On Sunday, the Australian government announced that they are considering to offer 10,000 Hong Kong citizens a chance to apply for permanent residency. Earlier, Britain had made a similar announcement. Let us tell you that Australia has already targeted China on the matter of coronavirus. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison believes that pro-democracy agitators will face persecution with the implementation of new national security laws in the semi-autonomous region of Hong Kong.
Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge told Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV on Sunday, 'That means that many Hong Kong passport holders may be looking for other destinations to go to and hence why we have put forward our additional visa options for them.' He further said that to get permanent resident status, applicants have to pass the character examination, national security examination and other similar examinations.
The Immigration Minister said that it would be necessary to apply to become a permanent resident. So it's not automatic. But it's certainly an easier pathway to permanent residency and of course, once you're a permanent resident, there's then a pathway to citizenship there.
He said, "If you become a permanent resident once, it will make the way to get citizenship easier. If people are really being harassed and they prove it, then they can apply for one of the visas on humanitarian grounds." Morrison announced last week that Australia had ended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and that Hong Kong citizens' visas had been extended from two to five years. China's Foreign Ministry had said that its rights in response to this step taken by Australia are fully protected.
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