US: Responding to the ‘Brain Drain’ Reversal

By Sarah King Head, in University World News

How can the purportedly slowing rate of H-1B visa applications to the US State Department since April 2010 be interpreted? A recent article in Fortune magazine suggests that the reversal of the so-called “brain drain” points to a worrying trend related both to perceived long-term consequences of the current economic recession and the waning appeal of the specialised job market in the US.

Traditionally reserving a quota of 65,000 out of the millions of non-immigrant visas granted in the US each year, H-1B visas are granted to those with specialised knowledge – usually postgraduates taking jobs in science and industry, but also including professionals such as doctors and lawyers.

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