Kids of Top-Talent Need 2-Year Residency for Subsidized Places

炒年糕的貓貓
Aug 4, 2025
3 min read

The Hong Kong government's latest definition of local students adjusts the eligibility for school places and tuition fees of government - funded tertiary courses (including university, sub - degree, and postgraduate courses). It is clearly stipulated that holders of dependent visas must reside in Hong Kong for 2 years before they can apply for subsidized school places.

This policy will directly affect the educational rights and interests of the children of families who come to Hong Kong through talent - admission schemes such as the Top - Talent Pass Scheme.

I. Comparison between the Old and New Policies: Key Changes

Items	Current Policy	New Policy from the 2027/28 Academic Year
Dependent's Eligibility	Students who are under 18 years old when first issued a dependent visa are regarded as local students and can apply for subsidized school places.	They must have resided in Hong Kong for 2 years within the two - year period before the course starts (enrolling in a full - time course or leaving Hong Kong for no more than 90 days per year).
Work Visa Holders	Those who meet the requirements can apply for subsidized school places.	Holders of full - time work visas, and visas under entry schemes such as the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme/Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals are completely disqualified from applying for subsidized school places.
Tuition Fee Categories	Unified government - subsidy standard.	Divided into two categories: “subsidized” (local students) and “non - subsidized” (non - local students). The tuition fees of the latter are the same as those of international students.

II. Definitions of Local and Non - local Students

Category I: Subsidized Tuition Fees (Local Students)

Applicable Objects:

Hong Kong permanent residents or holders of one - way permits.
Holders of dependent visas (under 18 years old at the first issuance) who have resided in Hong Kong for 2 years.

Proof Methods:

Provide a certificate of enrollment in a full - time school in Hong Kong, or
Entry and exit records (leaving Hong Kong for no more than 90 days per year).

Category II: Non - subsidized Tuition Fees (Non - local Students)

Applicable Objects:

Holders of dependent visas who have not resided in Hong Kong for 2 years.
Holders of student visas, work visas, or visas under various talent schemes (such as the Top - Talent Pass Scheme, Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals).

III. Policy Impacts

This revision of the “local student” eligibility will have some impacts on families from the Chinese mainland who come to Hong Kong. As of June 2025, Hong Kong's various talent schemes have received 500,000 applications, among which 220,000 people brought dependents, and the number of children under 18 years old reached 55,000. The new regulations will affect families who come to Hong Kong through talent schemes in the future.

To allow affected families enough time to adapt, the government has set the following transition periods:

For enrollment in 2026: Not affected.
For enrollment in 2027: They must have resided in Hong Kong for 1 year before application.
For enrollment in 2028 or later: They must have resided in Hong Kong for 2 years before application.

Conclusion

The new regulations mean that if one wants to apply for a Hong Kong institution and be admitted to a Hong Kong school with government subsidy, they need to obtain the identity and come to study/live in Hong Kong 2 years in advance. Considering the approval time, it is recommended to plan 3 years in advance (the approval of the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme takes more than 6 months).

If you are considering sending your children to study in Hong Kong, it is recommended to learn about the policy details as soon as possible to make appropriate arrangements. Welcome to contact Oceanus Strategic.