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Construction Sector Matters

Background and Objectives

To address the manpower shortage of the construction sector, the Government together with the construction industry and the labour sector have been adopting a multi-pronged approach, which focuses on enhancing training and encouraging the industry to adopt innovative technologies with a view to increasing the local manpower supply.  The Government launches the Labour Importation Scheme for the Construction Sector (“Construction Sector Scheme”) is a supplementary measure.  On the premise of safeguarding the employment priority for local workers, it allows importation of labour at an appropriate scale to fill in the temporary manpower gap, so as to avoid any bottleneck caused by manpower shortage to the economic and infrastructural development of Hong Kong.

Main Features of the Scheme

The Construction Sector Scheme has the following key features –

  • Local recruitment – applicant must conduct local recruitment prior to the submission of application to establish the needs for importation of labour.
  • Manning ratio – All works contracts with approved quotas must comply with the minimum 1:2 manning ratio requirement, i.e. one imported labour to at least two full-time local labour.
  • Collaborative training – applicant needs to provide additional training places of existing collaborative training programmes for local labour in a number no less than 10% of the approved quota for importation of labour.
  • Participation of relevant stakeholders – The Task Force on Short-Term Labour Supply of the Construction Industry Council (Task Force) and the Consultative Committee for Labour Importation Scheme for the Construction Sector (Consultative Committee), which comprise employers, employees and training institutions representatives from the construction sector, provide recommendations to the Development Bureau on eligible trades/disciplines, prevailing median wages and employment terms and offer views on the overall operation of the scheme.  The Development Bureau will also report to the Labour Advisory Committee on the implementation of the Construction Industry Scheme half-yearly.

Eligibility for Application

1)Eligible Applicants

Applications for importation quota should be submitted by the principal contractor of eligible works contract.

2)Labour to be imported under the Construction Sector Scheme

  • skilled and semi-skilled construction workers
  • technicians and site supervisory personnel

of the eligible trades/disciplines as promulgated by the Development Bureau (DEVB) at the designated webpages of the Construction Sector Scheme.

3)Eligible Works Contracts

  • Primarily applies to public sector construction works contracts with contract value no less than HK$1 billion
  • Private sector construction works contracts with special circumstances may be considered, and they may include contracts involving construction labour of special trades/disciplines the local supply of which is very limited, or contracts with exceptional circumstances warranting special consideration and of a considerable scale.

Application results

Please click here for the application results of the Scheme.

Application and Enquiry

    1. Application Period and Notification of Results

      Save for other period(s) as announced by the DEVB separately if deemed necessary, applications will normally be accepted on a quarterly basis in the months of January, April, July and October each year.

      Application Period Opening day of application Closing day of application
      January First calendar day of the month 5:00 pm on the last calendar day of the month (in case the last calendar day falls on Saturday or public holiday, the closing date and time will be extended to 5:00 pm on the next working day)
      April
      July
      October

      Upon receipt of the application documents and information submitted by the applicant, the Permanent Secretary for Development (Works) approves or refuses applications for quota after considering the advice of the Inter-departmental Committee.  The processing of applications will be completed within two-month time after the closing of the application period.  Applicants will be notified of the application results in writing.  Please refer to the “Guidance Notes for Application for Labour Importation Quota” for details of the application.

    2. Application Documents and Forms 

      During the above-mentioned application period, applicants can submit applications by email (email address: css_application@devb.gov.hk) apart from by hand delivery or by post.  For details, please refer to the "Guidance Notes for Application for Labour Importation Quota".

Name of Documents/Forms Documents/Forms Number Downloadable File
  1. Guidance Notes for Application for Labour Importation Quota 
 –– PDF pdf

(We updated the Chinese version in January 2025. The corresponding updated English version will be uploaded soon.)
  1. Labour Importation Scheme for the Construction Sector Application Form 
 DEVB-CSS-1_e

PDF pdf
(We updated the Chinese version in January 2025. The corresponding updated English version will be uploaded soon.)
  1. Annex I – Particulars of Employer(s) of the Imported Labour 
 DEVB-CSS-1a_e PDF pdf
(We updated the Chinese version in January 2025. The corresponding updated English version will be uploaded soon.)
  1. Annex II – Manpower Plan of the Works Contract 
 DEVB-CSS-1b_e

PDF pdf
(We updated the Chinese version in November 2024. The corresponding updated English version will be uploaded soon.)
  1. Annex III – Confirmation Form on Local Recruitment 
 DEVB-CSS-1c_e

PDF pdf
(We updated the Chinese version in July 2024. The corresponding updated English version will be uploaded soon.)
  1. Sample of Deed of Undertaking for Principal Contractor
 DEVB-CSS-1d (Chinese version only)
  1. Annex IV – Imported labour to work in the construction site(s) of the “Supplementary Contract(s)” under the applicant 
 DEVB-CSS-1e_e PDF pdf
  1.  Sample of Deed of Undertaking for Sub-contractor
 DEVB-CSS-2

PDF pdf
(We updated the Chinese version in January 2025. The corresponding updated English version will be uploaded soon.)
  1. Request Form for Adding Special Trade/Discipline to the List of Eligible Trades/Disciplines
 DEVB-CSS-3_e

PDF pdf

E-form
  1. Declaration and Authorisation Form
 DEVB-CSS-8c-1

PDF pdf
(March 2025 revised version)

  1. Joint Declaration Form on Importing Labour from the Mainland to Hong Kong
 DEVB-CSS-8c-2 (Chinese version only)
  1. Notification of Senior Management Representative appointed by Principal contractor-applicant  
 DEVB-CSS-8g (Chinese version only)
  1. Application for Review of Quota Application Result
 DEVB-CSS-9_e PDF pdf
  1. Sample of Deed of Undertaking for Agencies
 DEVB-CSS-10 (Chinese version only)
  1. Acknowledgment Record of Employment Contract
 DEVB-CSS-17_e PDF pdf
  1. Notice of Termination of Employment of Imported Labour
 DEVB-CSS-18 (Chinese version only)
  1. Application for Replacement of Imported Labour
 DEVB-CSS-18-1 (Chinese version only)
  1. Application for Change of Approval Conditions/ Employment Terms
 DEVB-CSS-20 (Chinese version only)
  1. Confirmation from Imported Labour on the Changes to Information related to the Standard Employment Contract
 DEVB-CSS-21 (Chinese version only)
  1. List of Trades/Disciplines in the Construction Industry Eligible for Labour Importation and the Corresponding Employment Terms including the Prevailing Median Monthly Wages of Local Labour in Similar Positions
 –– PDF pdf
(We updated the Chinese version in November 2024. The corresponding updated English version will be uploaded soon.)
  1. Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (FAQ)
 –– (Chinese version only)

Note: The webpage will be updated regularly with more information

Reference Materials

  1. A briefing session was held by the DEVB for the construction sector on 20 January 2025 to highlight the key changes in guidance notes that applicants should pay special attention to. Applicant may download the Powerpoint slides of this briefing session. (Chinese only)
  2. Anti-corruption Materials

Points to Note

Applicants must –

  1. conduct local recruitment within four months preceding the date of application for importation quota.  The local recruitment should be conducted through the channels specified in the “Guidance Notice for Application for Labour Importation Quota”, and that the salary of the post(s) under recruitment is/are no less than the prevailing median monthly wage level(s) of the relevant post(s) of local labour as promulgated by DEVB.  Details are available in the “Guidance Notice for Application for Labour Importation Quota” and other relevant documents in the table above; and
  2. make prior accommodation arrangement for the imported labour, applicants are required to provide the address(es) of the accommodation arranged for the imported labour in the application form.  If applicants/employers arrange accommodation for their imported labour within Hong Kong, they can opt for the designated quarter(s) for the purpose of the Construction Sector Scheme or on-site quarter(s) provided by and at construction sites of the applicants.  Please call our enquiry hotline for more details on the arrangement for the designated quarters and on-site quarters.

Should you have any enquiries, please contact us through the following means –

Address：

Development Bureau (Works Policies 1 Section)

15/F, West Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong
Telephone：

3199 7128
(9:00am to 6:00pm, Monday to Saturday, except Public Holidays)
Fax： 2882 7152

You may also contact us by completing the online form below –



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