Rather than a ‘brain drain’, the outward flow of talent may actually act as a driver of economic expansion, enhanced human capital, and amplified innovation in migrants’ countries of origin, new research suggests.

A new study by the University of California’s School of Global Policy and Strategy says that increasing access to labour markets in developed nations fosters an environment where origin countries benefit from remittances, knowledge transfer, and heightened domestic workforce capabilities.

Published in the journal ‘Science’, the study explores the relationships between educational incentives, professional networking, and cross-border economic activity.

It found that migration channels can serve not only as pathways for individual betterment but also as mechanisms for collective prosperity.

Study co-author Associate Professor Gaurav Khanna said that when countries maintain access to first world labour markets, global prosperity increases.

“Conversely, shutting these doors risks forfeiting shared economic gains,” he said.

The researchers the current landscape of US immigration policy, which has seen tightened controls on work visas and restrictions on student and return migration, has negative effects on not just the domestic labour market but they “ripple outward, influencing global innovation trajectories and economic development patterns”.

The research highlighted how the opportunity to migrate incentivises individuals in lower-income nations to pursue tertiary education and specialist training.

This can expand the skilled workforce within the home countries themselves and the overall quality of human capital capacity improves, not just for potential emigrants but also for those who remain, bolstering the countries’ innovation and competitive edge.

The study found that skilled migrants often forge and sustain professional ties across borders, creating international networks that drive trade and investment ad well as transnational research projects.

It says migrants often leverage their familiarity with foreign markets and business practices to win new business and embed domestic firms within global supply chains.

“This bridging role significantly enhances both the entrepreneurial environment and the technological sophistication of origin economies,” the study says.

The study references the expansion of US nursing visas for Filipino workers, which triggered a rise in enrolments in nursing schools.

This meant nine new Filipino nurses were trained for every one who migrated to the US under the visa program.

Similarly, in the case of India the relaxation of H-1B visa constraints correlated with a 10 per cent increase in the US earnings of Indian migrants and a 5.8 per cent growth in IT employment back home.

The study also looks at the role diaspora networks play as conduits for knowledge and capital flows.

It says that rather than just sources of labour, migrants are a conduit for innovation, market expansion and collaborative ventures that reshape global economic landscapes.

“By connecting firms and research institutions across continents, talented migrants act as pivotal linchpins in the globalisation of knowledge economies,” the study says.

In conclusion, the study says skilled emigration from developing countries can create positive chain reactions that benefit the origin countries.

It urges destination country governments, particularly the US, to recognise the reciprocal advantages of sustaining open, equitable, and responsive immigration frameworks.