Latest Update in Chinese Visa Policies Brings Glad Tidings for International Students
Updated Visa Policies
The third week of August 2022, saw Chinese embassies in multiple countries announce the latest visa policies which included resuming student visa applications. As of 24th August 2022, embassies in 57 countries have resumed applications for X1 visas or are permitting students with valid study permits to return to China. In the past few months, small groups of students from Pakistan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia had already arrived in China via chartered flights. Students from South Korea and Russia have been allowed back since 2021. According to announcements from Chinese embassies in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, the Philippines, Vietnam, etc., students who recently received admission offers from Chinese universities will also be permitted to apply for X1 visas effective from August 24th. However, visa applications for short-term studies (X2 visas) are not yet open to processing.
Hope for International Students
The announcement is a huge relief for the foreign students who have been stuck in their home countries taking online classes, unable to enter China and attend their courses in person for more than two years since COVID-19 border restrictions were instigated in 2020. Nonetheless, different universities’ policies will determine whether overseas students can rejoice immediately and make plans for their return. Initially, it was reported that international students who are awarded the CSC Scholarship (the Chinese government scholarships) and those who are accepted by double first-class universities would have a good chance of returning to China, whether they are freshmen or enrolled students, scholarship or self-financed students. An increasing number of Chinese universities are contacting their students, asking them to return or collect information on their intention to return.
Requirements and Processes to Enter China
The first and foremost step for returning to china would be to get the official notice or the final confirmation from the university you are already enrolled at or got admitted to. If the university confirms that you can return, it will issue a ‘Certificate of Returning to Campus’ or ‘Non-Objection-Certificate’ (NOC) to facilitate your visa application. And then, you will need to apply for an X1 visa at the Chinese embassy in your home country. The freshly enrolled students must submit an Original Admission Letter and the JW202 form issued by the university in China where they were admitted. The older students have to submit a ‘Certificate of Returning to Campus’ issued by their universities in China. Once you get the student visa, you can book a flight back to China.
China lays great emphasis on the students following the epidemic rules, regulations, and procedures throughout their journey to and within China (which differs from country to country), including, but not limited to:
- Covid-19 Nucleic Acid tests taken 7 days, 48 hours, and 24/12 hours before boarding the flight
- Self-quarantine for 7 days before departure
- Health monitoring 7 to 14 days before departure
- Getting a Chinese digital ‘health code’
- Quarantine in China (7+3 quarantine: 7 days in a government quarantine facility and 3 days of home observation)
- Multiple Covid-19 tests to be undertaken in China
All the costs that incur from the above are to be borne by the students themselves.
Before their departure, students must get vaccinated (vaccines taken must be recognized by the WHO or China). A vaccine passport is an obligatory certificate for visas and flights.
China still ordains a “Dynamic Zero Covid” policy, implying inconsistent hotel quarantine periods, available flights, and the cost of quarantine/flights depending on the covid outbreaks in Chinese cities or other nations. This also means the occurrence of events including cancelation or restriction of flights, prolonged internal quarantines, stringent unanticipated lockdowns in campuses, and repeated tests to be undertaken.
Hurdles to Overcome
The latest visa policies surely come as sources of hope and relief for foreign students who are waiting to return to China for their studies or join a new program in Chinese universities. However, the process may not be immediate. In certain cases, older students are allowed to return first, and first-year/part-time students are expected to come back last. Flights to China from many countries remain limited or null. Even if there are flights between the two countries, the exorbitant prices of flight tickets and quarantine still pose a blockade to most students since students need to bear all the costs of returning to China. The current quarantine period is “7 days of centralized isolation plus 3 days of health monitoring at home”. The cost of quarantine may vary from city to city.
Before returning to the campus, some Chinese regions (applicable for travel inside China) additionally demand quarantine periods, vaccinations, and negative COVID test results, all of which must be paid for by the students.
Latest List of Countries Open for X1 Visa Applications
- Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Mauritius, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia
- Asia: Afghanistan, Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Laos, Malaysia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
- Europe: Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, Serbia, Switzerland, Sweden, United Kingdom
- Americas: Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Haiti, Mexico, Uruguay,
- Oceania: New Zealand, Cook Island, Niue
Please note that even if you are not from the above countries, if your university has contacted you to call you back, you can return to China.
Regardless of the hindrances at the moment, the recent updates are definitely a positive step towards the return of international students to China. The international students can stay hopeful that they can return to China in 2023 with normally priced flights and a narrowed quarantine period (or without needing to undergo quarantine at all).