TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A Chinese-born high school student saw his qualification to study at the National Defense Medical Center scrapped because he has lived in Taiwan for less than 20 years, reports said Wednesday.

The 18-year-old wrote online that after he passed the necessary examinations, he had been told he could not be accepted at the school because he had been born in Nanjing and had not lived in Taiwan for 20 years, per CNA. He said his parents had been working in the Chinese city when he was born there, but he moved to Taiwan when he was 2 years old.

The Ministry of National Defense responded that applicants to military-linked schools face a security review, with one of the rules being that students could not hold any foreign or Chinese passports and must have lived in Taiwan for at least 20 years. As the student in this case had only obtained a Taiwan household registration in 2009, he did not meet the requirements, the ministry said.

During a review of the case conducted by the National Immigration Agency on April 17, it became clear that the applicant had been born in Nanjing, with his mother a Chinese national, the military said. In 2009, he provided evidence of having given up his Chinese residency and obtained household registration.

However, because 20 years had not elapsed between then and now, he could not be approved for study at the National Defense Medical Center. If he wants to apply again once he qualifies, he would be welcome to turn his dreams of joining the military into reality, the ministry said.