Residence Requirement

A. Residence Requirement

The applicant must :

1. be a Hong Kong resident;
2. have held the Hong Kong resident status for not less than 1 year; and
3. have resided in Hong Kong for at least 1 year (since acquiring the Hong Kong resident status to the date prior to the date of application). The one-year residence need not be continuous or immediately before the date of application. Absence(s) from Hong Kong up to a maximum of 56 days (whether continuous or intermittent) before the date of application is/are treated as residence in Hong Kong.

Notes:

1. Persons whose presence in Hong Kong is unlawful and persons admitted to Hong Kong for a purpose other than residence (such as imported workers and visitors) are excluded from the CSSA Scheme.
2. Hong Kong residents aged below 18 applying for CSSA are exempted from the requirements at (2) and (3) above.
3. In exceptional circumstances, CSSA may be granted at the discretion of the Director of Social Welfare to a person who does not satisfy the residence requirement.

The following classes of persons are not eligible to apply for CSSA :

1. persons and their dependants currently staying in Hong Kong under various talent and investment-related entrant schemes which include but not limited to the Top Talent Pass Scheme, the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates, the Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents, the Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme, the General Employment Policy (GEP), the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP), the GEP and ASMTP (Technical Professionals Stream), the Technology Talent Admission Scheme, the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme and the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme; and
2. persons currently staying in Hong Kong on student/training visas and their dependants, persons currently staying in Hong Kong on Working Holiday visas, and consular-related personnel.