The Hong Kong Government has introduced a pilot scheme allowing postgraduate students to work part-time during their studies, lifting restrictions on full-time, international students. Hong Kong Government has decided to exempt full-time international postgraduate students from restrictions on taking up part-time jobs. This exemption to international students has been implemented on a trial basis for two years from November 1, 2023.
Currently, eligible students who have been approved to come to Hong Kong to study in full-time at the postgraduate level are individually issued a “No Objection Letter” (NOL) by the Immigration Department (ImmD), allowing them to take up part-time employment on campus for not more than 20 hours per week, curriculum-related internships during semesters or summer jobs. From November 2023, these restrictions will remain suspended for two years.
The ImmD will arrange briefing sessions for the relevant institutions within this week to introduce the arrangement, and subsequently issue to eligible students through their institutions new NOLs setting out the suspension. Eligible students are not required to submit applications separately. Students approved of visas/entry permits on or after November 1 will also be issued with the updated NOLs.
Effectively, international students can now work more than the stipulated limit of 20 hours per week during term time, participate in curriculum-related internships, and secure summer jobs.