Hong Kong’s new cash-for-residency scheme draws US$12 billion in first 2 years
Number of applicants surges in second year, with most of the deployed capital going into authorised funds, equities and debt securities
The government’s investment promotion arm on Monday released the figures for the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES), designed to encourage high-net-worth individuals to invest in Hong Kong, bringing both capital and professional talent into the city.
Authorities received 3,166 applications since the launch of New CIES in March 2024, with 1,762 investors completing their commitments and receiving formal approval from the Immigration Department.
The number of applications in the scheme’s second year rose 145 per cent to 2,248, following an initial foundation and awareness-building phase, indicating growing interest from investors, officials said.
As of the end of February, HK$21.4 billion, or 39 per cent of the total deployed capital of HK$55.6 billion, flowed into professionally managed funds approved by the Securities and Futures Commission.
Equities were the second most popular option, receiving HK$16.1 billion, or 29 per cent of the total. Debt securities accounted for HK$5.3 billion, or 9.5 per cent, while investment-linked assurance schemes and the New CIES investment portfolio together took HK$11 billion, or around 20 per cent.