Key facts
- Agencies pitched VTC course packages to pregnant mainland women at under HK$100,000 (US$12,600), including commission, per the SCMP.
- The agencies claimed the route would give newborns Hong Kong passports and easier access to top mainland universities.
- The Vocational Training Council said it would vet admissions strictly, in response to mainland social media posts about the route.
- The council said it would raise places to more than 14,000 next academic year across about 140 courses.
Agencies are promoting Vocational Training Council courses to pregnant women in mainland China, pitching packages cheaper than HK$100,000 (US$12,600) including commission as the lowest-cost route for the women to secure Hong Kong passports for their newborns, the South China Morning Post reported on November 9, 2026.
The path would let their children get into top-tier mainland universities more easily and could even secure them a civil service job in the future, the agencies claimed, according to the report.
The council said on November 3, 2026 that it would vet admissions strictly, after posts on mainland social media said VTC places could be used to give birth in Hong Kong and obtain permanent residency, Hong Kong broadcaster i-CABLE reported. The council also said it would raise places to more than 14,000 next academic year across about 140 courses, with applications from this year's Diploma of Secondary Education candidates opening on the Thursday after that announcement.