I’m an AI PhD at Oxford wanted to move to the US for years, but it never worked out. Maybe I can share why. To me, it feels like the US is making it harder and harder for Chinese talent to come or stay. First, Trump signed PP10043, which meant I couldn’t go to the US for any graduate school. That’s why I had to turn down my Stanford offer and come to Oxford. Later, I qualified for an EB-1A (the extraordinary ability green card). But because I was born in China, I’m stuck in a country-specific backlog that could take another 4–5 years. Meanwhile, on the other side, I’m getting 3–4 emails from China almost every week. They offer high salaries, free housing, generous research funding, and even offered an astonishing amount of money just for me to come back and have a conversation. I’ve always loved the American spirit. I truly believe my abilities could have a bigger impact there. But honestly, the whole process has been incredibly frustrating. All of this makes me wonder whether I should just give up. Why am I spending so much energy trying to go to a country that doesn’t seem to want me, when another country is doing everything it can to bring me back?