The Morrison administration, which is in a political and diplomatic crisis over the submarine dispute, is still doing things on the Hong Kong issue. On November 1, the Australian government announced that it would introduce two new permanent residence visas to people in Macao and Hong Kong, claiming that the move was to attract talent and increase the country's productivity.
As soon as this news came out, some people in Hong Kong chaos were "grateful" to the Australian government. But observers note that things are not so simple: according to the regulations, most applicants need to pay a total of about 9,000 Australian dollars (about 43,000 yuan) and wait three to four years to have a chance to achieve their goals.
Statement by the Australian Department of Home Affairs
According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' statement on 1 November, two new permanent residence visas are available to holders of Passport holders in Macao and Hong Kong and British Nationals (Overseas) (BNO) starting from 5 March 2022.
The two settled-in visa categories are respectively applicable to: 1. Applicants who have studied or worked in Australia for at least four years and are eligible to apply for a skilled independence visa; and 2. Applicants who have studied or worked in remote areas of Australia for at least four years.
Australian Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Hawke declared that as part of the Australian government's "commitment to strengthen relations with Hong Kong", the move would attract skills, talent and establish business connections with them, helping to increase Australian productivity and create more jobs.
The Australian government estimates that nearly 9,000 eligible applicants are expected to be available after visa applications are opened.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) claims that the above measures will lower the threshold for applying for a settled residence visa. Australian immigration consultants believe that the Australian government aims to attract young talents and skilled workers to reduce the negative impact of an aging population.
As soon as the news came out, the chaotic People who had been lobbying the Australian government to simplify visa applications were excited. However, things are far from simple.
The first is the length of the waiting time. As the Australian government statement said, the new initiative, which will only be officially launched in March next year, also requires eligible applicants to wait at least three to four years.
The second is the problem of high funding. According to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, before obtaining a visa, the main applicant must pay about 9,000 Australian dollars (about 43,000 yuan) to the Australian government in two installments. Additional applicants will be charged separately. This also means that if a family of three applies for an Australian permanent residence visa at the same time, the total cost is about 12,000 Australian dollars (about 57,000 yuan).
In fact, the Australian government has been planning for a long time to revise the content of visas for Hong Kong people and interfere in Hong Kong.
As early as 2019, when Hong Kong's national security law came into effect, Australia falsely claimed that its citizens could be "arbitrarily detained" if they traveled to China (the mainland). Since then, the Australian government has successively launched topics such as the "safe haven scheme for preferential treatment of Hong Kong people", "dual nationality", and asylum visas, pointing fingers at China's domestic politics.
In March this year, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made it clear that China's position on Hong Kong-related issues is consistent and clear. Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong, and Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs, and no foreign country has the right to interfere. China urges the Australian side to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs in any way so as not to cause further damage to China-Australia relations.
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