IANG: 24 months in Hong Kong after graduation, with no job offer required

At most destinations, the right to remain after graduation is tied to securing work within a deadline. Hong Kong takes a different approach, and a notably concrete one.

What IANG is

The Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG) is a scheme run by the Hong Kong Immigration Department (ImmD) for non-local students who obtained an undergraduate or higher degree through a full-time, locally-accredited programme in Hong Kong.

For fresh graduates, the ImmD's own page states they are granted "24 months' stay on time limitation only without other conditions of stay" and "are not required to have secured an offer of employment upon application".

Why that matters

Twenty-four months without an employment condition changes a new graduate's position entirely. You search from inside the market, interview in person, and are not negotiating against an expiring visa. In fields with long hiring cycles, that difference is real.

It also means you can choose a field on merit rather than against a shortage-occupation list — a constraint several other destinations impose.

Read carefully

• Eligibility depends on your programme being locally accredited and studied full time — confirm this before you accept an offer, not as graduation approaches.
• All applications are processed and determined by the ImmD.
• Immigration policy can change. Check immd.gov.hk for the rules in force when you apply.

Next step

VNIS checks the accreditation status of the programme you are considering and the post-study route under current rules, so you choose with the exit path fully understood.