Where are they now? A case study of the mobility and career outcomes of US educated international students

• In Event: Roundtable Session (Wednesday IV)
  In Refereed Round-Table Session: Mapping international student experiences

Proposal

The global economy has seen an increase in the mobility of highly skilled individuals, including students with economic, technological, and cultural factors making mobility more affordable than in the past (OECD, 2016). Multinational employers are increasing their reliance on these highly skilled workers to meet the challenges of the global economy. Despite the large number of studies on globalization itself, there is a need for micro-level studies on globally mobile individuals; particularly international students (Favell, Feldblum, & Smith, 2007). One particular area lacking information is students’ decisions to stay in their host country versus return to their home country after they complete their studies.
This study investigates international students who earned degrees in the US, and the factors impacting their post-graduation mobility decisions. Understanding these differences can affect immigration policy and workforce development in students' home and host countries. The study’s theoretical framework was built around the push-pull theory (Altbach, 2004) of influences that affect international student decisions to stay or go, and used a case study design (Yin, 2014) to examine the research question:
• How do international students describe the impacts of economic, political, and social factors on their decisions to stay in their host country or return to their home, or another country after completion of studies?
Fifteen international graduates of US higher education institutions participated in the study which used: semi-structured interviews, the International Graduate Student/Alumni Mobility Survey, and LinkedIn Profile reviews. A diverse sampling of participants from multiple countries was targeted to gain the perspective of students coming from countries of differing cultures and economic levels.
Study results show a complex mix of push-pull factors impacting participants’ post-completion mobility decisions. Participants who stayed in the US, were pulled to stay because of economic factors including career opportunities, and better quality of life. However political factors acted as a push, with concerns about immigration policies impacting participants’ ability to maintain visa status and travel outside the US. Many participants voiced concerns that visa policies of the current administration were making it more difficult to stay and work in the US.
Participants experienced reverse push from home country sociopolitical factors leading to a reluctance to return to their home country. These factors varied based on participant’s country of origin, and included safety for women, women’s rights, freedom of speech, and mental health policies.
Several participants who currently work in the US, felt pulled to return to home countries where the economy and job market have improved since they left. Participants who did leave the US were influenced by social factors like the pull of family and friends in their home country.
In spite of visa challenges over one million international students studied in the US in the 2016/2017 academic year (IIE, 2017). Push-pull factors initially influence students to study outside their home country, however they also influence their mobility after completion of studies. A greater understanding of international students’ mobility will have implications for immigration policy, and economic development and workforce development in the US and abroad.

Authors

• Peggy Gesing, Old Dominion University

• Natalie Cruz, Old Dominion University

• R. Jason Lynch, Old Dominion University