VisaChiefChina migration: diaspora, destinations & visa routes
How many people leave China, where they go and on which visa categories - a cited snapshot for 2025-26, drawn from official statistics and international migration data. Prefer it visual? Explore China on the interactive migration map.
Outbound corridors · China
China - where they emigrate
The world's largest source of international students and one of its largest diasporas. ~10.5M Chinese-born live abroad and Chinese nationals dominate premium study and investor-migration channels across the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and Asia - card-in-hand, capital-in-hand.
Start your application ›10.5M
Chinese living abroad
emigrant stock, 2020
#1
source of intl students
~928k studying abroad
2.19M
China-born in the US
2023
266k
Chinese students in the US
2024/25
>50%
of US EB-5 investor visas
FY2022, 6,125 of 10,855
700k
China-born in Australia
record high, Jun 2024
Where they live
Diaspora stock by country (latest census / official)
2.19M
959k
873k
700k
~700k
330k
208k
Where they go each year
Estimated annual long-term moves (people / yr)
62k
40k
31.8k
25k
20k
20k
The trend
United StatesJapanAustralia
Chinese-born / nationals (000s)
Source: US ACS/MPI, JP Immigration, AU ABS
Corridor facts
WORLD'S #1 STUDENT SOURCE~928k Chinese study abroad; 266k in the US (Open Doors 2025), 146k in the UK, 154k new enrolments in Australia.
EB-5 DOMINANCEChinese nationals took 6,125 of 10,855 US EB-5 investor visas in FY2022 - over half; historically 80%+ of filings.
AUSTRALIA RECORD700k China-born as at Jun 2024, the 3rd-largest migrant group and a record high, up 50% on 2014.
INDIA OVERTAKESIndia surpassed China as the #1 source of both US and UK international students (2022-24) - a signal the outflow is plateauing.
ASIA PIVOTChinese students increasingly choose Japan, South Korea and Singapore, diversifying away from the traditional Anglosphere.
What visa categories they use
Share of the annual flow, by destination
United States
Australia
Canada
United Kingdom
Japan
South Korea
Skilled / workFamily / partnerStudyHumanitarian / other
Corridor economics - volume, categories, cost, time
| Corridor | Volume | Primary / secondary categories | Govt cost | Time | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | ~266k students + investors | F-1 study ~266k; EB-5 investor (>50% of program) Family green cards; H-1B/L-1 | $2-10k visa/legal + EB-5 $800k invest | F-1 weeks; EB-5 several years | Apply › |
| Australia | ~154k new student enrolments | Student 500 (largest cohort, 22%) SID 188 investor; Skilled 189/190 | AUD 1,600 student; 188 AUD 9-14k + invest | Student weeks; 188 12-24 months | Apply › |
| Canada | ~32k PR + large study cohort | Study permit; Express Entry PR ~32k Start-up Visa; PNP | CAD 2,340 PR; study CAD ~1,000 | Study weeks; PR 6-14 months | Apply › |
| United Kingdom | ~146k enrolled students | Student visa (2nd-largest source) Skilled Worker; Innovator Founder | £490 student + IHS; Skilled £769-1,639 | 3-8 weeks | Apply › |
| Japan | ~40k net/yr | Highly Skilled Professional; Business Manager Student; Engineer/Specialist | ¥4-30k gov fee + agent | 1-3 months | Apply › |
| South Korea | ~20k/yr | D-2 study; E-series work F-2/F-5 residence; F-4 (Korean-Chinese) | ₩60-130k gov fee + agent | 4-8 weeks | Apply › |
Key insightChina's outbound is study-and-capital led: students and investor families paying premium fees (F-1 + EB-5, Student 500 + SID 188). Growth is now plateauing as India overtakes China in the US and UK and students pivot toward Asian destinations.
Sources: UN DESA 2020 · US ACS / MPI / DHS · IIE Open Doors 2025 · AU ABS / DHA / Dept of Education · IRCC · UK ONS / HESA / Home Office · JP Immigration · KR Statistics / Immigration. Figures are indicative planning estimates compiled from public aggregates; confirm current rules with the relevant authority. Editorial & data policy.
Inbound corridors · China
China - who is arriving
Small relative to its size and heavily border-driven. The 2020 census counted 845,697 foreign nationals on the mainland (plus 585k from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan). Flows are dominated by neighbouring Myanmar and Vietnam, alongside professionals and students from Korea, the US and Japan.
Start your application ›845,697
foreign nationals in China
2020 census
1.43M
incl. HK/Macau/Taiwan residents
2020 census
351k
from Myanmar (#1)
border-driven, 2020
~490k
international students (pre-pandemic)
2018, largest in Asia
Where they come from
Foreign-born stock by origin (latest official)
351k
79k
~60k
~40k
~35k
~25k
Who arrives each year
Estimated annual long-term moves (people / yr)
Data not available.
Corridor facts
BORDER-DRIVENMyanmar (351k) and Vietnam (79k) alone make up over half of foreign nationals - labour and cross-border movement in Yunnan and Guangxi.
GUANGDONG HUBGuangdong province hosts ~418k foreign residents, the most of any province, followed by Yunnan and Shanghai.
FEW PERMANENTAs of 2023 only ~12,000 foreigners held Chinese permanent residency - a green card is exceptionally rare.
STUDENT MAGNETChina hosted ~490k international students in 2018, the largest in Asia, before pandemic borders cut the inflow.
What visa categories they use
Share of the annual flow, by destination
Myanmar
South Korea
United States
Skilled / workFamily / partnerStudyHumanitarian / other
Corridor economics - volume, categories, cost, time
| Corridor | Volume | Primary / secondary categories | Govt cost | Time | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Work (Z visa) | n/a | Z work permit for foreign professionals R visa (high-level talent) | Employer-paid; permit + residence | 4-8 weeks | Check options › |
| Study (X visa) | ~490k pre-pandemic | X1/X2 student visa Government scholarships (Belt & Road) | Low; scholarships common | 2-6 weeks | Check options › |
Key insightInbound migration to China is a fraction of its outbound: border labour from Myanmar and Vietnam plus a small, tightly-gated pool of professionals and students. Permanent residency is almost never granted, so there is no fee-bearing settlement market comparable to the outbound flow.
Sources: China 2020 Census · China MoE · China NIA · UN DESA 2020. Figures are indicative planning estimates compiled from public aggregates; confirm current rules with the relevant authority. Editorial & data policy.
Frequently asked
How many people from China live abroad?
10.5M - Chinese living abroad. Source: UN DESA 2020.
Where do most people migrate from China?
The top destinations are United States, Japan, Canada.
What visas do China migrants use for the United States corridor?
F-1 study ~266k; EB-5 investor (>50% of program).
Key China migration corridors
Each corridor has its own key-facts page with volume, visa-category mix and the visa routes that apply.
See it on the map
Compare China against every other major source and destination country, trace the flow arcs and switch between inbound and outbound on the interactive world map.
Open the interactive migration mapFigures on this page are indicative planning estimates for 2025-26,
compiled from public aggregates (UN DESA, OECD and destination-country statistical releases); they are not
official counts. General information only, not immigration advice.