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Written by: Lin Yingxian
2021-03-18 12:00
Last update date: 2021-03-18 12:00
The "Hong Kong National Security Act" was released in July last year and became the focus of the international community. Australia followed the British claim that it would establish a "safe haven" visa for Hong Kong and allow local Hong Kong people to extend temporary graduation and skilled work visas to 5 years.
As of last month, 2,584 people have been extended their visas. How they settle in Australia in the future has always been a concern of Hong Kong people.
Former Democratic Party legislator Xu Zhifeng made an exception to enter Australia on the 10th of this month and will lobby the local government to expand measures to accommodate Hong Kong people.
The Australian Consul General in Hong Kong, Elizabeth Ward, accepted a local media interview for the first time five months after assuming her new post. She categorically stated to "Hong Kong 01" that it would not provide Hong Kong people with new immigration channels and would not imitate Canada. More policies have been introduced, but Hong Kong residents with extended visas "have a chance to transition to permanent resident status" in the future. The details have not yet been finalized and are expected to be announced later this year.
(One of the series of interviews with the Consul General in Hong Kong)
Hua Yide firmly stated that it will not provide Hong Kong people with new immigration channels, nor will it follow the example of Canada to introduce more policies.
(Photo by Li Zetong)
Hua Yide: We make it possible for Hong Kong people to move to Australia
The United Kingdom and Canada have successively introduced immigration measures against Hong Kong people. Will the Australian Government follow suit to make it easier for Hong Kong people to immigrate to Australia?
Australian Consul General in Hong Kong, Hua Yide, said in an exclusive interview with "Hong Kong 01", "I don't know if this is a "lifeboat"", "That's not the way we think about immigration policy." The original intention of the Australian government was to leave Hong Kong people in Hong Kong offer one more choice.
She continued that the Australian government has close ties with Hong Kong people and is also very concerned about the situation in Hong Kong. She described that Hong Kong is facing some challenges, or that more Hong Kong people would like to move to Australia. "We made that possible." ).
Related news: Australian Consul General Hua Yide’s delay in taking office and refusal to be under pressure: Last year was very strange｜01 Interview
Will not follow Canada to introduce more immigration policies
Two weeks after the implementation of the "Hong Kong National Security Act", the Australian government directly criticized the National Security Act for eroding the democratic principles under the framework of "one country, two systems", claiming that it would provide Hong Kong people with channels for naturalization. However, Prime Minister Morrison suddenly "changed" and denied it last month. According to the statement, it is clarified that Hong Kong residents who extend their visas will be required to join the "skilled category" permanent residence visa in the future. Some Hong Kong residents in Australia or naturalization hopeless, were immediately criticized by the local media as "shrinking sand."
There was widespread criticism. Hua Yide said that he had not paid attention to the content of the Prime Minister’s interview, but categorically stated that it would not provide Hong Kong people with new immigration channels, nor would it follow Canada to introduce more policies. He described the positions of Australia and Canada as "exhaustive." Same", the authorities will only extend the temporary graduation work visa and temporary skilled work visa to 5 years. These two types of visas "will have the opportunity to transition to permanent resident status." The statement is the same as the prime minister.
Thousands of Hong Kong residents apply for extension of temporary work visas
According to data provided by the local Ministry of the Interior to "Hong Kong 01", from the promulgation of measures on July 9 last year to February 5 this year, a total of 2,584 people were granted visa extensions.
Among them, 781 Hong Kong residents applied for extension of their temporary graduate work visas, a sharp increase of nearly 50% over the same period last year, with 484 of them approved; 186 applicants applied for extension of temporary skilled work visas, a slight increase from 191 in the same period last year. Falling back, 187 of them were approved.
After 5 years have passed, how did these nearly 3,000 people apply for naturalization?
She said that the authorities have not yet finalized the decision and will announce it in due course.
She did not respond positively to whether the revised immigration measures responded to Beijing’s hard-line implementation of the National Security Law, but only pointed out that the National Security Law was clearly a feature of the timing (that was certainly a feature of the timing), and her tone was clearly stronger than Morrison’s last year. Her remarks were tactful. She emphasized that the Australian government would consider a basket of factors when revising visa measures.
The Australian Consulate General in Hong Kong said it will consider whether it is necessary to extend the visa program to the BNO.
(Data Picture / Photo by Yu Junliang)
Different from Canada’s immigration measures, Hong Kong residents applying for an extension of the visa program must hold a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport.
"Hong Kong 01" asked the Australian Department of Home Affairs for this. The authorities reiterated that Hong Kong people who only hold BNO passports are not eligible for application. They described "SAR passports as a simple, direct and objective method to determine the eligibility of applicants, and they can also serve as relevant persons. Provide certainty".
However, the Australian Consulate General in Hong Kong later emphasized that Australia continues to recognize BNO as a valid travel passport and will consider whether it is necessary to extend the visa program to BNO.
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Personality review is not universally rejected for persons with criminal records
The anti-amendment law has not yet settled, and more than 10,000 people have been arrested. The charges ranged from minor crimes to obstructing office work, to riots and even subversion of state power.
Hua Yide said that it does not mean that applicants will be rejected if they have a case, but it does not mean that applicants can come and go on their own. She emphasized that the authorities have systematically reviewed the personality of applicants, including their personal status, nature of crime, and what constitutes Australia. Threatened.
Australia wants to open and close the door to Hong Kong people.
However, local media SBS Chinese Channel reported that the number of permanent residence visas granted by Australia for Hong Kong residents increased from 316 in the first half of last year to 370 per month, an increase of nearly 20%. An increase of 91%, but the number of visas granted by the authorities to persons of other nationalities has decreased.
In December last year, the authorities granted refugee asylum visas to Hong Kong people for the first time, and the approval rate was as high as 100%. However, the Ministry of the Interior declined to comment on whether Hong Kong people have priority.
Hua Yide believes that Australia's provision of naturalization channels for Hong Kong people will not anger Beijing. "This is a decision made by the sovereign government on the formulation of immigration policies. I don't think this is a problem."
(Photo by Li Zetong)
When asked whether the preferential immigration measures for Hong Kong people would anger Beijing like the United Kingdom, Hua Yide said, "This is a decision made by the sovereign government to formulate immigration policies. I don't think this is a problem." (It's for the sovereign govovernment to make a decision of what immigration policy to put in place. I don't think it should be an issue otherwise.)
She described Australia as a country of immigrants. Several generations of Hong Kong people have taken root there. There are mature immigration policies in the area, which will be revised from time to time. The new naturalization channels provided for Hong Kong people this time are also consistent with the authorities’ system. "Existing pathways or visas" (It's simply an extension to current pathways or current visa process as a pathway.).
▼On January 30th, the Hong Kong government recognized the BNO passport on the "last day"▼
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