• China relaxes the two-year COVID visa ban on Indians, allowing trapped Indian professionals and families to return home

    International
    China relaxes the two-year COVID visa ban on Indians, allowing trapped Indian professionals and families to return home
    Apart from Indians, the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi stated that family members of Chinese citizens and foreigners with Chinese permanent residency permits who wish to visit relatives in China can apply for visas.

    Digital Desk:
    China has announced intentions to issue visas to Indian professionals and their families who have been stuck in India for more than two years as a result of Beijing's harsh visa restrictions established in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

    Thousands of Indian students studying at Chinese universities have shown an interest in returning to their colleges and universities, and China is currently considering their petitions.

    After more than two years, the Chinese Embassy in India modified its COVID-19 visa policy on Monday, allowing foreign nationals and their accompanying family members to return to China for resumption of work in all professions. 
    Several Indian professionals in China petitioned External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar last month to encourage Beijing to allow their stranded family to return to India.

    Apart from Indians, the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi stated that family members of Chinese citizens and foreigners with Chinese permanent residency permits who wish to visit relatives in China can apply for visas.

    Many Chinese personnel working for various companies were trapped in India due to Beijing's sweeping visa bans and aircraft cancellations, in addition to Indians, some of whom have Chinese wives.

    Visas for tourism and private purposes, however, are still suspended, according to the Chinese Embassy notice.

    After months of negotiations with India, China agreed to allow the repatriation of "some" trapped Indian students in April, and instructed the Indian Embassy to gather information on the students who wanted to return.

    According to previous estimates, approximately 23,000 Indian students, largely studying medicine in Chinese institutions, have been stuck in India since the coronavirus broke out in China in December 2019. They couldn't endure it in China because of the government's limitations aimed at halting the spread of the disease.
    According to reports, over 12,000 Indian students have expressed a desire to return, and their information has been given to the Chinese authorities for processing.

    China has yet to establish a criterion for allowing students to return, since Beijing is hesitant to allow such a big number of people to return at once due to the recent increase in COVID-19 instances in the country.

    China has failed to declare intentions to open aviation facilities between the two countries, despite opening visa services to Indians.
    The pricey third-country flight routes are only used by diplomats between the two countries.

    However, China's visa announcement has raised hopes that flight services between the two nations could be restored shortly.

    China has recently allowed students from friendly nations such as Pakistan, Thailand, the Solomon Islands, and, most recently, Sri Lanka to return.