Coronavirus: Chinese student detained after visa cancelled

A Chinese student had his student visa cancelled at Sydney Airport on Sunday morning and was detained in a hotel room.

A newly arrived Chinese student had his student visa cancelled at Sydney Airport on Sunday morning and was detained in a hotel room in the city centre before being allowed to enter the country on a 30-day temporary visa.

Echo Hu, who only wants to give his English name, revealed his introduction to Australia after the government’s sudden travel ban was invoked.

The prospective UNSW undergraduate student said he was taken by border security officers for an interview where he was later told that his student visa was cancelled, hours after his flight touched down around 7am in Sydney.

“They asked if I was from Wuhan, how far my hometown is from Wuhan, and if I’m sick,” said Mr Hu, who is from Xi’An, Shaanxi Province.

“We were told that they would arrange return tickets to China for us … in the afternoon four of us (among over a dozen of Chinese passengers) were taken to a hotel, guarded by several officers, “said Mr Hu, adding that their passports were seized.

They were not allowed to open their luggage but could access their phones.

“But when they announced the ban, I was on the flight to transit in Korea … where no one could explain to us what happened in Australia and my connecting flight to Sydney was allowed to fly,” said the 20-year-old.

He shared the experience with a WeChat group of nearly 500 Chinese students who have been thrown into chaos by the travel ban, which only allows Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family to cross the border in an attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

A GPS screenshot shared by Mr Hu showed he was in a hotel in Kings Cross when he asked fellow students for help.

Mr Hu was taken back to the airport about 9.25pm and told that he then enter Australia with a newly granted temporary 773 visa, which allowed him to remain in Australia for 30 days.

He was also advised that he needed to reapply for a subclass 500 student visa within the 30 days.

The Australian can reveal that Mr Hu and eight other students affected by the ban upon their arrival in Sydney on Sunday later received help from the Chinese consulate in Sydney through local Chinese student associations.

Sources revealed that most students are new to Australia, and they are planning to go to the University of Newcastle, Taylors College Sydney, UNSW and ANU.

Mr Hu said despite his university saying he would be reissued a confirmation of enrolment letter, which is a compulsory requirement for his student visa application, the chaos at the border left them in confusion and created more uncertainty for the next 30 days.