US relaxation of visa scheme triggers fears over ‘brain drain’ from China

Debate has heated up in China over concerns on whether the United States’ recent relaxation of its visa scheme for Chinese citizens will speed up the exodus of talent and capital from the country.

The United States and China announced last week that they had each extended the validity of business and tourist visas to up to 10 years, and student and exchange visas to up to five years. Prior to the announcement, Chinese business travellers, tourists and students had to apply for a new visa to the US every year.

The moves come as record numbers of Chinese students are enrolling at US institutions, according to findings in the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, published on Monday.

Chinese student enrolments increased by 17 per cent to more than 274,000 students in the 2013-14 academic year. They now make up 31 per cent of all international students in the US, with more than double the number of students than India, which stands at 102,673.

With 74 per cent of international students receiving the majority of their funding from sources outside the US, they are a boon to the American educational sector and contribute more than US$27 billion to economy at large, according to US Department of Commerce figures.

Thanks to the policy change, Chinese people can now benefit from more opportunities than ever before to travel and study in the US.