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Drawing on qualitative data, this study examines how gender shapes the post-graduation mobility decisions of female Chinese international students. The empirical findings reveal four salient patterns: (1) Parental expectations — many felt obliged to return to China after graduation due to parental expectations, particularly as only daughters bearing responsibilities of elder care and filial piety. (2) Marriage considerations — participants’ mobility decisions were deeply intertwined with their partners’ career trajectories and visa statuses, revealing the gendered asymmetries embedded in intimate relationships. (3) Age concerns — women over the age of 30 or 35 preferred to stay abroad, resisting the intensified gendered ageism and the stigmatization of “leftover women.” (4) Cultural preferences — participants identifying as sexual minorities sought to stay abroad to access more inclusive, rights-affirming social environments that sharply contrasted with the heteronormative pressures back home. This study illuminates how gender operates as a key axis of inequality, shaping not only the emotional landscapes but also the spatial imaginaries and place-making practices of these highly educated yet persistently subordinated women. Ultimately, their mobility trajectories reflect broader global dynamics of gendered precarity, social reproduction, and transnational negotiations of belonging.