Limits on Chinese Graduate Student Visas May Protect US Intellectual Property but Drive Away Talent

Description

Some Chinese students studying STEM-related fields may not be staying in the U.S. as long as they’d planned. The Trump administration announced on May 29 that it may limit some graduate students’ visas to one year.

Many U.S. universities have looked to Chinese students to fill out their programs and revenues, so this has caused widespread concern in higher education.

This debate rests on concerns dating back to at least 2004, when China was first elevated to the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s Priority Watch List due to abuses of intellectual property. Since 2004, the USTR has issued reports documenting allegations of specific theft and costs to the U.S. up to US$600 billion per year.