Hong Kong offers new visa to woo talent amid ‘brain drain’

Pedestrians walk on a footbridge in Hong Kong (AP)

Hong Kong’s leader has unveiled a new visa scheme to woo global talent, as the city seeks to stem a brain drain that has risked its status as an international financial centre.

Chief executive John Lee said the new Top Talent Pass Scheme will allow those earning an annual salary of 2.5 million Hong Kong dollars (around £281,000) or above and graduates from the world’s top universities to work or pursue opportunities in the city for two years.