60 is retirement age for men in China, so maybe connected?

There could be a few things behind it.
1) Old people are more likely to die, from covid, and just in general. That creates a headache for everyone involved when the person is foreign and the family want the body or ashes to be repatriated.
2) Closing a loophole - working visas are not given to the 60+, so to stop older folks getting a student visa and working on it.
3) Protecting young innocent students from dirty old sexpats

Ha.Ha.
No. 1 & 2 I agree. No. 3 not so much. Usually it's the young bucks that want to f**k everything in sight. They are usually the ones staying out late drinking and partying and showing up to school/work stinking with alcohol breath and disheveled. Anyway, it is what it is and no sense complaining.

@Liu yeh but those young guns are making money for their bosses and spending their money in the bars - double win for GDP!

Just to be clear, point 3 was a joke.. who knows the real motivation(s)

I get you. It's all good. :-).

There's a rumor in Dali that they're going to stop issuing student visas except for the university. Not sure how true it is, could just be Dali whispers.

This may relate to something that was reported earlier elsewhere - that the authorities are tightening enforcement about which education institutes are be able to provide the JW201/JW202 documents that are needed when applying student visas.

Maybe. They audited the Dali schools about a year and a half ago, I think two got through and one didn't so can still issue visas (this year anyway, mine was renewed about a month ago). Not sure if anything additional is going to happen later this year or if it's all just rumor.

I think that there was a major overhaul of the visa system recently. I remember reading an article that the central government had put out ideas being considered, for public consultation. Some of the proposals were to make things easier.

I have just had my RP renewed. The RP is now more sophisticated and has you photo printed as a part of it.

If you are already on a 2 year family RP, you can reapply with no need for a new medical.

The pick up and collection system is all by APP, as is

payment.

The Tuodon Lu office is being remodeled on the 1st floor, and it looks like the payment booth has been removed or will be revamped. Which also suggests that there may have been changes to the system of exit for Chinese nationals as well.
If the system has been completely overhauled, that would explain potential changes to other visa classes, student, work, and other. Which could include a tightening up in some areas to close loop holes.

One thing that has happened in the past is that if some new regulations have proven to be too strict and caused problems, they have quietly been relaxed.

If your 60 and over they give you a 3 years RP(marriage visa). I wonder if that is still the case.