QMAS Extension of Stay: What to Prove the First Time, and How the 3+2 and 5-Year Terms Work
Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (General Points Test) entrants must show they have settled in Hong Kong at their first extension, for example through employment or a business. Later extensions follow a 3+2 pattern, with five years possible for those meeting the salaries tax condition. Based on the Immigration Department's 2026 pages.
Short answer: when the first 36-month stay ends, Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS, General Points Test) entrants must show they have settled in Hong Kong — the Immigration Department’s examples are taking up gainful employment or establishing a business. Later extensions are usually granted on a 3+2 pattern (3 years, then 2 years). Those who have stayed in Hong Kong for two years and had assessable income under salaries tax of HK$2 million or more in the previous year of assessment may get a five-year extension in one go.
First extension: what must you show?
The Immigration Department says that at the first extension applicants must show they have settled in Hong Kong, for example by having taken up gainful employment or established a business here. For later extensions, applicants must show not only that they have settled but also that they contribute to Hong Kong, for example by establishing or joining a business of reasonable scale.
If you plan to extend through your own business, prepare material showing the business genuinely operates in Hong Kong, such as company and business registration documents and records of business dealings. Follow the Immigration Department’s guidance notes for the actual document list.
How long is each extension?
| Situation | Usual term granted |
|---|---|
| First and later extensions | 3+2 pattern: 3 years, then 2 years |
| Stayed in Hong Kong for two years and assessable salaries income of HK$2 million or more in the previous year of assessment | 5-year extension |
When to apply
- Submit as early as possible within three months before your limit of stay expires, and no later than six weeks before;
- Processing usually takes about two to three weeks;
- You must be in Hong Kong when you submit;
- Unless the Immigration Department approves otherwise, you must leave Hong Kong before your limit of stay expires, even if the application is still being processed.
Extending through a business: plan the office early
The official QMAS page does not list an office tenancy agreement the way the TTPS page does. But when extending through a business, a real office where you can meet clients helps show that the business genuinely operates in Hong Kong. For TTPS, see Top Talent Pass extension: office proof.
HKESC provides private offices for visa extensions: genuinely leased private office space, company door signage, reception and meeting rooms, plus a review of your business and office arrangements before the extension. Extensions are decided by the Immigration Department, and no agency can guarantee the outcome.
Sources
- Immigration Department: Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (revised 2026-04-16) https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/quality_migrant_admission_scheme.html
General information only, not legal or tax advice.