, Renmin University of China, Beijing Normal University, Nankai University, and Tianjin University.

There are also four overseas institutions that have been ranked in the top five specialized institutions in the art and design discipline by the QS World University Rankings over the past five years.

Apart from the Top Talent Pass Scheme, the government also improved the assessment mechanism for the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme on Friday, which is expected to make the assessment period about three months shorter.

A new General Points Test will replace the original item-by-item scoring system with an assessment questionnaire. Under the new arrangement, applicants must confirm that they satisfy at least six the 12 assessment criteria in the questionnaire, which include: age, academic qualifications, language proficiency, work experience, annual income, and business ownership.

If applicants meet at least six of the criteria, they can submit their application. The Immigration Department will then forward eligible applications to a newly established assessment panel for further selection.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said that the original marking scheme and screening procedures were too complicated, resulting in a long waiting times for applicants. The simplified points test has been changed to include true or false questions, with the screening conducted by computer.

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The Immigration Department announced on Thursday that seven-time snooker world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has obtained residency in Hong Kong under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme. The top snooker player said he plans to “do some work” in Hong Kong, as well as enjoy the local food, relax, play snooker, and see friends.

As of September, the city’s various talent-wooing programs had received over 380,000 applications from around the world, with over 240,000 of them having been approved.

Also on Friday, the government said it recognizes Saint Francis University as the second university for applied sciences in the city, further bolstering the city’s professional education and talent cultivation.

Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com