Intentions to stay were highest among doctorate recipients from Asia (79%), the largest group of temporary visa holders, and those from Africa (73%), a much smaller group. They were lowest among doctorate recipients from the Middle East (figure 28).

Among S&E doctorate recipients with a temporary visa who are from the top countries of origin and are earning their degree in the United States, more than 80% of those from China, India, Iran, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal indicated they intended to stay in the United States after graduation. More than 56% of the doctorate recipients from these countries (aside from Sri Lanka) had definite employment commitments in the United States after graduating (figure 29).

Among the top ten countries, intention to stay in the United States was lowest among doctorate recipients from Saudi Arabia (15%) and Iraq (35%), with even lower proportions from these countries having definite employment commitments in the United States (4% and 14%, respectively).

In 2020, intentions to stay in the United States were higher among doctorate recipients in S&E fields (76%) than among those in non-S&E fields (56%). S&E doctorate recipients on temporary visas (54%) reported having definite employment commitments in the United States at higher rates than those in non-S&E fields (39%) (including postdoctoral research appointments).

In 2020, 78% of temporary visa holder doctorate recipients with definite commitments for employment indicated that the location of their postdoc or other employment commitment was in the United States, up from 70% in 2000 (figure 30). These expected stay rates were highest in fields where temporary visa holders were more heavily represented: engineering (86%), computer and information sciences (85%), physical sciences and earth sciences (83%), and mathematics and statistics (82%).

In the past 2 decades, expected stay rates grew the most among doctorate recipients with temporary visas in the social sciences and in non-S&E fields (e.g., education, humanities and arts, and other non-S&E fields). However, expected rates among doctorate recipients in these fields remain the lowest of all fields.

Over the past 2 decades, U.S. citizens and permanent residents have had plans for employment in non-postdoc positions at higher rates than did those on temporary visas. In contrast, temporary visa holders have had plans for postdoctoral study at higher rates than did U.S. citizens and permanent residents (figure 31). These differences narrowed over the past 20 years. In 2020, 63% of U.S. citizens and permanent residents had definite commitments for employment and 37% for postdoctoral study, compared with 59% and 41%, respectively, for their temporary visa holder counterparts.

In engineering, computer and information sciences, and mathematics and statistics, larger numbers of temporary visa holders than U.S. citizens and permanent residents had definite postgraduation commitments for employment after graduation (postdoctoral study and non-postdoc positions) (figure 32). In these fields, the proportion of doctorate recipients with definite commitments was similar for both citizenship groups. In the life sciences, physical and earth sciences, psychology, other social sciences, and non-S&E fields, the number of U.S. citizens and permanent residents with definite employment commitments after graduation surpassed that of temporary visa holders.

In 2020, the vast majority of U.S. citizens and permanent residents (97%) with definite employment commitments (including postdoctoral study) after graduation indicated that the job location was in the United States, compared with 78% of their temporary visa holder counterparts (figure 33).

The employment sector of doctorate recipients with definite postgraduation commitments varies by their citizenship status as well as by the location of their job commitment (figure 34). In 2020, 44% of doctorate recipients who were U.S citizens and permanent residents with jobs in the United States, the largest group, had a job lined up in academia compared to 28% of their temporary visa holder counterparts with employment commitments in the United States. In contrast, 67% of temporary visa holders with commitments in the United States had employment commitments in industry or business compared to 30% of U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

A greater proportion of temporary visa holder doctorate recipients with commitments abroad accepted positions in the academic sector (63%) than in the industry or business sector (18%). These patterns have been prevalent since at least 2000 (figure 35 and  figure 36). During the past 2 decades, regardless of citizenship status, the proportion of doctorate recipients with definite postgraduation commitments for employment in academia has declined and those in the industry or business sector has grown.

In 2020, 44% of U.S. citizens and permanent residents with definite postgraduation commitments for employment in the United States had committed to jobs in academia (down from 51% in 2000), and 30% were planning on working in industry or business (up from 21% in 2000) (figure 35). Among their temporary visa holder counterparts, 67% had lined up jobs in industry or business (up from 58% in 2000), and 28% had commitments in academia (down from 34% in 2000) (figure 36).