The Talent Development Commission – Attracting Highly Skilled Professionals to Macau SAR

Currently, the Macau Special Administrative Region (the “Macau SAR”) is in the midst of its post-pandemic recovery, seeing commerce and industry revive once again. As part of this, a huge effort has been made by government authorities to recruit highly specialised labour. All sectors of society have been drawing the government’s attention to the fact that skilled labour is needed in order to reach pre-pandemic economic levels.

The Talent Development Commission (the “Commission”) was set up in 2023 to attract highly qualified professionals who, in return for benefits to be granted by the Macau SAR government, will provide their services in the territory, thus contributing to the development of the economy. Under the Scheme for Attraction of Highly Skilled Professionals (the “Scheme”), the Macau SAR government aims to promote the development and diversification of the economy, thus fostering the sustainable development of wider society. In 2024, the hiring of talent has focussed on the areas of finance and healthcare, and the Commission has already opened three tenders in these areas.

In accordance with the new Scheme, the eligible highly skilled professionals can be divided into three types:

• high-quality qualified staff” – individuals with outstanding skills or technical competence, of internationally recognised merit or relevant contributions in a specific field;
• “highly qualified professionals” – individuals with professional experience and technical competence and brilliant performance in their professional area or sector of activity, who, in accordance with the needs of the economic and social development of Macau SAR, contribute to the appropriate diversification of the economy of Macau SAR, namely promoting the development of key industries; and
• “advanced-level professionals” – individuals with professional experience and technical competence who, in accordance with the needs of the economic and social development of the Macau SAR, can support the development of key industries or fill the shortage of human resources required for the development of the Macau SAR.

As far as the competent decision-making entities are concerned, the Chief Executive of Macau SAR, although their powers are delegable, continues to have the last word in deciding on not only the launching of programmes to attract these professionals, but also the granting of residence permit requests from the candidates.

A new feature of the Scheme, which is in line with the increasing digitalisation of procedures in Macau SAR, is the submission of applications through an electronic platform, which will also be used for electronic notifications to applicants.

Alongside this new Scheme, it should be noted that the Non-Resident Workers Regime (Skilled and Non-skilled) remains in force, as well as the exemption from the work permit requirement for occasional professionals, as an exception, and under certain conditions, for a maximum period of 45 days in each semester.