China on Monday said it plans to issue visas to the Indian students stranded at home for more than two years because of Beijing's stringent COVID restrictions. It also said it plans to issue various travel permit categories for Indians, including business visas.
"Warmest congrats to #Indian #students! Your patience proves worthwhile. I can really share your excitement & happiness. Welcome back to #China!" Ji Rong, Counsellor, Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China tweeted.
Warmest congrats to #Indian #students! Your patience proves worthwhile. I can really share your excitement & happiness. Welcome back to #China!🌹https://t.co/DKVdjVmQWP pic.twitter.com/ZHIQwIJaU1
— Ji Rong嵇蓉 (@JiRongMFA) August 22, 2022
Her tweet comprised a detailed announcement by the embassy in New Delhi, announcing the opening of visas for students, families of those working in China and businessmen. The X1-Visa would be issued for students that want to go to China for long-term study for higher education purposes. This will include students that are newly-enrolled and those returning to China to resume their studies.
More than 23,000 Indian students, most of them studying medicine, are reportedly in India due to the COVID visa restrictions. India had submitted a list of several students after China sought names of those that wanted to return immediately to pursue their studies.
Some students from Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka and other countries have already arrived in recent weeks on chartered flights. Monday's announcement on the Chinese Embassy in Delhi's website stated that student visas would be issued to the new as well as old students that could not travel because of the COVID visa bans.
While the new students should produce original admission letter issued by a university in China, the old students need to submit a Certificate of Returning to Campus' issued by the university in China. According to official sources, over 1,000 old Indian students have expressed wish to return to re-join their studies. It is to be seen whether the universities which are processing their requests would issue the certificates for them to apply for visas.
Another issue was that there are no direct flights between the two countries. For the first time in over two years, a chartered flight engaged by Indian businessmen and their families arrived in the Chinese city of Hangzhou recently. In July, China had permitted the family members of the Indian professionals working in China. Several of them arrived through the third country routes paying several times higher than the normal ticket rates.
Indian and Chinese officials say that talks are on between the two countries to resume flight operations. The category of visas which the Chinese embassy in India announced on Monday included C-Visa issued to crew members. Other categories of visas announced by the embassy included M-Visa issued to those who intend to go to China for commercial and trade activities, F-Visa issued to those who intend to go to China for exchanges, visits, study tours and other non-commercial activities and Z-Visa for those who intend to work in China.
Other category permits included visas for the dependents of those working in China.
With PTI inputs
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