The new visa category launched by the Chinese government to attract young science and technology experts is causing a thrilling backlash in China.
The new “K-Visa,” launched on October 1, has been touted by Chinese officials as a boon to the country’s development, and is widely seen as part of Beijing’s bid to help President Donald Trump cut federal funds for research and gain an advantage in technical competition with the United States to enhance the detention of international students and workers.
However, many Chinese voices make it clear that they have different views.
The K-Visa category debate dominates the recent social media debate, with visa-related trends trending hashtags reaching around 5 billion viewing over two days.
Many voices pointed to the deep challenges faced by young Chinese job seekers. There, the unemployment rate among young people is nearing 19%, with a record 12.2 million new university graduates competing for jobs in the tough economy.
“There are many (mrs’ degree holders) who are struggling to find work here. Do you want to bring in more talent (from overseas)?” Read one comment on social media that has earned thousands of likes.
Some commentators reflected nationalist and xenophobia’s views within the country, and were wondering about the “endless outcomes” that could lead to immigration. Nationalism is thriving under the Chinese leader Xi Jinping state. This includes China’s strictly regulated social media platforms, where medium voices have been marginalized and online discourse ugly when discussing foreigners.
Other commentators questioned whether the applicant would be bound by sufficient standards.
“The intention to attract talent is good, but a bachelor’s degree is a bit easy? … Honestly, I don’t really get it because we already have a lot of talent,” another wrote.
Beijing has not yet provided full visa requirements. This appears to have been unable to apply as of Wednesday, despite its release date on October 1, according to CNN checks on several websites of Chinese embassies around the world. China is currently observing eight days of business leave.
The authorities previously stated that applicants would need a bachelor’s degree or higher in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics from a well-known university or research institution in China or abroad, or they should engage in the relevant professional education or research of such institutions.
China’s K-Visa and the US ‘H1-B
Unlike the US H1-B visa program for skilled foreign workers, Chinese K-Visa applicants do not need to have an employer or invited organization in China before applying.
An overhaul of the H1-B program, announced last month by the Trump administration, gave a major spotlight on China’s new visa category.
The change will charge a $100,000 application fee for the new H-1B visa. This postpones plans for professionals and students around the world focusing on pursuing education and careers in the US.
China’s K-Visa was announced a few weeks before the US travel, but the new category will appear as a signal from Beijing to the world. As the US closes, China will already open more widely, including foreign students in the country.
The Communist Party’s Mouthpiece People’s Daily hinted at the point on Tuesday in an editorial aimed at curbing widespread backlash against the initiative.
“With the backdrop of some countries closing their borders and watching international talent bystanding, China has sharply seized this important opportunity and quickly enacted policies that will undoubtedly have a major impact on future development,” the editor said.
“But some people misinterpret and misunderstand policies, spreading strange theories that misinterpret the public and create unnecessary anxiety.”
Chinese leaders have long been aiming to employ high-level talent in research institutions to compete for establishing the country as a powerhouse of high tech and science. China is even more important as it pressures it to innovate in the face of high-tech American export control.
China has an existing R-Visa category for “talented or professional foreigners that the state has urgent need.”
When asked about changes to the US H1-B program last month, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment on US policy, saying instead that China “welcomes talent from various fields and fields around the world and finds their footing in China for the advancement of humanity and career success.”
However, K-Visa’s backlash highlights how these ambitions oppose economic unrest and nationalist views within the country with fewer than one million foreign residents.
The common thread underlying most debates was concern that welcoming foreign talent would be to put people from China at a disadvantage, who are already struggling.
Several recent debates on social media in China reflect bias against Indian potential applicants against K-Visa. Indian experts hold the largest share of H1-B visas in the US.
The People’s Daily Editorial said K-Visa should not be “identified with immigrants,” but was designed to “promote the work and life of young foreigners in China.”
The unemployment rate among young people in China reached 18.9% in August. This was the best since December 2023. Approximately half of Chinese graduates at all higher education levels from 2012 to 2022 hold STEM degrees, according to official data cited by Chinese researchers.
Hu Xijin, a Chinese critic and former editor-in-chief of the state-run tabloid Global Times on Wednesday, said K-Visa must come along with job creation in China, called it a test of China’s “executive ability” in terms of selecting recipients.
“The real problem at the heart of the K-Visa controversy is that it reflects tensions in the domestic job market and the uneases young people face when finding employment,” Hu wrote in his official Weibo account.
“Improved employment rates in the country, especially in terms of high quality jobs, is important for governance at this time.”
