Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China vs State of Israel
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 Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and State of Israel 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
- Immigration Department
Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR) - verified
- Population and Immigration Authority
Population and Immigration Authority (Israel) - verified
- Immigration Department - General Employment Policy
Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR) - verified
- Apply for a Temporary Residence Visa Type A/1 under the Right of Return - PIBA
Population and Immigration Authority - verified
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
State of Israel
Israel's immigration and visa system is run by the Population and Immigration Authority (PIBA), part of the Ministry of Interior. The headline routes are the B/1 expert work visa (employer-sponsored, for high-skill roles), Aliyah under the Law of Return (which grants citizenship to Jews and eligible relatives, administered with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration), the A/2 student visa, and family/marriage-based status. Non-Aliyah work and study visas are temporary and do not lead to permanent residence.
- Official portal
- Population and Immigration Authority (Israel)
- Languages
- Hebrew
- Currency
- Israeli new shekel
How Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and State of Israel differ
| Dimension | Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China | State of Israel |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 8 | 4 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 5 | 1 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 8 | 2 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | GEP residence -> extensions -> right of abode/permanent resident status after 7 years of continuous ordinary residence. | — |
| Dominant skilled visa | General Employment Policy (GEP) | Aliyah - Immigration under the Law of Return |
| 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 | Chinese, English | Hebrew |
| Currency | Hong Kong dollar | Israeli new shekel |
| Primary regulator | Law Society | IBA |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 0 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
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
State of Israel
Aliyah - Immigration under the Law of Return
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- No
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Routes unique to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
Routes unique to State of Israel
Visa routes side by side
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.
State of Israel (4)
B/1 Expert Work Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Issued for fixed periods (commonly up to one year), renewable subject to PIBA approval; verify current durations on the official page.
Aliyah - Immigration under the Law of Return
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Leads to Israeli citizenship; an A/1 temporary residence visa for eligible persons is issued for a multi-year period as an alternative pathway. Verify on the official page.
A/2 Student Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to one year, renewable for the duration of the course of study; verify on the official page.
Status through Marriage to an Israeli Citizen or Permanent Resident
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · A graduated, multi-year process leading over time toward permanent residence or citizenship; exact duration depends on circumstances. Verify on the official page.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China or State of Israel?+
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China’s General Employment Policy (GEP) requires a salary of at least No fixed published floor; State of Israel’s Aliyah - Immigration under the Law of Return is the dominant skilled route. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Does Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China or State of Israel have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China has more: 5 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 1 for State of Israel. 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, "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China vs State of Israel immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/hong-kong/vs/israel. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons