A new talent programme designed to bring 10,000 nurses, electricians, AI specialists and other workers to the city will open for applications at the end of next month, the government said on Friday.

The three-year trial scheme will also be targeted at lift and escalator technicians, seafarers, aircraft maintenance workers, IT specialists and construction information modelling coordinators.

Those applying under the "Technical Professional List" must be aged 18 to 40 and cannot hold a university degree. Up to 3,000 workers in each job category will be given visas during the three-year period.

"Three thousand is not a magic number, it's not that we set the cap there because all job imports will reach 3,000," government sources said.

"We hope that different sectors will stand a chance [of importing workers], such that certain industries that are bigger won't snap up all the quota quickly."

The sources added that IT technicians are expected to make up the biggest slice of the pie as there is demand for them from various types of companies.

Employers will not need to demonstrate that they cannot find a local worker to fill the roles in question.

“We already see serious shortages in these job types,” one of the sources said.

“Unlike other labour import schemes, we hope these workers will stay in Hong Kong in the long run to serve the city.”

In general, firms will need to offer contracts of two or three years, with salaries equal to those paid to local people, the sources said.

If workers do not already have the licences they require for Hong Kong, they will get a visa of at least two years to give them time to obtain the necessary qualifications.