China attracts top talent with its version of H-1B visa

Vaishnavi Srinivasagopalan, a skilled Indian IT professional who has worked in both India and the US, has been looking for work in China.

- Associated Press

A factory for an electric flying car in Guangzhou, China.

(AFP)

Beijing's new K-visa programme targeting science and technology workers could turn that dream into a reality.

The K-visa rolled out by Beijing last month is part of China's widening effort to catch up with the US in the race for global talent and cutting edge technology.

“(The) K-visa for China (is) an equivalent to the H-IB for the US,” said Srinivasagopalan, who is intrigued by China's working environment and culture after her father worked at a Chinese university a few years back.

The K-visa supplements China's existing visa schemes including the R-visa for foreign professionals, but with loosened requirements, such as not requiring an applicant to have a job offer before applying.