Republic of Cuba vs Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.
Last reviewed:
Source basis
This comparison combines Republic of Cuba and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China government portals with the primary sources for each side's dominant skilled route. Every detailed figure links through to the underlying route or data page.
Reviewed
Primary sources
- eVisa-Cuba
Cuban Foreign Ministry (MINREX) - verified
- Immigration Department
Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR) - verified
- Cuba diplomatic missions - consular services for foreigners
Cuban Foreign Ministry (MINREX) - verified
- Immigration Department - General Employment Policy
Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR) - verified
Republic of Cuba
Cuba publishes a current eVisa-Cuba portal through the Cuban Foreign Ministry for tourist eVisa applications, activation and verification, plus DViajeros for traveller declarations and Cuban diplomatic mission pages for consular family, journalist, business, special-purpose and permanent-residence services. The current Visa Atlas packet is conservative: it covers the official tourist eVisa, DViajeros entry declaration, A-2 family visa, D-6 journalist visa, business visa, other consular visas and permanent-residence application, while avoiding unsourced employment or temporary-residence claims.
- Official portal
- Cuban Foreign Ministry (MINREX)
- Languages
- Spanish
- Currency
- Cuban peso
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
Hong Kong's Immigration Department runs a suite of talent and employment admission schemes rather than a single points-based system. The headline routes are the General Employment Policy (GEP) for sponsored professionals, the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) and Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) for talent without a prior job offer, and the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG). Most schemes are residence tracks: seven years of continuous ordinary residence can lead to the right of abode.
- Official portal
- Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR)
- Languages
- Chinese, English
- Currency
- Hong Kong dollar
How Republic of Cuba and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China differ
| Dimension | Republic of Cuba | Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 7 | 8 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 7 | 5 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 1 | 8 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | — | GEP residence -> extensions -> right of abode/permanent resident status after 7 years of continuous ordinary residence. |
| Dominant skilled visa | Permanent Residence Application | General Employment Policy (GEP) |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | — | No fixed published floor |
| Skilled visa processing time | — | Hong Kong Immigration says General Employment Policy applications are normally finalised in four weeks once all documents and fees are received. |
| Skilled visa government fees | — | A Hong Kong GEP application with an initial stay over 180 days costs HKD 1,900 in listed Immigration Department fees. |
| Official languages | Spanish | Chinese, English |
| Currency | Cuban peso | Hong Kong dollar |
| Primary regulator | MINREX | Law Society |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 0 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
Republic of Cuba
Permanent Residence Application
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- No
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
General Employment Policy (GEP)
- Salary minimum
- No fixed published floor
- Government fees
- A Hong Kong GEP application with an initial stay over 180 days costs HKD 1,900 in listed Immigration Department fees.
- Processing time
- Hong Kong Immigration says General Employment Policy applications are normally finalised in four weeks once all documents and fees are received.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Routes unique to Republic of Cuba
Routes unique to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
Visa routes side by side
Republic of Cuba (7)
Tourist eVisa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Single entry; 90-day stay, extendable for 90 days according to the official eVisa-Cuba portal.
DViajeros Entry Declaration
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Entry declaration for a specific trip; it does not grant immigration status by itself.
Family Visa A-2
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Confirm validity and permitted stay with the Cuban consulate that issues the A-2 visa.
Journalist Visa D-6
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Confirm validity and stay terms with the Cuban Embassy press office and issuing consulate.
Business Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Confirm validity and permitted stay with the commercial office and issuing consulate.
Other Consular Visas
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Depends on the visa purpose and consular authorisation; confirm with the relevant Cuban consulate.
Permanent Residence Application
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent-residence application; timing and status terms must be confirmed with the Cuban consulate and migration authorities.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (8)
General Employment Policy (GEP)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay normally up to 36 months on employment conditions; extensions typically follow a 3+3+2-year pattern.
Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay normally up to 36 months under the General Points Test (or a longer initial period for Achievement-based applicants); renewable.
Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay of 36 months (Category A) or 24 months (Categories B and C); renewable on meeting the criteria.
Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay of 24 months on time limitation only; renewable subject to meeting the criteria.
Technology Talent Admission Scheme (TechTAS)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Employment-based stay aligned with the company quota and the applicant contract; renewable subject to continued eligibility.
Entry for Investment as Entrepreneurs
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay normally up to 36 months on employment (business) conditions; extensions follow the standard pattern.
Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial stay granted under the scheme, renewable while the investment and asset requirements continue to be met.
Entry for Residence as Dependants
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Stay normally aligned with the sponsor permitted period of stay; renewable alongside the sponsor.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Republic of Cuba or Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China?+
Republic of Cuba’s Permanent Residence Application is the dominant skilled route; Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China’s General Employment Policy (GEP) requires No fixed published floor. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Does Republic of Cuba or Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Republic of Cuba has more: 7 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 5 for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. No-sponsor routes — such as digital-nomad, self-employment, and points-based skilled migration — matter most if you do not yet have a job offer.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This comparison is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the page for the compiled head-to-head table and use the country-comparisons JSON endpoint to retrieve the indexed pair, destination profiles and underlying source datasets.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Republic of Cuba vs Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/cuba/vs/hong-kong. Last verified 28 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons