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China introduces own version of the H-1B visa as US tightens borders - THE INDEPENDENT
China has launched a new K-visa programme aimed at attracting science and technology workers, a move that could open doors for skilled IT experts.
The initiative, rolled out in November, forms part of Beijing's broader strategy to compete with the US for global talent and advanced technology.
It comes as uncertainties surround the US H-1B programme under tightened immigration policies implemented by President Donald Trump.
Indian national Vaishnavi Srinivasagopalan, who has worked in both India and the US, is actively seeking opportunities in China and views the K-visa as a significant prospect.
“(The) K-visa for China (is) an equivalent to the H-1B for the U.S.,” she said.
“It is a good option for people like me to work abroad.”
Ms Srinivasagopalan’s interest in China's working environment and culture was sparked after her father spent several years at a Chinese university.
The K-visa complements China's existing visa schemes for foreign professionals, such as the R-visa, but introduces more flexible requirements. Crucially, applicants are not obliged to secure a job offer before applying, streamlining the process for international talent.
This strategic move by China comes amidst stricter US policies towards foreign students and scholars under Mr Trump. These measures include a substantial increase in H-1B visa fees for new skilled worker applicants, now reaching $100,000, prompting many non-American professionals and students to consider opportunities elsewhere.
“Students studying in the US hoped for an (H-1B) visa, but currently this is an issue,” said Bikash Kali Das, an Indian masters student of international relations at Sichuan University in China.
China wants more foreign IT workers
China is striking while the iron is hot.
The ruling Communist Party has made global leadership in advanced technologies a top priority, paying massive government subsidies to support research and development of areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and robotics.
“Beijing perceives the tightening of immigration policies in the U.S. as an opportunity to position itself globally as welcoming foreign talent and investment more broadly,” said Barbara Kelemen, associate director and head of Asia at security intelligence firm Dragonfly.
Unemployment among Chinese graduates remains high, and competition is intense for jobs in scientific and technical fields. But there is a skills gap China's leadership is eager to fill. For decades, China has been losing top talent to developed countries as many stayed and worked in the U.S. and Europe after they finished studies there.
The brain drain has not fully reversed.
Many Chinese parents still see Western education as advanced and are eager to send their children abroad, said Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore.
Still, in recent years, a growing number of professionals including AI experts, scientists and engineers have moved to China from the U.S., including Chinese-Americans. Fei Su, a chip architect at Intel, and Ming Zhou, a leading engineer at U.S.-based software firm Altair, were among those who have taken teaching jobs in China this year.
Many skilled workers in India and Southeast Asia have already expressed interest about the K-visa, said Edward Hu, a Shanghai-based immigration director at the consultancy Newland Chase.
Questions about extra competition from foreign workers
With the unemployment rate for Chinese aged 16-24 excluding students at nearly 18 per cent, the campaign to attract more foreign professionals is raising questions.
“The current job market is already under fierce competition,” said Zhou Xinying, a 24-year-old postgraduate student in behavioural science at eastern China's Zhejiang University.
While foreign professionals could help “bring about new technologies” and different international perspectives, “some Chinese young job seekers may feel pressure due to the introduction of the K-visa policy”.
Kyle Huang, a 26-year-old software engineer based in the southern city of Guangzhou, said his peers in the science and technology fields fear the new visa scheme “might threaten local job opportunities”.
A recent commentary published by a state-backed news outlet, the Shanghai Observer, downplayed such concerns, saying that bringing in such foreign professionals will benefit the economy. As China advances in areas such as AI and cutting-edge semiconductors, there is a “gap and mismatch” between qualified jobseekers and the demand for skilled workers, it said.
“The more complex the global environment, the more China will open its arms,” it said.
“Beijing will need to emphasise how select foreign talent can create, not take, local jobs,” said Michael Feller, chief strategist at consultancy Geopolitical Strategy. “But even Washington has shown that this is politically a hard argument to make, despite decades of evidence.”
China has disadvantages, even with the new visa
Recruitment and immigration specialists say foreign workers face various hurdles in China. One is the language barrier. The ruling Communist Party's internet censorship, known as the “Great Firewall”, is another drawback.
A country of about 1.4 billion, China had only an estimated 711,000 foreign workers residing in the country as of 2023.
The US still leads in research and has the advantage of using English widely. There is also still a relatively clearer pathway to residency for many, said David Stepat, country director for Singapore at the consultancy Dezan Shira & Associates.
Nikhil Swaminathan, an Indian H1-B visa holder working for a US non-profit organisation after finishing graduate school there, is interested in China’s K-visa but skeptical. “I would’ve considered it. China’s a great place to work in tech, if not for the difficult relationship between India and China,” he said.
Given a choice, many jobseekers still are likely to aim for jobs in leading global companies outside China.
“The US is probably more at risk of losing would-be H-1B applicants to other Western economies, including the UK and European Union, than to China,” said Mr Feller.
"The US may be sabotaging itself, but it’s doing so from a far more competitive position in terms of its attractiveness to talent,” he said.
“China will need to do far more than offer convenient visa pathways to attract the best.”
