People are leaving Kazakhstan. According to Ranking.kz, more than 25 thousand citizens have left the country in 2021 - a 20.1% increase over the same period in 2020 (although last year the borders of many countries were closed).
Statistics show that many of them have higher or specialized secondary education, mostly in technology. In 2021, the majority of people moved to Russia (21 178), Germany (2447), and Poland (250).
Experts note that immigration stopped being "spontaneous", as it was a few years ago. Today it is a deliberate and considered decision, and, therefore, the likelihood of returning to the homeland is close to zero.
The USA holds 4th place among the most popular immigration destinations (246). Over the past 10 years, the number of people who want to move to America from Kazakhstan has increased tenfold. Why?
A lucky lottery ticket
This year, 246 former citizens of Kazakhstan have moved to the United States for permanent residence - and these are only those who have changed their citizenship. In reality, the number of those who want to go to America is much higher. This is confirmed by official statistics on the number of online applications for participation in the annual Diversity Visa Program, aka Green Card. The number of applications from KZ is growing rapidly: in 2008, the number of lottery participants was 8.8 thousand, and in 2018 it reached 82 thousand, showing a tenfold growth over 10 years.
Why USA: economy and freedom
Today the American dream is as relevant as ever. One of the reasons why people want to immigrate there is the stable economy, which provides more opportunities for business development. Many are attracted by the freedom provided by the rule of law in the States. On the contrary, the reasons why people want to leave Kazakhstan include the lack of political freedom, unstable economy, and corruption.
Why USA: career opportunities
The American constitution is built on the idea of promoting entrepreneurship and competition. That is why people who move there are those who hit a glass ceiling at home or are 100% sure that their knowledge and skills will be useful in the USA. Among them are IT specialists, people who know science and technology. Experts believe that Kazakhstani economists, political scientists, and lawyers have nothing to do in America. Simply because the USA has completely different legislation, politics, and bank system.
The American dream is a mirage?
When people immigrate, they often trade comfort for more freedom, and not everyone survives the period of adaptation, which usually lasts from 3 to 5 years. When immigrants finally arrive in America, they soon realize that in order to maintain the level of comfortable life that they had in their home country, they have to work much harder in the U.S. Oftentimes a person who had a certain status in his home country, was an entrepreneur or top manager with a Ph.D., works at a less skilled and high position in America.
What about education?
This is also due to the fact that Kazakhstan's diplomas are not recognized in the U.S., and many have to prove their level of professionalism or learn a new profession. According to the polls, it is easier to retrain than to prove you are a professional with a diploma from the CIS. The level of competition is higher in the USA, and the requirements for specialists are higher as well.
Giving up business for the ocean
Nazyma Aksartova moved with her family from Almaty to Florida in 2019 after her husband won the Green Card. In Kazakhstan he was running his own business, a restaurant at first, then an educational center. In the U.S. he had to change his profession in order to find a job in the new field for him - logistics. He had to undergo training and obtain the relevant documents.
They immigrated because of the opportunity to live by the ocean and travel across many states within the USA. Nazyma considers the language barrier and paperwork to be the biggest challenges. They miss Kazakhstan very much but do not plan to return yet.
Devaluation as an incentive to move
Aya Baltabek left Kazakhstan for the United States in 2016. She was a lawyer and worked for an oil company. Because of the devaluation of the tenge in one day her salary of about 3000 euros depreciated by half. She had big debts and they became much bigger. She realized that if she stayed, she would be able to pay the debts back only in 12 years.
Aya moved to Virginia, then settled in New York. The profession of a lawyer is prestigious in the U.S., but difficult for immigrants, as not everyone can understand the intricacies of American laws. To prove their qualifications, lawyers must receive expensive additional education, enroll in graduate school, and successfully pass the licensing exam, which many do not pass. But Aya succeeded. It took her 4 months of daily 10-hour studying to prepare.
Why does America issue Green cards?
Every year the U.S. government issues green cards to more than one million people. The U.S. government's desire to attract immigrants is simple: immigrants have a significant impact on the national economy. In 2016 alone, their contribution to U.S. GDP was estimated at $2 trillion, and the amount of taxes paid was $329 billion. In addition, more than 40% of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants.
How to keep specialists in KZ is the big question
To the question of how to make sure that Kazakhstani specialists stay in the country, experts say: work is already being done, "patriotic" programs are being developed. However, we will be able to see the results of this work only over time, maybe on the next generations.
