Hong Kong New CIES audits raise the bar for wealth verification

Hong Kong’s revamped New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme is drawing thousands of applicants, but the approval process now hinges on strict look-through audits of complex global assets. The shift is creating a clear split between basic document agencies and full-service advisory firms that can handle compliance, tax and long-term monitoring.

Why it matters: - The Hong Kong New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme is no longer just a capital threshold test. - Applicants now face scrutiny of the source, structure and continuity of their wealth, which raises the compliance burden for high-net-worth families. - The right advisory model can reduce document delays, audit gaps and cross-border tax exposure. - Investors must also maintain qualifying assets for seven years after approval to keep the residency pathway intact.

What happened: - Since the scheme’s relaunch, InvestHK projects nearly 3,200 applications by mid-2026. - Those applications are expected to bring more than HKD 95 billion into Hong Kong. - The New CIES requires applicants to hold net assets worth at least HKD 30 million for the six months before applying. - Approved applicants must keep qualifying investments for seven years. - Globevisa Group said it has assisted nearly 2,000 international high-net-worth families with structural planning.

The details: - InvestHK’s review process focuses on asset valuation timelines, documentation integrity and the legal liability of the Hong Kong CPA report. - Asset values must stay above HKD 30 million throughout the six-month holding period, despite exchange rates, market moves and property price changes. - Supporting statements and records must be complete and unredacted, including account numbers, names and identification numbers. - A Hong Kong-practicing CPA must verify ownership, valuation and continuous holding status, then issue a legally binding report. - Globevisa Group says most clients hold complex portfolios across offshore accounts, private equity, multinational companies, overseas real estate and family trusts. - The firm says no two cases can be copied mechanically. - Market participants described two main service tiers for New CIES applications. - Tier 1 agencies handle translation, document compilation and liaison with the Hong Kong Immigration Department. - Tier 1 services are best suited to applicants with simple liquid assets in one jurisdiction and no cross-border tax issues. - Tier 1 agencies generally do not provide deep intervention from CPAs, tax advisers or legal experts. - Tier 2 firms include major accounting networks such as PwC and EY, plus investment migration advisers such as Globevisa Group and Henley & Partners. - The Big Four are positioned for cross-border tax audit reports and localized restructuring. - Globevisa Group says its process includes in-house legal review, risk control and AML checks aligned with KYC standards. - The firm also models global assets digitally and cross-checks bank statements, tax certificates and corporate financial reports. - Globevisa Group says it builds document checklists for different jurisdictions and customizes materials for Hong Kong’s look-through audit requirements. - The firm says it monitors the full seven-year cycle, including dedicated New CIES accounts, rebalancing windows and portfolio value risks.

Between the lines: - The scheme is favoring advisers that can combine immigration execution with tax and compliance work. - Basic document processing is increasingly inadequate when wealth sits across multiple countries and entity layers. - The shift also reflects a broader trend toward transparency in international asset verification. - Firms that can manage the full residency lifecycle have a stronger pitch to ultra-high-net-worth clients than agencies that stop at filing.

What's next: - Applicants with complex wealth structures are likely to keep moving toward full-suite advisers that can pre-clear compliance issues before submission. - Hong Kong’s seven-year monitoring requirement will keep advisers involved long after initial approval. - The market is likely to keep dividing between simple filing services and higher-touch advisory platforms.

The bottom line: - For Hong Kong’s New CIES, proof of wealth is now a long-term compliance exercise, not a one-time paperwork filing.