A Home away from Home: What Motivates International Students to Settle in their Host Nations after Graduation?

International students are increasingly making a decision to remain in their host nation of study permanently after graduation. This type of migration trend has increased with increasing globalisation. The study used the theory of planned behaviour and a life course theory to analyse students' behavioural intentions and motivation to remain in host nations within their structural, social and cultural contexts. An explorative study was conducted following the interpretivist research philosophy. Interviews were conducted with 13 volunteers - international students from a selected university in the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa. The main themes that emerged from the analysis include: pathway creation to employment for migrant graduates and desire for a sense of belonging to a community. The study recommended that governments and higher education institutions should constantly provide and increase support for international students as they evolve into productive members of the society and economy after being integrated into the system. The contribution made by international students to their country of adoption cannot be ignored.