Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China vs Kingdom of Morocco
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 Kingdom of Morocco 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
- Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale
Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale (Morocco) - verified
- Immigration Department - General Employment Policy
Immigration Department (Hong Kong SAR) - 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
Kingdom of Morocco
Morocco administers foreigner residence through the Service des Etrangers at local prefectures, under the Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale, with employment requiring a contract approved by the labour authorities (ANAPEC). Most foreigners hold a carte de sejour, renewable and convertible to a longer-term carte de residence; routes cover employment, self-funded and retiree stays, family reunification and study. Morocco has no dedicated digital-nomad visa.
- Official portal
- Direction Generale de la Surete Nationale (Morocco)
- Languages
- Arabic, Berber
- Currency
- Moroccan dirham
How Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and Kingdom of Morocco differ
| Dimension | Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China | Kingdom of Morocco |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 8 | 6 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 5 | 4 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 8 | 1 |
| 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) | Work Residence Card (carte de sejour, salarie) |
| 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 | Arabic, Berber |
| Currency | Hong Kong dollar | Moroccan dirham |
| Primary regulator | Law Society | MoJ |
| 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
Kingdom of Morocco
Work Residence Card (carte de sejour, salarie)
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- No
Routes unique to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
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.
Kingdom of Morocco (6)
Work Residence Card (carte de sejour, salarie)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Issued as a carte d'immatriculation in the work category, commonly for one to several years and renewable while the employment continues; confirm current validity on the official page.
Long-stay Visa (Visa D)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · A long-stay entry visa used to enter Morocco and then register for a residence card; confirm validity and conditions on the official page.
Self-funded Residence Card (retirees and people of independent means)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · A renewable residence card in a non-working category, commonly issued for one to several years; confirm current validity on the official page.
Family Residence Card (regroupement familial)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · A renewable residence card tied to the family relationship and the sponsor's status; confirm current validity on the official page.
Student Residence Card (carte de sejour, etudiant)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · A renewable residence card tied to your period of study; confirm current validity on the official page.
Permanent Residence Card (carte de residence, 10-year)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · A longer-term residence card, typically valid for ten years and renewable; confirm the current validity and qualifying period 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 Kingdom of Morocco?+
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; Kingdom of Morocco’s Work Residence Card (carte de sejour, salarie) 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 Kingdom of Morocco 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 4 for Kingdom of Morocco. 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 Kingdom of Morocco immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/hong-kong/vs/morocco. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons
Underlying comparison sources (3)