# Newbee here. Advice needed, Student visa to H1B visa.



## volton123 (Feb 23, 2009)

Hi everyone, 
I am new to this, i have read numerous threads on this website and found them very helpful. I am 20 years old, and my dream for a long time has been to leave the UK and move to the USA. I'm in my last year of my economics degree, for which i spent a year in University of Maryland. I'm planning to study for my masters degree in USA. But i've read on this site, that it may be possible to transfer from student visa to H1B visa, to gain residency and be able to work in the USA. Is this possible to do after ive completed my masters?
Also i just wanted an opinion on weather me studying in USA for part of my degree and masters is going to aid me in anyway to getting to my dream, of moving to the states. As ive said before i have read numerous threads on this site, and now how difficult it can be to move over there, but im determined to do this by the time i'm 25.
Thank you


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## Robogirl (Apr 21, 2008)

Hi there

My guess is, that you can't get a H1B before you're graduated, however, you can get your master on the F1 visa, then apply for jobs, I think you're allowed to work one year on a student visa, once you have some work experience, you should be able to be sponsored for a H1B visa, and when you have your H1B you can apply for a green card.

This is how I understand the system, correct me if I am wrong ;-)

- Mette


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

Robogirl said:


> This is how I understand the system, correct me if I am wrong ;-)


Sounds round about there to me. A lot of "ifs" but it's definitely a plan.


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## xarp (Feb 18, 2009)

Robogirl said:


> Hi there
> 
> My guess is, that you can't get a H1B before you're graduated, however, you can get your master on the F1 visa, then apply for jobs, I think you're allowed to work one year on a student visa, once you have some work experience, you should be able to be sponsored for a H1B visa, and when you have your H1B you can apply for a green card.
> 
> ...


Hi,

I think you are wrong in few things. ;o) The F1 visa doesn't allow you to legally work, except of on-campus jobs and maximum of 20 hours per week.
After you finish your school year - you have 1 month to leave USA on the F1 visa.

However you can apply for tourist visa and be able to stay another half year for example.

I don't know anything about H1B visa though.

xarp


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

xarp said:


> Hi,
> 
> I think you are wrong in few things. ;o) The F1 visa doesn't allow you to legally work, except of on-campus jobs and maximum of 20 hours per week.
> After you finish your school year - you have 1 month to leave USA on the F1 visa.
> ...


Basically wrong. You can indeed do limited work on campus with an F1. But robogirl was referring to OPT after you complete your studies. This offers you the chance to find an employer for a year who may want to sponsor you.

The tourist visa stuff is a red herring. You can't apply for a visa in the country.

Xarp, if you really don't have a clue, please don't just guess. It's hard work for everyone else having to go and correct your misleading statements.


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## xarp (Feb 18, 2009)

Fatbrit said:


> Basically wrong. You can indeed do limited work on campus with an F1. But robogirl was referring to OPT after you complete your studies. This offers you the chance to find an employer for a year who may want to sponsor you.
> 
> The tourist visa stuff is a red herring. You can't apply for a visa in the country.
> 
> Xarp, if you really don't have a clue, please don't just guess. It's hard work for everyone else having to go and correct your misleading statements.


Fabrit, Fabrit. I still don't understand your problem. You are attacking me on almost every post I write and I don't think that it is necessary.

I was correcting Robogirl, because she said: "_I think you're allowed to work one year on a student visa_" - and explaining her the limitations of F1 visa. And that is TRUE. I didn't say anything about H1B visa, since I don't know it.

For the tourist visa, for sure you should apply in your original country before leaving. You can get both visas (F1 and B1 - tourist). After finishing a year at university you can change your visa status from the F1 to B1 (tourist visa).
You might need to cross the boarders to do this. Leave the country on F1 and come back on B1.
I know what I am saying, because I have done this. Exactly the way I described it.

And Fabrit, if you don't have a clue about this don't correct my posts, alright??! I am just helping people, you seem to be just attacking.


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

xarp said:


> Fabrit, Fabrit. I still don't understand your problem. You are attacking me on almost every post I write and I don't think that it is necessary.
> 
> I was correcting Robogirl, because she said: "_I think you're allowed to work one year on a student visa_" - and explaining her the limitations of F1 visa. And that is TRUE. I didn't say anything about H1B visa, since I don't know it.
> 
> ...


I'm correcting you because you are giving advice with very little knowledge. This is a dangerous thing to do.

To explain again, after you have completed a degree at an American university, the US government in its infinite wisdom gives you the option of a year's work here to allow you to sell yourself to employers who might want to sponsor you. That is what robogirl was referring to. I'm sorry you haven't heard of it but you need to do more reading and a little less writing if you are going to contribute to questions of immigration. Otherwise, some poor sod (me in this case!) has to write lines and lines correcting your misconceptions rather than making progress.

The B1 is not a tourist visa. However, the visa you are referring to is normally issued as a package - B1/2. One should not apply for it without knowing the consequences if one holds a passport from a VWP country. Nor should one apply for change of status from F1 to B2 in the US without knowing the consequences. Nor will the visa prove any particular use the the OP and his/her dilemma. As I said....a total red herring.


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

Fatbrit - I thought the purpose of allowing new graduates from US universities to work for a year was to give them a US 'internship' before returning to their own countries, and that the reason they allow companies to hire these people after the year is that no one wanted to hire anyone they knew they couldn't keep. Not that it matters. But your point of what amounts to a really long interview is interesting.


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

synthia said:


> Fatbrit - I thought the purpose of allowing new graduates from US universities to work for a year was to give them a US 'internship' before returning to their own countries, and that the reason they allow companies to hire these people after the year is that no one wanted to hire anyone they knew they couldn't keep. Not that it matters. But your point of what amounts to a really long interview is interesting.


Who knows what goes through the minds of our elected representatives as they cast their vote!


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

Minds?????????


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