New STEM visa will encourage research collaboration

A new visa scheme announced by China this month to woo international STEM talent to the country could encourage more short-term exchanges, visiting fellowships, and cooperative research projects, according to experts, with a leading scholar in migration law saying the ‘independent’ application route sets the new visa apart from existing schemes in China.

On 14 August, the country’s top administrative body, the State Council, amended the country’s Entry–Exit Administration Regulations to introduce a new visa category for foreign STEM talent.

“The entry of young foreign scientific and technological talents to China will be facilitated, and international cooperation and exchanges among young scientific and technological talents will be promoted,” the August announcement read.

Taking effect on 1 October, the new K-type visa specifically targets “young science and technology talent”, which the government said meant graduates in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields “from leading universities and research institutions worldwide with at least a bachelor degree, or those already engaged in relevant education or research work at such institutions”.

A major change is that applicants will not need a Chinese host or employer sponsor, such as a university, research organisation or hospital, unlike China’s Z (work) visa, which requires employer sponsorship. This makes the new visa category potentially more accessible to younger researchers and early-career scientists who might not yet have a formal appointment in China, experts said.

Professor Liu Guofu of the Beijing Institute of Technology’s School of Law, who researches China’s immigration laws and also has an advisory role to the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, told University World News the targeting of independent workers is its “foremost feature”, resembling skilled migration pathways for independent workers seen in developed countries.

“The K visa is only subject to age, education, or work experience criteria, with no need for a Chinese employer or sponsoring organisation,” Liu told University World News. In terms of employment, “holders of the K-visa are a little like [holders of] the job-seeker visa,” which allows entry to find work.

Liu, who is actively involved in the government’s migration legislation and policy making, added that after obtaining the visa, foreign professionals may, upon entry to China, engage in entrepreneurship, business activities and exchanges in the fields of education, technology and culture.

What happens in other Far East countries?

Apart from Hong Kong and Taiwan, which have jobseeker schemes and other special visas for ‘top talent’, particularly in STEM subjects, Japan in 2023 launched the new ‘J-FIND’ visa routes for recent graduates from top universities allowing eligible graduates up to two years to find a job or prepare to launch a business.

South Korea recently introduced the D-10 jobfinder visa, allowing graduates to stay in the country for six months with extensions possible for up to two years while searching for a job, and has also streamlined immigration rules for STEM talent.

In recent weeks, several countries in Asia, including Japan and South Korea, also announced special funding to attract researchers and faculty members who wish to leave the United States, whether they are American or foreign academics.

In recent months, Chinese media highlighted the return to China of several US-based scientists working in critical areas such as semiconductors and microchips, coinciding with research funding cuts and lay-offs under the administration of US president Donald Trump.

But with the latest visa, Liu noted that talents would not be limited by ethnicity. “China welcomes all global STEM talent regardless of nationality,” he said, while noting that ethnically Chinese may find it easier to adapt culturally and professionally.

Attracting talent from around the world

In recent years China has seen a major drop-off in international research collaboration and academic exchanges, particularly with the US in science, which struggled to return to pre-pandemic levels.

Officials of the Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs and Public Security, and the National Immigration Administration, which jointly drafted the latest amendment, said at a press conference on 15 August: “China’s development requires the participation of talent from around the world, and China's development also provides opportunities for them.”

The officials said the new visa aimed to ease entry for researchers, educators and innovators in key areas such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, green energy and advanced manufacturing.

China has pledged to become a strong country in science and technology by 2035 and to significantly improve its attractiveness for the world’s top scientific talent by 2030. The government said its blueprint called for more “active, open and effective” talent policies.

Detailed requirements are still to be clarified by Chinese embassies and consulates, but the government has already hinted at more favourable terms than existing visa types, including potentially longer stays, multi-entry validity and easier renewal.

Young talent

The new visa also marks a shift in Beijing’s talent strategy as the first visa scheme explicitly designed to attract younger talent. In comparison, the R-type visa is designed for senior-level recruits such as visiting professors and institute directors.

Though no age-related criteria accompanied the announcement, government planning documents, such as the Medium- and Long-Term Youth Development Plan (2016–2025), generally defined youth as those up to age 35.

The move could also complement ongoing efforts to curb ‘talent outflows’. According to a report by the Germany-based Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) on China’s talent attractiveness, while more Chinese students are returning after overseas studies, top-tier STEM talent still clusters abroad, a gap the K-visa may target at the early-career stage.

China is gradually improving its attractiveness for foreign talent, according to the MERICS report, published last year. It states: “More overseas Chinese students are returning home. At the same time, our data shows that China is at this point still not able to compete realistically with the US and other global talent hubs for top talent, especially if that talent has no established link to China. Moreover, China’s success decreases further at higher education and talent quality levels.”

Other research suggests returnee flows are shifting. Early-career China researchers with PhDs are coming back in greater numbers, scholars at the School of Education at Zhejiang University found.