TTPS Dependants' Children: Hong Kong School Admissions

Introduction

Most of these families are professionals from the Mainland and overseas, and their expectations for their children’s education resemble those of the local middle class: they care about the fairness of place allocation while also hoping their children can enter a Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) or international school offering both English and Mandarin. Drawing on public documents from the Immigration Department, the Education Bureau (EDB) and school councils, this article maps out a workable application path for TTPS parents, covering place allocation for government and aided schools, applications to DSS and private schools, international school debentures and mid-year transfer strategies.

Legal Status and Admission Rights of TTPS Children

Under the Immigration Department’s TTPS — Dependant Visa rules, a successful TTPS applicant may apply for dependant visas for their spouse and unmarried children under 18. A dependant’s limit of stay is generally tied to that of the sponsor (Category A applicants receive an initial stay of 36 months, while Category B and C applicants receive 24 months; subsequent extensions are generally granted for no more than three years or until the expiry of the employment contract). Holding a Hong Kong Identity Card (HKID) (non-permanent) as a dependant enables the child to attend Hong Kong primary and secondary schools as a local student, without needing to apply separately for a student visa.

More importantly, the Education Bureau has made clear that all eligible children — including TTPS children who arrive under the dependant arrangement — may participate in the Primary One and Secondary One place allocation systems of government and aided schools, enjoying the same rights as children of Hong Kong permanent residents. This is set out in the Education Bureau’s circular on Admission Arrangements for Non-local Children (EDB(SAS)/ADM/50/01) and in the annually updated Primary One Admission System guidelines.

TTPS children do not need to have obtained permanent residency before admission. As long as they hold a valid dependant visa and proof of a Hong Kong address, they may submit an application to the Education Bureau’s Places Allocation Section. The only point to note is that some government and aided schools require an interview or entrance examination for class grouping, but they may not refuse admission on the grounds that the child is a non-permanent resident.

Government and Aided Schools: Primary One and Secondary One Allocation Timeline

Across Hong Kong there are about 460 government and aided primary schools and over 400 government and aided secondary schools, together providing over eighty per cent of all primary and secondary school places. TTPS children taking part in place allocation must observe two firm deadlines:

Primary One Allocation

The Primary One Admission System is divided into two stages: “Discretionary Places” and “Central Allocation”. Discretionary Places applications are accepted in September each year (using the 2025/26 school year as an example, the application period ran from 19 to 27 September 2024); only one school may be nominated, and admission criteria are set by the schools themselves, but must follow the Education Bureau’s scoring method (such as hereditary places and religious affiliation points). TTPS families generally lack hereditary and religious points, so their chances of success at this stage are slim.

The key stage is the “Central Allocation” in January of the following year, where parents may choose school-based options, cross-net options and Part A options not restricted by school net. TTPS children must confirm their Hong Kong residential address before allocation (usually between December and January each year), because the Education Bureau uses the applicant’s sole or principal residence as the basis for school net allocation. If the family is still living in a hotel or short-term rental, they must obtain address proof bearing the parents’ names (utility bills, tenancy agreement or stamp duty certificate will all suffice) before the application deadline.

Secondary One Allocation

The Secondary School Places Allocation works the same way, with “Discretionary Places” and “Central Allocation”. The discretionary stage usually accepts applications in January each year; students may apply to no more than two secondary schools, and schools may hold a written test or interview (but may not charge a fee for the written test). If a TTPS child completed primary school in the Mainland, they must present notarised Primary 4 to Primary 6 school reports and demonstrate their English or Putonghua ability at the discretionary stage.

Central Allocation takes place in April, and after receiving the allocation result, families must register at the allocated secondary school in July. If a school refuses to confirm admission during this period, parents may seek help from the Education Bureau’s Places Allocation Section, which has support measures for newly arrived children.

Official documents for both allocations can be found on the Education Bureau’s Primary One Admission System and Secondary School Places Allocation pages.

DSS, Private Independent and International Schools: Fees, Admission Autonomy and the English-Mandarin Environment

TTPS parents generally hope their children will receive an English or bilingual education, so Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) schools, private independent schools and international schools become the first choice. All three types of school enjoy a high degree of autonomy in admissions, are not restricted by school nets, and may set their own curriculum, fees and admission procedures.

DSS Schools

Across Hong Kong there are 60 DSS secondary schools and about 21 DSS primary schools, with tuition fees ranging from HK$7,000 to HK$70,000 per year (2023/24 school year data). DSS schools may run non-local curricula (such as IB and GCSE), and some offer a dual-track curriculum in English and Chinese. Application periods for DSS primary and secondary schools generally start earlier than those for government and aided schools — Primary 1 briefings and applications usually run from March to July in the year before admission, while Secondary 1 begins from October to December of the year before admission. Interviews are mostly in two rounds: the first uses group activities to observe expression in English and Cantonese, and the second is a parent interview.

It is worth noting that if a TTPS child cannot communicate in Cantonese, they may state their language background when applying, and some DSS schools (such as St. Paul’s Co-educational College Primary School and Diocesan Boys’ School) provide an English interview stream. School reports, reference letters and evidence of extracurricular activities must be prepared with English translations.

Private Independent Schools

There are over 50 private primary schools and about 30 secondary schools, with annual tuition fees ranging from HK$80,000 to HK$200,000. They need not follow the Education Bureau’s curriculum guidelines, may teach entirely in English, and mostly adopt British or international curricula. Application timing is more flexible — some admit students year-round — but popular private primary schools (such as Diocesan Girls’ Junior School and Kowloon Tong School) require applying one year in advance.

International Schools

Across Hong Kong there are 54 international schools (including those under the English Schools Foundation (ESF)), with tuition fees from HK$120,000 to HK$290,000 per year; most require the purchase of a one-off debenture or “Capital Levy”, ranging from HK$100,000 to HK$5,000,000. Places are given priority to students holding foreign passports, but as demand from non-local students has grown, some schools have relaxed their nationality restrictions. If a TTPS child holds a Mainland passport, applications to popular schools such as ESF or the Canadian International School often involve waiting lists, so it is advisable to focus applications on schools with more available places (such as Nord Anglia and Malvern College Hong Kong).

International School Applications in Practice: Documents, Written Tests and Debenture Strategy

The international school application process is generally divided into five steps: submitting the application form online, paying the application fee, uploading supporting documents, attending an assessment or interview, and paying the reservation fee and debenture after admission is offered. TTPS families should note the following practical details:

1. Application windows: Most international schools start their academic year in August and have two application deadlines: the first round runs from September to November of the year before admission, and the second round from January to March of the same year. For ESF schools, each September is the central application deadline; late applications go onto a waiting list. If this timing is missed, a mid-year transfer application is still possible, but you must wait for a vacancy.

2. Assessment content: International school assessments generally include English writing, mathematical reasoning and an English interview; lower primary levels focus more on activity observation. TTPS children from the Mainland education system should receive advance training in academic English vocabulary (such as Cambridge English or EAL support). Some schools (such as Harrow Hong Kong) invite parents to an interview to confirm the family’s alignment with whole-person education.

3. Debentures and nomination rights: Debentures come in the form of personal debentures, corporate debentures and “Nomination Rights”. Purchasing one does not guarantee admission, but can secure priority for interview or a higher ranking. If a family is financially comfortable, it may purchase one together with the application; lower-primary places are generally easier to obtain through a debenture. On withdrawal, a debenture may be transferred at market price, but the school will charge a transfer fee.

4. Impact of dependant visa validity: A TTPS dependant’s limit of stay is tied to that of the sponsor, and extensions are generally granted for no more than three years or until the expiry of the employment contract. Schools generally require the visa to remain valid throughout the period of study. If the main applicant cannot show they are employed in Hong Kong with stable income, or their visa renewal is refused despite having set up or joined a business in Hong Kong, the child may have to suspend their education; parents should therefore ensure these conditions remain stable.

Mid-year Transfers, School Net Choice and Adaptation Planning

TTPS children may not make it into the mainstream admission year for Primary 1 or Secondary 1, making a mid-year transfer a necessary option. The Education Bureau allows government and aided schools to admit transfer students at the start of each school term according to vacancies, with specific application procedures set by the schools themselves. The higher the transfer grade, the stricter the English and mathematics requirements, so it is advisable first to check place-shortage situations with the Education Bureau’s Regional Education Offices, then approach schools one by one.

In terms of choosing a school net, the Central and Western District and Wan Chai District on Hong Kong Island, and the Kowloon City District, concentrate a relatively large number of high-quality government, aided and DSS schools, and are also dense with international schools (such as Mid-Levels and Ho Man Tin). However, competition for these school nets is fierce, and failing to rent a suitable unit will also affect allocation. TTPS families may consider the New Territories West (Tuen Mun, Yuen Long) and the North District, where many schools run “Putonghua as the medium of instruction” classes, making it easier for Mandarin-speaking students to adapt.

For language adaptation, the Education Bureau offers the “Adaptation Programme for Newly Arrived Children” (60 hours) and the “School-based Support Scheme” (details). TTPS children may enrol in these free of charge after admission to help them master traditional Chinese characters and basic Cantonese. Some DSS and international schools also run internal EAL classes.

Fee Overview and Financial Planning

• Government / Aided: Free · None · Primary 1: September–January (9–1); Secondary 1: January–May (1–5)
• DSS: HK$7,000–70,000 · No compulsory debenture · Primary 1: March–July (3–7); Secondary 1: October–December (10–12)
• Private independent: HK$80,000–200,000 · Some charge a building fee (about HK$20,000/year) · Year-round; popular schools require one year’s notice
• International schools: HK$120,000–290,000 · HK$100,000–5,000,000 (one-off) · From September (9) of the year before admission to March (3) of the following year

TTPS parents should set aside extra resources for extracurricular activities, tutoring and school bus expenses, especially the after-school classes and overseas exchange programmes of international schools. Overall education spending is estimated at HK$200,000 to HK$500,000 per year.

Conclusion

The TTPS has brought a large number of professionals to Hong Kong, and the education support for their children tests the absorptive capacity of the entire system. The policies and timelines set out in this article aim to be accurate, but in practice each school has its own unique admission rules, so parents are advised to contact their target schools directly to verify.

This article is for informational reference only and does not constitute legal or admission advice. For matters concerning dependant visa extensions and children’s school admission, parents should consult the Immigration Department (www.immd.gov.hk) and the Education Bureau’s Places Allocation Section.