SOCIO-ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF BRAIN DRAIN FROM TURKEY TO THE UNITED STATES: THE CASE OF H-1B VISA

Abstract

The notion of brain drain is indicated by the transfer of human capital and this is implied by the migration of highly educated people from developing countries to developed. While skilled people leave their countries, they always prefer to emigrate to developed places. Developed countries have “selected temporary skilled migration programs” to attract skilled people. The USA is very successful in attracting human capital and qualified people The first brain drain from Turkey to the USA started with doctors and engineers in the 1960s and still continues. In this study, H-1B Visa Turkish holders representing the highly skilled labor and human development index elements data between 1996 and 2019 were used. According to the results of the study; A causal (granger) relationship has been determined from income, education, and life expectancy index to brain drain. As a result of the analysis, it is concluded that economic, education, and life expectancy factors cause brain drain.