The issue of skilled workers in the U.S and the H1B visa program has been a thorny one for quite sometime. Given the current economic crisis and the number of layoffs - especially in the tech sector - the debate has intensified even further. However according to this Business Week article researchers have determined that the trend is beginning to reverse itself and the U.S. is no longer an attractive place for foreign workers. What’s more interesting is people who have emigrated to the U.S. via the H1B program and are now permanent residents (green card holders) and citizens are also leaving the U.S. and going back to their homelands - mainly India and China. And the reason for this massive exodus of skilled immigrants? …
The U.S. is no longer the only land of opportunity. If we don’t want the immigrants who have fueled our innovation and economic growth, they now have options elsewhere. Immigrants are returning home in greater numbers. And new research shows they are returning to enjoy a better quality of life, better career prospects, and the comfort of being close to family and friends.
The three key factors that stand out are quality, career and family. I can understand the career prospects are probably much higher in India and China given the economic boom in those countries and of-course being close to family is always important. However I’m surprised that quality of life is one of the reasons skilled foreign nationals no longer want to come to America. I think in spite of all the problems we have in the U.S. the one constant has always been the quality of life we enjoy in this country. I mean little things like 24/7 uninterrupted electricity, excellent infrastructure, roads, highways, public transportation, relatively less pollution etc. that we take for granted are still scarce in other countries.
However the overriding factor for moving back home or not coming to the U.S at all is …
Eighty-seven percent of Chinese and 79% of Indians said a strong factor in their original decision to return home was the growing demand for their skills in their home countries. Their instincts generally proved right. Significant numbers moved up the organization chart. Among Indians the percentage of respondents holding senior management positions increased from 10% in the U.S. to 44% in India, and among Chinese it increased from 9% in the U.S. to 36% in China. Eighty-seven percent of Chinese and 62% of Indians said they had better opportunities for longer-term professional growth in their home countries than in the U.S. Additionally, nearly half were considering launching businesses and said entrepreneurial opportunities were better in their home countries than in the U.S.
If these numbers are accurate it looks like career opportunity and professional growth overrides everything else. The telling fact is workers from these emerging economies are not just content with being “worker bees” and in a foreign country to boot. They feel they are quite capable of assuming senior management positions and launching and running businesses of their own and if these opportunities are available to them in their own countries then it’s a no brainer to stay put.
What I’m curious to find out is if this trend continues to the extent where the dynamic shifts and we find young American college graduates - born and raised in this country - starting to emigrate to these emerging nations in search of better opportunities instead of the other way around. Even more interesting will be to observe the immigration policies enforced by those countries. Will they be as welcoming as the United States ?
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I agree, with the problems we have here, is going to be better to go overseas to work. and i think in a couple of year, there will be a lot of Americans going to work in China or India.