The Hong Kong government has issued a new definition of “local students” in tertiary education, saying that children of non-local talent can only be eligible for subsidised local tuition fees after residing in the city for at least two years.
According to a government statement on Thursday, as a transitional arrangement, the residency requirement will be set at one year for the 2027-28 academic year, while the two-year requirement will be implemented starting from the 2028-29 academic year.
Currently, a dependant visa or entry permit holder who was under 18 when first issued such a visa or permit is considered a local student and, therefore, can enjoy subsidised tuition fees at Hong Kong’s public universities.
A government spokesperson cited long-standing concerns that some students did not live in Hong Kong but applied for government-subsidised student places at universities funded by the University Grants Committee.
“To clarify the eligibility criteria for government-subsidised post-secondary student places and subsidies, and to ensure the proper use of public funds, the Education Bureau… considers it necessary for dependant children to reside in Hong Kong for two years before becoming eligible for government-subsidised post-secondary student places,” the spokesperson said in the statement.
Under the new rule, to be eligible for local tuition fees, an applicant is required to provide proof that they are enrolled as a full-time student in a school offering a formal curriculum in Hong Kong for the two-year period ending on May 31 in the year in which their respective programme begins.
Alternatively, they can obtain a record from the Immigration Department showing that they have not been absent from the city for a maximum of 90 days in each year of the two-year period.
In addition, holders of full-time employment visas or entry permits for various admission schemes will no longer be eligible for government-subsidised post-secondary student places.
Secretary for Education Christine Choi said in January that the government was reviewing the definition of “local students” in tertiary education.
The announcement came after the government issued hundreds of thousands of work visas.
Expanded schemes
Hong Kong introduced a new talent scheme, called the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS), in late 2022 and also expanded various existing immigration programmes to attract talent to the city, following a wave of emigration from the city.
With a lower threshold than other programmes, the TTPS contributes to a major share of work visas in Hong Kong.
As of December 2024, the Immigration Department had approved over 270,000 work visas under various schemes over the past two years. One-third of them – or more than 90,000 visas – were TTPS visas.
Three-quarters of the overall work visa holders were from mainland China, official figures showed. Under the TTPS, the share of mainland Chinese was much higher: a whopping 95 per cent.
TTPS visa holders can apply for dependant visas for their spouses or unmarried children under 18 years old.
A group of Hong Kong parents signed an online petition last year urging the government to review the definition of “local students,” saying that some students did not even live in Hong Kong before applying for government-subsidised university places, local media reported.
