Making Sense of Temporariness in China’s Immigration System: An Institutional Ethnography of International Students’ Experiences

Statistic data reflects that China has gained increased popularity among students as an international study destination; however, existing scholarship also reveals that China faces great challenges in streamlining its immigration rules to regulate foreign students’ migration. Our research analyzes international students’ experiences in China using the Institutional Ethnography methodology. We analyze empirical data collected through 22 interviews with international students in China. Results reveal that the easy access to scholarships and the lenient visa regime help China enhance its competency in the international educational market, but the lack of post-migration transition pathways within China’s immigration regime might impair the sustainability of the Chinese immigration progress. To provide additional perspectives, we also conduct systematic document analysis to analyze China’s immigration latest laws, regulations, and policies that affect foreign students’ study-to-work transition. During the data analysis stage, we use temporariness as a central analytic lens. We reveal that temporariness is a key factor that shapes international students’ adaptation patterns and post-graduation strategies. We argue that China is a beginner to strengthening national building through immigration; its further immigration policymaking should give consideration to the correlation between immigrants’ permitted length of stay, their contributions to thriving national economy and cultural enrichment, and their human rights protection.