Determinants of international students’ decision to remain in Japan to work after graduation

Abstract

Using microdata from a survey conducted by the Japan Student Services Organization, I applied binary outcome models to investigate the determinants of international students' decision to remain in Japan to work after graduation. The empirical results showed that the most significant determinants of the students' decision to permanently work in Japan were the initial motivation of the students before moving to Japan, the impression of Japanese people after moving to Japan, and the length of time spent living in Japan. Moreover, the GDP gap between Japan and the home country, having a part-time job, and Japanese proficiency were found to be significant determinants of deciding to remain to work. The results of the present analyses suggest that to attract international students more efficiently to Japan, policymakers should carefully consider international students' motivation before moving to Japan and should ensure that international students enjoy their time in Japan.