The Return Intentions of Chinese International Students in the UK

Abstract This study explores the transitional post-study phase of the life of international students, during which they may opt to remain in their host country, return home or re-migrate elsewhere. Using Chinese students who came to study in the UK as a case study and drawing on 30 semi-structured interviews, the study provides insights into the factors that influence their post-study mobility decisions. The findings reveal that, since the reintroduction of the UK graduate visa in 2021, the key determinants of their decisions include work conditions and migration policies. The study contributes to migration scholarship by highlighting the importance of duration of study and the level of students’ sociocultural 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 highlights the applicability of human capital theory in explaining the return intentions of international students from emerging global economic powers.