HONG KONG—Officials here have taken special measures to speed up approval of 270 one-year work visas for professionals looking to leave Japan after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, a move aimed primarily at attracting and retaining top talent in the finance industry.

The visas were approved through an expedited system that took only two days, Hong Kong's top immigration official, Chan Kwok-ki, said. The typical processing period is six to eight weeks.

Mr....