A new report says foreign science and engineering graduates are leaving the USA and require less H-1Bs, which are temporary work visas. He and others have argued that outsourcing companies, such as Infosys (INFY) and Wipro (WIT), have used the temporary visas to train foreign workers in the U.S. and then move the jobs overseas. Loosening the rules for H-1B visas, "By outsourcing, American companies have destroyed job opportunities in the U.S. while creating them in India and China."

The survey comprised 229 students from China, 117 students from Western Europe, and 878 students from India.
The Pull of Friends and Family
After finishing their studies, large numbers of foreign students have traditionally chosen to stay in the U.S. to work full-time or pursue postdoctoral work. But that dynamic appears to be changing, the report says. Of the survey respondents, very few would like to stay in the U.S. permanently; only 6% of Indian, 10% of Chinese, and 15% of Europeans. The largest group of respondents wants to return home within five years—45% of Indian, 40% of Chinese, and 30% of European students.

The strongest reason students cited for leaving the U.S. was the desire to be with friends and family at home. The second most important factor was the perception that economic opportunities at home were better. Chinese students, in particular, strongly feel the best job opportunities lie in their home country, with 52% saying their home country has the best job opportunities, vs. 32% of Indian respondents and 26% of European respondents.

The least important factor in their decision to leave the U.S. was discrimination, followed by the difficulty of getting a visa to stay in the U.S. and availability of jobs in the U.S., according to the report. Still, the vast majority of foreign student respondents—85% of Indians and Chinese and 72% of Europeans—said they are concerned about obtaining work visas.