Despite lift on visa ban, medical students unsure of returning to China

Nearly two months after the Chinese government decided to lift the two-year visa ban on Indian nationals, 22-year-old Mahrukh Shaikh is still unsure how and when she will get back to her university in Wuhan to complete her final-year MBBS in physical mode

Nearly two months after the Chinese government decided to lift the two-year visa ban on Indian nationals, 22-year-old Mahrukh Shaikh is still unsure how and when she will get back to her university in Wuhan to complete her final-year MBBS in physical mode.

In September 2021, MBBS students enrolled in Chinese universities had held protests across the country, urging the government to facilitate their return to campuses. HT Archives

While ambiguity remains over access to a no-objection certificate (NOC) – a compulsory document for student visa – from respective universities, the steep airfares are adding to the trouble.

“A one-way ticket to Shanghai from Delhi in pre-pandemic times would cost around ₹35,000 to ₹40,000. Now, probably due to the rush of Indians, the same ticket is priced between ₹1.4 lakh and ₹1.9 lakh. This is unaffordable for many of us,” Shaikh, a resident of Mumbra, said. She is now planning to continue studying online for the next couple of months and try her luck in booking cheaper tickets in the near future.

Indian students pursuing medicine in China returned home in January 2020 after the country went into a complete lockdown due to the rising Covid-19 cases. However, by 2021 when other countries started opening up and allowed students to return, China continued the ban while classes continued online.

The rules in China stipulate that after their final year, MBBS students have to complete a 52-week physical internship in assigned hospitals in order to be awarded the degree. While the students were allowed to attend lectures online, those in their final year were at a loss as their internship could only be completed once the lockdown restrictions were lifted.

“Considering the fact that the students who graduated in 2020 and 2021 are yet to complete their compulsory internship, many medical universities are providing NOCs only to such batches. My batch graduated this year but the internship started for local students in June; so, our university is asking us to apply for visas next June,” Dr Shahroz Khan, who graduated from Nantong University’s College of Medicine this year, said.

Khan plans to apply for an NOC and visa next year. “Hopefully the airfares will be cheaper by then too.”

According to data from the UNESCO, in the 2018-2019 academic year, China received around five lakh international students, the third highest after the US and the UK. Figures provided by the government of India show that in 2018, over 23,000 students were enrolled in various programmes in China. Indians form the fourth largest group of international students in China after South Korea, Thailand and Pakistan.

On June 13, China updated its visa policy, allowing Indian professionals and their families stranded for over two years to return. The Chinese government has started processing visa applications of thousands of Indian students who have conveyed their interest in rejoining their respective universities.

“We are now in the process of approaching the civil aviation minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia. Several countries organised chartered flights for students to return to China, and we are hopeful of the Indian government considering a similar arrangement for us,” Khan added.