A Hong Kong court has ordered the arrest of a mainland Chinese talent scheme applicant who jumped bail while facing prosecution for allegedly lying about his qualifications.

Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong on Wednesday signed a warrant for the arrest of Che Yuyi after the 30-year-old twice failed to appear in Sha Tin Court to answer a charge of making a false statement to the Immigration Department in October 2023.

The magistrate also ordered the confiscation of the defendant’s HK$200,000 (US$25,600) cash bail and a HK$100,000 surety, ruling that Che would not be granted bail unless he justified his absence in person.

A charge sheet stated that Che, who provided a location in Sham Shui Po as his address, falsely claimed in his visa application under the Top Talent Pass Scheme that he graduated from Monash University in Australia with a bachelor’s degree in commerce in July 2017.

Hong Kong currently has at least seven talent admission schemes. More than 95 per cent of applicants to the Top Talent Pass Scheme, which commenced in 2022, were from the mainland.

It remains unclear whether the accused has fled the city.