US denies Chinese student a visa because father is a police officer
- Visa issuance suspended for officials of four intelligence and law enforcement departments and their families, says letter to student with US university offers
- Suspension was imposed in 2020 in response to China’s lack of cooperation in accepting return of its nationals under final orders of removal, US embassy says
The letter informing the student of the refusal said visa issuance for senior Chinese officials employed by four intelligence and law enforcement departments, as well as their spouses and children, had been suspended. According to the education company, the student’s father is a low-level officer.
“In accordance with the US logic, should China deny visas to US intelligence and law enforcement personnel and their families?” Hua said on Thursday, adding that China hoped the US would recognise its mistakes and help allow normal personnel exchanges.
But the US embassy in Beijing told the South China Morning Post there had been a temporary discontinuation, imposed last year by the Trump administration, of visa issuance to some applicants in response to China’s lack of cooperation in accepting the return of its nationals under final orders of removal from the United States.
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The suspension would be lifted if China showed its commitment to accepting the return of such nationals, the embassy’s spokesman said in an emailed response on Monday.