“As the world embarks on a journey towards post-pandemic recovery and economic resurgence, the 2024 Global Talent Mobility and Governance Report serves as an invaluable compass, illuminating the pivotal role of talent exchange in advancing global prosperity, with the United States and China positioned as key players. By fostering a deeper understanding of international talent flows and governance mechanisms, this report not only empowers decision-makers but also underscores the imperative of fostering mutual understanding and collaborative efforts between nations, exemplifying the spirit of partnership essential for the shared advancement of humanity.”-Ambassador Max BaucusContentsReport OverviewI. The Global Landscape of Talent Mobility(I) International Talent Mobility has entered a New Paradigm(II) The Current Status of International Migration Flow(III) Current State of Global International Student MobilityII. Characteristics of International Talent Mobility with the United States as a Hub(I). Characteristics of Talent Mobility from China to the United States(II) Characteristics of Talent Mobility from European Countries to the United States(III) Characteristics of Talent Mobility from India to the United States（IV）Summary of Characteristics of International Talent Mobility with the United States as a HubIII. Trend of American Policies on Governance on the Flow of International Talents（I）Attach long-term and great importance to the cultivation and introduction of talents in STEM disciplines upon cooperation among several authorities(II) Continuously expand the STEM discipline fields and the introduction of international talents(III) Reform the visa policy and lower the threshold for STEM talents to go to and stay in the United States（IV）Actively promote communication and cooperation among international talents in STEM fieldsIV. Overview of China's international mobility of talent and governance recommendations（I）The Overview of International Talent Mobility in China(II) Recommendations related to optimizing the governance of China's international mobility of talentReferencesAbout Alliance of Global Talent Organization（AGTO）About Center for China and Globalization（CCG）Research Team Advisor:Research Team:About Yingzhong Overseas ConsultingResearch Team:
Report Overview
Talent is the key engine of global development, driving countries around the world to advance together, and the international exchange and flow of talent is an indispensable driving force to promote this process. In the post-pandemic period, as the global economy gradually returns to the track of growth, the competition for talents among countries has become increasingly fierce. This report is committed to in-depth analysis of the trend changes of talent mobility in the new stage of globalization, aiming to facilitate the understanding and awareness of all sectors of society on the issue of international talent mobility through timely and detailed data analysis and in-depth professional research, promoting the construction of a more open, inclusive and efficient new ecology of talent mobility and governance. The main contents of this report include the global landscape of talent mobility, the characteristics of international talent flow with the United States as the hub, the governance system and policy trends of international talent flow in the United States, and the status quo and governance suggestions of China's international talent flow. The report will focus on analyzing the current situation of international talent flow respectively from China, Europe, India to the United States, as well as the latest dynamics of the United States' international talent flow governance as an international talent flow hub and an international talent highland, and put forward strategic suggestions for optimizing international talent mobility governance in China based on the experience of the United States in international talent flow governance.Summary of Findings:First, the US remains the world's premier destination for international talent, and its attraction to top talent and international students remains strong.In 2019, the total number of nonimmigrant work visas and occupational immigrant visas issued by the U.S. to citizens from China, Europe, and India will be approximately 710,000; in 2023, the figure will be 790,000, an increase of 11.5% from 2019, the year before the epidemic. Of these, the number of Chinese citizens receiving the above visas recovered to 64% of 2019, while in Europe it recovered to 87%, with India showing strong growth to 1.5 times its 2019 level. In the same year, the total number of students from China, India, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, studying in US higher education institutions was 587,000, recovering to 98.9% in 2019.Second, after the COVID-19 Pandemic, the number of Indian citizens obtaining US work visas, green cards and studying in the US has increased rapidly, and India has become the largest source of international talents for the US. In 2023, the total number of Indian nationals granted US non-immigrant work visas and occupational immigrant visas soared to 489,000, a 50 per cent increase from 2019, 6.5 times that of China and 1.9 times that of Europe. In the same year, the number of Indian students studying in US universities also reached 269,000, which is 93% of the total number of Chinese students in the US, 9.3 times the total number of British, French and German students in the US, and the number of Indian students in the US increased by 39% compared to 2019.Third, the successive yearly petition approval rates for theExtraordinary Ability Visa (EB-1A) show that at various stages, the US does not have a particular regional preference for immigrant approvals of exceptional talent.In 2010, the major European countries topped the charts with a 76.67% approval rate, followed by China at 67.72%, and India with a 54.07% approval rate.Between 2012 and 2016 showed a significant increase, but all countries saw a notable decline between 2016 and 2020. Major applicant countries such as China, India, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany all showed this trend, indicating that the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) does not differentiate between single countries based on nationality or geography in the approval process. The overall trend continues to correlate strongly with USCIS adjudication standards.Fourth, the number of U.S. nonimmigrant work visas granted to citizens of China, Europe, and India were all significantly affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic, but India and Europe recovered much more quickly than China. The number of Chinese, European and Indian citizens obtaining U.S. nonimmigrant work visas showed a stable or slowly rising trend before the Pandemic, while during the Pandemic, they were all hit by a huge impact, reaching the lowest value in nearly a decade. After the Pandemic, the number of nonimmigrant work visas granted to citizens of Europe and India rebounded rapidly, with the total number of nonimmigrant work visas granted to European citizens to travel to the U.S. in 2022 and 2023 having recovered to about 220,000, or roughly 85 percent of the pre-epidemic level; and the number of nonimmigrant work visas granted to citizens of India reaching a new all-time high in 2023 at 442,421, or 1.5 times higher than the pre-epidemic level. Times. The number of Chinese citizens receiving nonimmigrant work visas recovers more slowly, with the total number of Chinese citizens receiving U.S. nonimmigrant work visas recovering to 48,338 in 2023, only half the number in 2019.Fifth, in the wake of the Pandemic, the number of Chinese nationals obtaining U.S. nonimmigrant work visas declined sharply, and the number of immigrant visas obtained in the professional category increased significantly. The total size of nonimmigrant work visas and occupational immigrant visas granted to Chinese nationals remained around 100,000 per year, a number that peaked in 2018 at 112,935 visas. Numbers declined significantly during the Pandemic and bottomed out in 2021, with only 30,624 visas granted to Chinese citizens in both categories. After 2022, the number of Chinese citizens obtaining visas in both categories rebounded dramatically, recovering to 72,246 in 2023, or 64 percent of the pre-epidemic level. The total number of U.S. nonimmigrant work visas granted to Chinese citizens recovered to 48,338 in 2023, or half of what it was in 2019. And the number of Chinese who obtained U.S. occupational immigrant visas continued to climb for two consecutive years in 2021 and 2022, reaching a near-decade peak of 32,525 in 2022, or 1.95 times the number in 2019. Among them, the number of Chinese nationals obtaining U.S. immigrant visas in the First Preference Employment Based Immigration (EB-1) also reaches a record high of 11,425 in 2022.Sixth, China is gradually changing from being a single source country of international talents to playing multiple roles as a source, transit, and destination country. This is evident in China's international migration flow and international student flow and is also reflected in China's declining remittance receipts and rising remittance exports. In the future, the governance of China's international talent flow should be optimized from the following aspects: First, explore the establishment and improvement of the skilled immigration system, and give play to the backbone role of the skilled immigration system in the introduction of foreign talents; Second, improve the whole chain management system for international students, and strengthen efforts to promote the work of studying in China to play the role of "gathering talents" and "using talents"; Third, establish a more inclusive governance concept, and examine the issue of migration with an open, inclusive, fair and just attitude; Fourth, strengthen exchanges and cooperation with international organizations and give full play to their role in exchanges, dialogue, consensus building and professional services; Fifth, encourage social forces to participate in the co-governance of immigration, and build a diversified governance system led by the government and united with relevant stakeholders; Sixth, we will try out a more open visa policy, expand the scope of unilateral visa-free countries, and improve the electronic level of visas to China. Seventh, we will create a more international living environment and solve the problems of foreigners' difficulty in payments and Internet access.