China`s embassy in australia expresses "serious concern" over visa extension for chinese phd students.
According to the sydney morning herald, hundreds of chinese phd students who want to study in australia have reportedly suffered a long visa delay, and china`s embassy in australia recently expressed "serious concern" to australia`s government.
Embassy told the sydney herald and times by email:" it is unclear why the delay has been extended. We have raised this issue with the relevant departments in Australia. We will continue to do so in the hope that the problem will be properly resolved. "
Australian experts warn that Chinese researchers working in Australia may be hired in ways that are against Australian interests. Meanwhile, the US and China are becoming more competitive in the academic field.
Against this background, some 230 Chinese students said they were waiting longer than usual. In some cases, they even waited for more than a year. These students are networking through social media platforms.
Most of them are in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine, many of which have received scholarship grants.
Students claim that delays have prevented them from employment, separated their partners and deprived them of scholarships. Using publicly available visa approval data, students in China are less likely to sign up for a post-baccalaureate course than applicants from other countries.
Mr speaker of the department of home affairs denied the claims. "These [student] analyses used incorrect methods to draw conclusions from the Home Office data," she said. "
Mr speaker claims that chinese students, like other students, accept the same requirements. Applicants are most likely to obtain a visa. The average time for visa approval for Chinese students, including undergraduate students, is not longer than for other students.
Speaker said how long students wait to sign depends on "the difficulty of approval, involving health and conduct, national security requirements ".
Chi Ming`s longtime girlfriend has had her visa extended. This forced her to reapply for a scholarship. He said she was at a loss as she waited for news of her arrival in Australia. "During the waiting period, you can`t take a long-term job because you don`t know when the results will come. "
Other students feared they were caught in the maelstrom of geopolitical conflict. A geologist who has been waiting for more than a year says he is concerned that one of his studies has been mistaken for a nuclear application because of natural uranium reactions in rocks.
But John Fitzgerald, an expert on China at Swinburne University, said it was appropriate for Australia to scrutinize carefully the students who were allowed to come to Australia. Because chinese government has chosen overseas students through its teaching awards program, their research is in line with china`s priorities. "This is not only about defence, but also about geostrategic competition for innovation. "
"Although they have the right to refuse me, they just let me wait without telling me why," said Jia Xu, another student whose visa has been extended, who now hopes to attend Monash University. "
