Momentum continues to pick up for post-national security law migration with a reported surge of interest in Australia after Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced visa offers for Hong Kongers.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Morrison announced a series of measures aimed to benefit Hong Kong citizens residing in Australia, in response to the new security legislation. Hong Kongers currently in the country will be offered a five-year extension with a path to permanent residency and this. 

This has, in turn, led to a significant uptick in migration interest from Hong Kong which have seen a handful of foreign governments looking to welcome capital and talent from the city following legislation. In addition to Australia, active wooers include the U.K., Japan and Taiwan.

Inquiry Surge

Black Diamondz Property Concierge, a luxury real estate brokerage firm with $200 million annual turnover and 20 percent client base of Hong Kongers, saw inquiries from the city increase 35 percent since last November and 45 percent since Morrison’s visa announcements, according to an «ABC» report. An increase in property purchases is expected to follow within six to 12 months. 

According to another firm focused on migration services, inquiries about Australia’s temporary visa options doubled after Morrison’s announcement mostly from young families aged between 24 and 44 working in IT, engineering and education alongside investors and business owners aged between 35 and 60.

«Australia is an attractive destination for many Hongkongers as it offers world-class education, political and economic stability,» said the migration agent, named Mei Hoong Lai. «They will bring along their business skills, invest in new business and create job opportunities for Australians […] and provide a richness in history and cultural diversity.»

Window of Opportunity is Now

«There's a long, long history of success of Hong Kong migrants in Australia,» said former department of immigration deputy secretary Abul Rizvi. «Hong Kong migrants who came around the time of the handover went on to become very successful migrants on connecting Australia back to Hong Kong.»

According to Rizvi, Hong Kongers will make a good fit in the country due similar backgrounds in the English language, legal system, democracy and business system in addition to much needed economic momentum. But he notes that Australia is not the lone wooer and that the government needs to make haste.

«The opportunities are there […] but I think the Australian Government and the state governments need to move now,» he added. «There'll be many countries who want to attract Hong Kong business migrants right now. If Australia waits until COVID-19 has passed, I think it will miss the opportunity.»