Hong Kong New CIES Draws 3,200+ Applications, Globevisa Group Handles 10% Share

Panoramic view of Hong Kong's skyline and Victoria Harbour, featuring the Two International Finance Centre and surrounding commercial skyscrapers under a clear sky.

Hong Kong is a global hub for capital investment and asset management.

A table from InvestHK showing 3,166 New CIES applications received, 1,762 formal approvals granted, and an expected HK$95 billion in capital investment as of February 28, 2026.

Official data as of February 28, 2026, showing 3,166 applications received under the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES).

Insights reveal rigorous asset verification as a primary challenge amid rising cross-border wealth migration.

SG, SINGAPORE, July 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Since the launch of the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES) by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, the policy has become a key channel for global high-net-worth individuals to manage cross-border asset allocation. According to data and industry observations from Globevisa Group, an international residency planning and cross-border wealth migration consulting firm, the Hong Kong New CIES program has attracted nearly 3,200 applications globally as of mid-2026. This is expected to inject over HKD 95 billion in liquidity into the Hong Kong capital market.

Operational cases indicate that while the program is favored for exempting strict physical residency and local address proof requirements (no mandatory residency requirement), applicants face substantial asset penetration reviews and a 7-year investment maintenance period. Upfront compliance checks and professional structural support have become critical for successfully navigating the standard 6 to 9-month approval cycle.

HKD 30 Million Net Asset Review: Upfront Compliance and Document Standards
Under the Hong Kong New CIES rules published by InvestHK and current regulations, applicants must demonstrate continuous and absolute beneficial ownership of net assets with a market value of no less than HKD 30 million throughout the two years preceding their application. In practice, this requirement subjects the financial matching of asset valuation reports to specific review criteria.

Operational cases handled by Globevisa Group involving complex asset structures show that proof of ownership for overseas financial assets, valuation requirements for multiple real estate portfolios, and document checklists for corporate equity are frequent triggers for Requests for Evidence (RFEs) from the Immigration Department. For example, the declaration of financial assets such as stocks and funds must be accompanied by a Net Asset Statement issued by a Hong Kong Certified Public Accountant, and the gap between the issuance and submission dates cannot exceed 14 calendar days. For investors unfamiliar with the Hong Kong review framework, failing to complete structural compliance checks in advance often leads to higher-than-expected time and trial-and-error costs when preparing documents on their own.

Maximizing Approval Efficiency Under New Policy Standards
In recent years, Hong Kong has continuously refined its penetration review mechanisms across various immigration schemes. Although optimization measures for the Hong Kong New CIES implemented on March 1, 2025, broadened the scope of net asset calculations (such as explicitly allowing the inclusion of absolute beneficial shares jointly owned by the applicant and family members, and investments held by wholly-owned qualifying private companies), the approval logic has expanded from simple threshold checking to a comprehensive review of asset authenticity, holding periods, and compliance.

A regulated environment highlights the value of standardized document verification. As one of the first international consulting firms to submit applications after the relaunch of the scheme in 2024, Globevisa Group reports that it has assisted in filing over 350 of the approximately 3,200 market-wide applications, accounting for about one-tenth of the total volume. According to its operational data, well-structured cases that completed overseas asset ownership proofs and equity verifications prior to submission passed the asset review stage in 1 to 2 working days. This effectively ensures approval within the standard 6 to 9-month timeframe. To date, approximately 80 percent of the clients assisted by Globevisa Group have received official approval letters from the Hong Kong Immigration Department and completed their Hong Kong identity card registration. This indicates that strictly aligning with the official policy framework and avoiding high-risk paths are effective ways to improve approval efficiency.

Navigating 7-Year Investment Compliance and the Unconditional Stay Pathway
Obtaining official approval is only the starting point of this long-term program. Under the Hong Kong Immigration Ordinance, investors must fulfill regular compliance obligations during a 7-year residency period before applying for Unconditional Stay or Hong Kong Permanent Residency upon completion. During this period, applicants face a strict compliance timeline. In addition to submitting a mandatory accountant report to InvestHK annually, they must renew their visas on time in the second and fifth years. If asset substitution occurs (such as stock trading, bond maturity, or fund redemption), the funds must be reinvested into permissible asset classes within a specified 14-day window.

Given the potential policy variables and dynamic adjustments to personal asset structures over 7 years, the long-term operational viability of the service provider becomes an objective risk consideration. Historical records show that Globevisa Group has provided related services since the previous generation of the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, assisting nearly 6,000 family units globally, with applicants widely distributed across Canada, Australia, the United States, Taiwan, and Cambodia. This continuous experience, spanning the Old CIES era and accompanying clients through the entire 7-year investment maintenance cycle, objectively alleviates applicant concerns about service interruptions during the process.

The Role of Professional Agencies in Mitigating Investment Risks
Risk control in cross-border investment immigration is a systematic process involving finance, law, and immigration policies. On an operational level, international wealth migration consultancies provide substantive compliance support across three dimensions:

●Upfront compliance checks: Clarifying the ownership of overseas financial assets before application and conducting penetration reviews on multinational real estate portfolios and corporate equity to reduce the risk of rejection and processing delays.
●Dynamic investment risk isolation: Faced with underlying financial products of varying qualifications in the market, experienced agencies can use compliance frameworks to help investors avoid assets with opaque structures or mismatched risk profiles.
●Emergency response capabilities: Over the 7-year cycle, whether dealing with compliant reinvestment after an underlying bond defaults or handling documentation requirements triggered by cross-category asset conversions, the accumulated practical case database of an agency provides a foundational guarantee for investors regarding financial compliance.

Analysis suggests that the implementation of the Hong Kong New CIES involves the continuous management of fund security and residency planning over a timeline. In the context of globalized asset allocation, relying on professional agencies with full-cycle practical experience, such as Globevisa Group, to build a compliance structure is a rational choice to reduce trial-and-error costs and ensure the long-term compliance of cross-border investments.

Disclaimer: This material is intended for informational and strategic planning purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Any reference to "Hong Kong" herein strictly denotes the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (HKSAR). Readers are strongly advised to consult certified financial planners, licensed asset managers, and legal professionals prior to executing any investment or immigration decisions.

Globevisa Group Team
Globevisa Group
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