The Return Intentions of Chinese International Students in the UK

What is it about?

This empirical study, using Chinese students in the UK as a case study and drawing on 30 semi-structured interviews, examines the factors influencing international students’ post-study mobility decisions. The findings reveal that, since the reintroduction of the Graduate visa in 2021, the key determinants of their decisions include work conditions and migration policies. The research contributes to the field of migration studies by highlighting the importance of duration of study and the level of students’ social and cultural integration in shaping their intentions to return. Furthermore, the study suggests that the Graduate visa has neither served as a motivating factor for students to study in the UK, nor facilitated their acquisition of work experience there. Theoretically, the study contributes to migration scholarship by highlighting the applicability of human capital theory in analyzing the return intentions of international students from emerging global economic powers.

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