World · East Asia & Pacific · 3 hrs ago
Freed Hong Kong activist waits for Australian visa after prison term
Kris was jailed for nearly three years after joining Hong Kong’s 2019 protests against a proposed extradition law.
Those protests grew into a broader pro-democracy movement, and more than 10,000 people have been arrested in connection with them, according to Hong Kong police.
Since release, Kris has struggled to rebuild their life and has not received a decision on renewing their professional licence.
Kris applied for an Australian student visa in 2025 and is still waiting for an answer.
Australia assesses visa applicants’ character, and a prison sentence of 12 months or more can count as a substantial criminal record.
Some character checks can take years because the specialist assessment unit has a significant backlog, according to a migration lawyer.
The wait has made it harder for Kris to plan a future in Australia, while the visa decision remains pending.
Kris, a Hong Kong activist jailed for nearly three years over participation in the 2019 protests, is waiting for a decision on an Australian student visa application.
Kris applied in 2025 and says a criminal record makes it difficult to travel abroad and plan for the future.
Australian visa applicants must pass a character test that considers criminal history, and a prison sentence of 12 months or more can count as a substantial criminal record.
A migration lawyer said cases referred to a specialist Home Affairs unit can take years because of a significant backlog.
Kris says they want to restart their life in Australia and described the wait as “a punishment with no end date.”
- Who
- Kris, a Hong Kong activist who uses a pseudonym. They are waiting for an Australian student visa decision.
- What
- Kris’s application remains undecided after they were released from prison.
- When
- Kris applied in 2025. The article was published on November 3, 2026.
- Where
- Kris is from Hong Kong and hopes to restart their life in Australia.
- Why
- Kris says their criminal record creates difficulties when travelling abroad. The sources do not state why their specific visa application has not been decided.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Kris joined a protest in Hong Kong against a proposed extradition law.
Kris was released from jail.
Kris lodged an Australian student visa application.
ABC Australia reported that Kris was still waiting for a decision.
- Applicant
- Kris, a pseudonym
- Prison term
- Nearly three years
- Visa application
- Australian student visa, lodged in 2025
- Visa assessment
- Character test considers criminal history
- Substantial criminal record
- Includes a sentence of 12 months or more in prison
What people are saying
I am not a criminal, and I did not commit any crime. I joined the anti-extradition movement because of my conscience
Waiting like this makes it very hard to plan for the future … it feels like a punishment with no end date.
He said the unit had a significant backlog, with some cases taking years.