Children of non-local talent can apply for subsidised university places only after 2-year residency in Hong Kong
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
33 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
Why China's US$40 monthly subsidy for every new baby is a big deal
The Chinese government's decision to provide a monthly subsidy of 300 yuan (US$40) to every newborn baby for three years marks an extraordinary turn in Beijing's population policy. In a historical sense, it should be remembered as one of the most important moments in China's social and economic policymaking. For many Chinese, memories of the state taking for granted China's overpopulation problem are still fresh in their mind. After all, the country had implemented its infamous one-child policy for nearly four decades, covering about two generations of Chinese. The Chinese government had in the past offered incentives for parents who followed the one-child policy, but the financial reward was often only a couple of dollars – or about 15 yuan per month. Instead, the family planning regime was largely designed to punish those who violated the one-child mandate. An 'unauthorised' birth could lead to dismissal from jobs at government institutions, schools and hospitals. Meanwhile, hefty financial fines – which were determined as a multiple of a household's annual income – were imposed. In a widely reported case in 2014, Chinese film director Zhang Yimou was fined around US$1 million for having three kids. The fining policy was only officially abolished in 2021. First-grade students hold up cards with the character 'ren' meaning 'person' during an initiation ceremony to learn about traditional Chinese culture at a primary school in Anlong county, Guizhou province on August 28, 2023. Photo: AFP The punishment for 'excessive births' was based on an assumption that people, particularly too many people, were a liability instead of an asset for the state's economic and social agenda. In a more philosophical sense, human beings were treated as a means to serve certain ends. Bloated fears about a population explosion, a theory that was in fashion globally in the 1970s, had helped China roll out birth control policies swiftly, and the country's centralised administration system translated that fear into an efficient machine to cut the fertility rate.
HKFP
14 hours ago
- HKFP
Australian police charge Chinese national with ‘foreign interference' over alleged spying for Beijing
Australian police said Monday they had charged a Chinese national with 'reckless foreign interference', accusing the woman of spying on local Buddhists for Beijing. Assistant police commissioner Stephen Nutt said the unnamed woman had been covertly gathering information on the Guan Yin Citta Buddhist association in Australia's capital, Canberra. Nutt said she was working under the command of China's Public Security Bureau, the country's main domestic law enforcement body. 'We allege the activity was to support the intelligence objectives of China's Public Security Bureau,' said Nutt, from the special investigations division of the Australian Federal Police. 'It is a crime carried out by, or on behalf of, a foreign principle involving covert or deceptive conduct.' The woman — who cannot be named for legal reasons — is an Australian permanent resident. She was arrested and charged with 'reckless foreign interference' after police raided a number of houses in Canberra over the weekend. 'During the searches, a number of items, including electronic devices, were seized and will undergo forensic examination,' police said in a statement. Reckless foreign interference carries a maximum of 15 years in prison. China's sprawling security apparatus has long been accused of infiltrating community organisations as a way to keep tabs on expats and dissidents. But it is rare that a major trading partner such as Australia so bluntly links Beijing to a covert influence plot. 'At a time of permanent regional contest, offenders will attempt to spy on individuals, groups and institutions in Australia,' said Nutt. Appalling assault Australian police have foiled a series of foreign interference plots in recent years, but these have typically targeted migrant communities. Nutt said this case was unusual in that it also appeared to be targeting Australian citizens. 'This is the first time the AFP has charged a person with foreign interference that allegedly involves targeting members of the Australian community,' he said. Police started investigating the woman in March 2025 after receiving a tipoff from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Australia's top counter-espionage agency. Australia's spy chief Mike Burgess last week warned of the mounting domestic security threat posed by foreign actors such as China. 'Foreign interference of the kind alleged is an appalling assault on Australian values, freedoms and sovereignty,' Burgess said on Monday. 'Anyone who thinks it is acceptable to monitor, intimidate and potentially repatriate members of our diaspora communities should never underestimate our capabilities and resolve.'
RTHK
15 hours ago
- RTHK
HK and mainland markets rally after bad week
HK and mainland markets rally after bad week The Hang Seng Index ended trading on Monday up 225 points, or 0.92 percent, at 24,733. File photo: RTHK Mainland and Hong Kong stocks gained on Monday, recovering from last week's sharp declines, as defence and tech stocks led gains. The benchmark Hang Seng Index ended trading for the day up 225 points, or 0.92 percent, at 24,733. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index climbed 1.01 percent to 8,893 while the Hang Seng Tech Index jumped 1.55 percent to 5,481. Up north, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed up 0.66 percent at 3,583 while the Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.46 percent higher at 11,041. The combined turnover of these two indexes stood at about 1.5 trillion yuan, down from 1.6 trillion yuan on Friday. Sectors such as military equipment and gold led gains while stocks related to photovoltaic equipment suffered major losses. The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, gained 0.5 percent to close at 2,334 The rebound on Monday came after markets last week booked their steepest losses since April. The bullish trend for Chinese equities has started to show signs of slowing as the much anticipated Politburo meeting and tariff negotiations with the United States both failed to deliver positive surprises. "Market sentiment is becoming more volatile as positive catalysts are losing momentum," Citic Securities said in a note, adding that investors might shift focus to defensive sectors for shelter or industries with clear growth trajectories. The tech sector jumped 1.6 percent and AI-related shares added 1.7 percent, leading markets higher. Domestic chip stocks continued to rally on Monday after Beijing raised concerns over potential security risks in Nvidia's H20 chip. Looking ahead, markets are awaiting new developments on the trade truce between China and the United States that expires on August 12. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington has the makings of a deal and was "optimistic" about the path forward. "Given rising uncertainties in the foreign market, especially in the US where Trump's intervention in economic reporting undermines the efficacy of policies, both on- and off-shore Chinese markets will likely be under pressure in the near term," Hong Hao, chief investment officer at Lotus Asset Management, said in a note. (Reuters/Xinhua)
