According to the Education Bureau (EDB), LOCAL STUDENTS, for the purpose of admission to post-secondary programmes, are defined as follows:
The student is a holder of:
| LS1 | HKID Card (Permanent) |
| LS2 | Documents issued by the Immigration Department of the HKSAR showing right to land / right of abode in Hong Kong |
| LS3 | One-way Permit for entry to Hong Kong |
| LS4 | Full-time employment visa / work permit |
| LS5 | Dependent visa / entry permit (for students who were below 18 years old) Note Note: Students holding dependent visa / entry permit who were below 18 years old when they were issued with such visa / entry permit by the Immigration Department of the HKSAR |
| LS6 | Visa / Entry permit for Quality Migrant Admission Scheme |
| LS7 | Visa / Entry permit for Capital Investment Entrant Scheme |
| LS8 | Visa / Entry permit for Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents |
| LS9 | Visa label for unconditional stay |
Applicants who do not hold any of the documents in LS1 – LS9 above are defined as NON-LOCAL STUDENTS.
According to the EDB, NON-LOCAL STUDENTS, for the purpose of admission to post-secondary programmes, are defined as follows:
The student is a holder of the following documents issued by the Immigration Department of the HKSAR:
| NLS1 | Student visa / entry permit |
| NLS2 | Visa / Entry permit under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates |
| NLS3 | Dependent visa / entry permit (for students who were 18 years old or above) Note Note: Students holding dependent visa / entry permit who were 18 years old or above when they were issued with such visa / entry permit by the Immigration Department of the HKSAR. |