Who can apply for the intensive programme?
1. Applicants should be, upon enrolment, 16 years old or above.
Written consent from parents or guardians is required for applicants below 18. Accommodation is only provided to applicants whose age is 18 or above.
2. Those who wish to apply for award-bearing programmes should have at least
(1) completed Hong Kong secondary five education or equivalent on or prior to 2011 or
(2) completed Hong Kong secondary six education (university admission level) or equivalent on or after 2012.
3. At the beginning stage of the courses, some English will be used. It is desirable for applicants to possess functional ability in English to ease learning and living in Hong Kong. However, it is NOT an entry pre-requisite.
4. Under Hong Kong law, those in Hong Kong as tourists or visitors (including visa-free in-bound travelling) are not allowed to enrol in educational programmes in Hong Kong. All students must have a legitimate immigration status (i.e. student visa, work visa, dependent visa, etc.) before attending lessons. The Academy can sponsor a student visa for those in need, provided that applicants have enrolled into a daytime intensive programme with the Academy (15 sessions/ week for levels 1 to 3 and at least 12 sessions/ week for the advanced level.)
5. Applicants who do not enjoy the visa waiver concession or who require a visa/entry permit before coming to Hong Kong must settle in full the application fee, the deposit, and the tuition fee for the first school term before CLA staff can take any action to process the visa application. HKSAR visa requirements for different foreign countries/ territories are listed on the HK Immigration Department website.
6. Non-beginners who are applying for non-beginner courses have to complete an online placement test together with the application.
7. "Relaxation of employment restriction for non-local students” and “Immigration arrangement for non-local graduates” in the HK immigration policy are generally not applicable to language study students/ graduates. The “Quality Migrant Admission Scheme” has quotas and applicants' language ability is only one of the many criteria in the successful application of the scheme. Visa applicants are advised to adjust their expectation based on the latest IMMD policy.
Intensive Programmes
How to apply for the intensive programme?
Applications can be submitted any time throughout the year. For those who do not have an HKID or a valid resident visa, the application should be forwarded to the Academy at least three months prior to the beginning of the intended study programme to provide sufficient time for visa processing.
Immigration requirement:
Students who come to Hong Kong to study MUST either be a Hong Kong resident or a holder of a student or working visa. Those holding dependent visas may also be allowed to take up study, provided that the sponsor clears all immigration requirements for study in Hong Kong. Those holding IANG visas are allowed to take up study only if: 1) you are using the year of unconditional stay in Hong Kong (i.e. as a fresh graduate), or 2) you are using an IANG visa instead of a work visa and have full-time employment in Hong Kong.
Holders of tourist visas and those with visa-exemption status are not allowed to study in any institution in Hong Kong.
Please be clear about your visa status and apply for an appropriate visa prior to your study. Otherwise, both you and the Academy will be liable for violating the immigration law. Under the HKSAR immigration policy, holders of student visas should not take up employment, regardless of if it is paid or unpaid. Thus, students who intend to work must obtain a work visa with the sponsorship of their employer and then make arrangements for studying at the Academy. Applicants without a legitimate immigration status for study will not be allowed to attend classes at CLA even if they show up in-person and have paid the fee.
Tourists who enter Hong Kong with visa-exemption status or a tourist visa and who want to apply for a CLA course MUST change their status from tourist to student in-person with the immigration office. This process normally takes one month. To avoid possible delays in visa processing and other problems, students are strongly advised to forward their applications to CLA as early as possible.
Intensive Programmes
Documents needed for applying for intensive programmes
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Signed Student Regulations;
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Copies of current or previous school documents; (compulsory for award-bearing programmes and student visa application);
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A copy of your passport;
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(overseas students only) Please study carefully the Guidance Notes on Student Visa Application and submit a filled student visa application form- ID 995A;
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(overseas students only) Please fill in the Certificate of Finance and provide proof of financial standing. (This is to prove a student’s financial status. Bank statements and passbook copies can be used for this purpose);
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Please provide a statement in no less than 100 words and printed on A4 paper to express (i) why you want to take up the proposed study in Hong Kong and (ii) your immediate plan after completion of the proposed study in Hong Kong. (It is preferable for the statement to be written in English or Chinese. Japanese and Korean support will be given if needed.);
* Medical certificate is not required at this moment;
** Students are advised to buy their own insurance for studying abroad.
Intensive Programmes
Documents needed for application
Payment for intensive programmes
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Deposit (refundable) : HK$1600
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Application fee (non-fundable): HK$400
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Visa fee: HK$1200 (if necessary)
The $1,600 is credited to the student's account after formal registration at CLA. This deposit serves to reserve a position in the term for which the student wishes to apply and is held by the Academy for the entire period a student is studying at the Academy as caution money against the privilege of borrowing books or other materials from University libraries and the Academy.
Refunds will be made upon completion of a student's studies. Should an applicant withdraw after acceptance or fail to register as required for any reason, the deposit will be forfeited. The deposit of a continuing student will not be refunded if the student withdraws without written notice or if the notice does not reach the Academy two weeks before the following term begins.
All fees (tuition fee, application fee, deposit, visa, activities, etc.) can be settled by credit card (excluding accommodation), bank draft, or bank transfer (Hong Kong Dollars only). Local cheques can be made payable to “The Chinese University of Hong Kong”.
