【By Guan察者网, Ruan Jiaqi】
Last week, US President Trump signed a decree, dramatically increasing the H-1B visa fee to $100,000. The sudden tightening of the visa policy has shattered the "American Dream" of many young engineers and scientists who once aspired to work in the United States.
After the US announced the related news, public opinion began to focus on China's policy moves. They found that just a month ago, China also introduced a new visa policy: On August 14, the "Decision of the State Council on Amending the Regulations on the Entry and Exit of Foreigners of the People's Republic of China" was officially published. One of the amendments added a K visa category for foreign young scientific and technological talents entering the country. The new regulation will take effect on October 1 this year.
"While Trump has significantly increased the cost for US companies to hire foreign technical workers, China is actively promoting plans to attract such talent," reported The New York Times on the 26th when comparing the new visa regulations of the two countries. As part of its overall strategy to attract top scientific and technological talents, China is trying to use the newly added K visa to provide convenience for top university graduates in science and technology to study or conduct business activities in China.
The article expressed amazement, stating that although the impact of this new Chinese policy on the global talent competition landscape remains unclear, the mere act itself helps shape China's image as more open, while the US appears increasingly closed.
It is evident to the world that "the Trump administration is cracking down on universities, cutting federal research funding, and questioning scientific authority; while China is investing heavily in R&D and has successfully attracted some top American scientists to work in China."
"Silicon Valley is increasingly caught in the 'America First' culture," said George Chen, a partner at The Asia Group, a Washington-based consulting firm specializing in technology policy. "For foreign tech professionals who worry they are no longer welcome in the US, seeing the news about the K visa may make them think: 'At least I have another option.'"
On September 19, 2025, local time, US President Trump signed an announcement in Washington, D.C., raising the fees paid by companies for H-1B visa applicants to $100,000. Visual China
The New York Times analysis reports that China has long emphasized STEM education, and with a large population base, it is now the country with the largest number of STEM graduates globally. Therefore, Chinese tech companies and universities have long relied on local talents for recruitment. However, in key areas such as semiconductors and biotechnology, which still lag behind the US, in addition to continuously improving their own capabilities, China also hopes to attract more foreigners to help catch up.
However, similar to the US, foreigners often face complicated visa application procedures when working or conducting business in China. In recent years, the Chinese government has been making efforts to simplify these processes. The newly introduced K visa allows holders to stay for longer periods, enter multiple times, and does not require an enterprise invitation letter.
Angus Chen, a headhunter at a tech company in Shenzhen, explained that the new Chinese visa is most beneficial for two groups of people: one is start-ups with limited resources unable to apply for traditional work visas, and the other is foreign students who want to stay in China for employment, "In the future, it will be much easier for them to find jobs in China."
For Chinese tech giants like Alibaba and Huawei, the new visa policy facilitates the temporary invitation of foreign consultants to work in China.
George Chen from The Asia Group also mentioned that the K visa enables those interested in China's technology sector to "test the waters."
"Many people want to come to China, but they might have some concerns," he explained, "As Chinese tech companies become stronger and more financially robust, I believe this interest will only grow stronger."
India, the main "victim" of the H-1B visa policy changes, has also noticed the upcoming K visa from China.
India's New Delhi Television reported on the 22nd, comparing the situation: "While Trump's H-1B visa chaos is causing problems, China is opening its doors to global talent through the K visa." This latest move is part of China's ongoing efforts in recent years to simplify visa rules and promote international exchanges.
The Indian media "Today India" criticized Trump's new policy as a "suicidal policy," accusing it of damaging the US's long-term capabilities for short-term gains, pushing global STEM talents into China's arms, while China, which invests in long-term capacity building, "once again seized the opportunity."
"We made a loss-making deal," Deepa Ollapally, a research professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, said when talking about the US government's new visa regulations.
On local time September 19, Trump signed an announcement, greatly increasing the fees paid by companies for H-1B visa applicants to $100,000. He claimed the move aims to ensure that the US attracts high-skilled, irreplaceable talents.
According to US government data, India was the biggest beneficiary of the H-1B visa last year, accounting for 71% of approved beneficiaries. According to Indian official data, in 2023, there were 1.3 million Indian students studying abroad, with the largest destination being the US (465,000), followed by Canada, the UK, and Australia.
Notably, among Indian immigrants who used the H-1B visa to stay in the US, there are many executives of US companies, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.
Several education advisors, professors, and students told Reuters that after the policy change, many young Indians are re-evaluating their plans to study and develop careers in the US, and are looking at other immigration-friendly destinations such as the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
The report noted that in contrast, countries such as Germany, China, and South Korea are actively attracting foreign talents.
Just the day after Trump drastically increased the H-1B visa fees, on September 20, cities such as Jinan and Nanjing held a series of large-scale job fairs targeting overseas talents.
On that day, the 17th China Overseas Talent Nanjing International Exchange and Cooperation Conference and the Youth Talent Exchange (Job) Fair opened at the Nanjing International Convention and Exhibition Center, becoming a "job market hot spot" in autumn. Inside the venue, nearly a thousand companies were competing for talent, with over 20,000 positions available, and more than 30,000 people attending the event to seek jobs...
On the same day, Jinan hosted a high-level talent recruitment conference. During this long-standing "old event," the Shandong International Convention and Exhibition Center had 15 recruitment zones, 2,100 "employer teams," and 27,000 quality positions.
There are many such examples.
The New York Times mentioned that in April this year, in the main teaching building of West Lake University in China, an exhibition area displayed portraits of several world-class scientists.
"These scientists who joined the university were all recruited from overseas," the US media said, clearly envious, "China is currently striving to attract top scientific and technological talents to replace the US's leading position in the forefront of global technological development."
At the regular press conference of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 22, regarding the issue of policies introduced by China to attract foreign talents, spokesperson Guo Jia Kun stated that in the era of globalization, the cross-border mobility of talents has promoted technological progress and economic development on a global scale. China welcomes excellent talents from all industries and fields around the world to come to China, settle down in China, and jointly promote the continuous progress of human society, and achieve personal career development.
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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7554344034375008806/
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