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GUEST ROOM | Stay in the U.S. or Go Back to China?

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If you ask a Chinese student randomly walking on Cornell campus their plan after graduation, there’s a growing possibility that they could be heading back to China. According to a survey conducted by S.C. Johnson MBA students in the class of 2021 during a Cornell career consulting session, Chinese students are increasingly concerned about the prospect of staying in the U.S., while attracted more by the Chinese job market. Yes, the tendency is not new. However, in recent years, growing rejections of student visas — let alone the almost-impossible-to-get H-1B visa — have fermented pessimism among students who are striving to stay. In the meantime, growing opportunities in China’s job market, especially in finance, manufacturing, investment and AI, have drawn attention from across the global economic landscape, offering more spice for new entrants.