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China-Hong Kong talent visa families lose challenge on university fees
The High Court said the Education Bureau’s two-year residency requirement for subsidised university places from 2028 was not irrational, with eligibility tightened from 2027-28.
Mainland Chinese families who moved to Hong Kong under talent visa schemes have lost a legal bid challenging government changes that affect their children’s access to publicly funded university places, according to SCMP Economy.
A Hong Kong High Court judge, Russell Coleman, ruled that authorities did not act irrationally in requiring that children of parents who arrived through the schemes must have lived in the city for at least two years before they qualify for subsidised fees from 2028 onwards.
The government announced the policy change in July 2025, saying eligibility would be gradually tightened, including a one-year residency requirement for 2027-28 applications.
Currently, dependants or minors granted dependant visas or entry permits are treated as local students and pay HK$47,000 (US$5,990) in tuition fees for the coming academic year, while non-local students pay three times that amount, the outlet reported. Coleman also said the court is not the constitutional forum to second-guess government policy unless there are legality concerns.