Unraveling the Education-Job Pipeline of Chinese International Graduates in the United States with Temporary Work Visas

• In Event: Migrant's and refugees' experience of higher education and the labor market

Proposal

Globalization has reshuffled global power relations and individual values, with neoliberalism being its dominant force. Neoliberalism promotes a global free-trade market, enabling countries to compete for resources and talent, while also advocating for individual freedom and global mobility, fostering the pursuit of overseas education and global citizenship (Gower, 2011; Harvey, 2006; Ong, 2007). However, examining migration studies reveals a paradox: while globalization enhances nations' talent pools, it restricts individual liberty and upward social mobility. The most phenomenal case is the temporary visa policies that attract global skilled labor but impose strict controls on citizenship, limiting foreign workers’ mobility and integration into host countries (Xiang, 2007; Zhan & Zhou, 2020). These policies made skilled labor disposable and devalued regardless of their advanced education degrees. Their career and lives are subject to the power of visa regimes, which was illustrated as the “opportunity trap” by Banerjee (2022). In this scenario, I argue that when studying the flexibility and freedom brought by the globalization of economy and knowledge, we must recognize the dual nature of these terms, as well as individuals’ vulnerability when states fail to uphold their promises to immigrants.
However, people’s actions and choices have been deeply framed by the global economy and knowledge, changing their competition for class positioning at a global level for education resources as well as professional and managerial employment opportunities with their overseas counterparts (Weis et al., 2014). As a result, we witnessed a rapid increase in international students and foreign workers. The temporary work visa program is deemed an incubator of global mobility and competitiveness as it is where and when international students can converge their educational advantages into career mobility. Research on international students and high-skilled immigrants has been extensive, but there is a gap in understanding this post-graduation period (Robertson, 2013).
This study investigates the employment and mobility experiences of international students in the U.S. under the temporary work visa program (H-1B visa program. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the H-1B program allows U.S. companies to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialized fields requiring advanced education (USCIS, 2022a). However, while other developed nations offer skill-based work permits, U.S. graduates must go through a lottery system to obtain H-1B visas. In 2021, only 38.6% of the 274,237 H-1B applications were approved (USCIS, 2022b), adding to the stress and uncertainty for graduates.
This study involves in-depth interviews with 40 Chinese H-1B visa holders who obtained master’s or doctoral degrees from U.S. universities ranked in the top 30-100. These individuals, recruited from five metropolitan U.S. cities, provided a diverse sample in terms of job opportunities, gender (23 females vs. 13 males), and academic background (28 STEM majors vs. 12 non-STEM). The interviews lasted 1-2 hours and voice-recorded and transcribed, then coded and analyzed into three interconnected themes.
The first theme highlights the high uncertainty created by the H-1B lottery system and policies, which disrupts career development, disrupt life rhythms and overall well-being. The findings suggest that legal status becomes an essential form of capital for highly skilled foreign workers, often overshadowing their economic and human capital advantages. Their experiences of devaluation and exploitation stem predominantly from the management and oppression within the visa regime, creating a stark disparity in career mobility between citizens and non-citizens. This leads to a significant identity gap, where highly educated and skilled individuals can be reduced to a status of insecurity, constantly at risk of expulsion from the country.
Secondly, H-1B visa policies shape the habitus of visa holders, influencing their choices of majors, career paths, ways of thinking, and value systems. Their behaviors are molded to align with the H-1B visa criteria, which favors STEM majors and positions them as loyal employees rather than owners or entrepreneurs. This often forces them to prioritize maintaining legal status over career interests and growth. Non-STEM graduates face even greater challenges, experiencing more difficulties in securing an H-1B visa, leading to a longer, more uncertain path to citizenship and lower success in translating their educational achievements into career mobility. These findings suggest that individuals are unable to achieve the freedom and mobility promised by globalization and immigration policies, as legal status acts as a barrier, rather than an escalator, to their career progression.
Finally, the findings illustrate the self-formation process of H-1B visa holders, shaped by the complex interplay of social, cultural, and economic factors in both China and the U.S. Despite the challenges faced during the H-1B period, many visa holders view their decision to stay in the U.S. as a carefully considered choice after comparing job markets in both countries. They value the balanced work-life environment, higher privacy, relatively flat organizational structures, and more equal workplace relationships in the U.S. Rather than striving for elite-class positions, many H-1B visa holders are content with pursuing a more "ordinary" lifestyle—one that avoids high levels of competition, lofty life goals, and fast-paced living, which they find more easily achievable in the U.S. than in China. A notable finding from this theme is the gender difference in self-formation. While men tend to stay in the U.S. for better salaries and career advancement, often leaving the door open to returning to China in the future, most women are more determined to remain permanently in the U.S. They are drawn to the friendlier and more diverse job market, the opportunity to escape traditional Chinese cultural expectations, and the freedom to make decisions about their education, career, and marriage. For these women, this autonomy is an essential part of achieving true independence and self-fulfillment.
This study highlights the nomadic presence of individuals and critiques the rhetoric of opportunity promoted by states, arguing that real liberty remains elusive. The findings suggest that, in the post-pandemic era, people are shifting their focus from macro-level challenges to micro-level quality of life. Rather than striving for class mobility, they prioritize daily happiness and well-being. The rise of digital society, like neoliberalism, may risk turning people into disposable entities, echoing the exploitative nature of temporary visa policies.

Author

• Yuejia Wang, University at Buffalo