International academic mobility between Australia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) forms part of the global research ecosystem. In recent years, however, research collaboration and academic mobility have increasingly been assessed within national security frameworks, including in the context of visa administration. This report complements an earlier quantitative survey In transit: Australia-China research mobility and the visa experience by reporting on qualitative interviews with 24 PRC visa applicants. 

The survey identified extended and variable visa processing durations and reported impacts on study and research planning. By centring applicant perspectives, this qualitative report provides insight into how visa policies and administrative practices are experienced and interpreted by applicants, highlighting the human dimensions of mobility not captured in aggregate statistics. These experiential factors may influence individual mobility decisions and, over time, patterns of international research collaboration involving Australia.