# Going to study in the USA



## Skippy13 (Oct 1, 2008)

Whats going on everyone?

So some of you moderators may remember me from earlier posts regarding MBA's and MA studies in the USA. Well, after some consideration and research, Ive decided to go to the US and 'retrain' so to speak.....I am going to do another undergraduate degree. 

I'll give some background on myself. I am 24 and working in London. I currently hold a degree from a UK university and have relevant work experience. I have also spent two summers in the USA on J1 visas working at a summer camp and for an Investment bank. I am now in London and have continued working in Investment banking but I am not satisfied. This isnt the career I want, hence the decision to retrain. I have also wanted to move to the US for some time, and I thought that studying in the USA would give me the best shot at qualifying for a H1B or some other kind of visa. I have spoken to the company I currently work for and there is no opportunity for transfer via L1. 

So I wanted to ask, what are everyones thoughts on this? I am hoping to get into a respected journalism course at one of the west coast universities (Southern California or Arizona). I am aware of the expense this will incur but I have that area of things covered. 

Do you think I would have any issue in being granted an F1 visa? I understand how hard it is to get a H1B, but companies have been known to sponsor undergrad students havent they? I am also from N.Ireland so I plan to play the diversity lottery during my time in the USA, would this be ok or would it affect my status as an F1 at all? Also, would playing it in the past have any bearing upon qualifying for an F1?

Sorry everyone, lots of questions but I would appreciate any feedback or advice you could give me. 

Best,

Skip


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Confused
Are you trying to say you think companies sponsor undergrads for H1 or just sponsor undergrads? 
a)Read through H1 requirements.
b)Nobody in my circle of college recruiters for US corporations has heard of this.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

It depends on what your expectations are. I hope you're aware that no one can sponsor you for an H1B visa while you are still a student. On a student visa you're only allowed to work limited hours - and I think they also limit you to on-campus jobs.

Synthia has spoken of the possibility of working for a year or so after you finish your degree - in a sort of internship to get practical experience in your new field. She may be able to give you more information about this, but I suspect you may be required to return home at the end of your student visa for some period of time. 
Cheers,
Bev


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## Tiffani (Dec 4, 2007)

Skippy13 said:


> Whats going on everyone?
> 
> So some of you moderators may remember me from earlier posts regarding MBA's and MA studies in the USA. Well, after some consideration and research, Ive decided to go to the US and 'retrain' so to speak.....I am going to do another undergraduate degree.
> 
> ...


OK... here goes...

You say you have the finances covered; I assume you mean that you have at least $30-$45K/year (depending on the university) to pay for full tuition plus living expenses as determined by the university? If so, good for you  

an F-1 visa would permit you to have one year post-graduation to work in a position that is commensurate with your level and field of study. At that time, the company you work for would decide if they are interested in sponsoring you for an H1B. You must have at least a BA/BS in order to be eligible for H1B sponsorship, so the Optional Practical Training (OPT) year that you get after you graduate is usually what people use to try to convince their employer of how great they are.

Of course, the H1B lottery complicates it a bit. But that's just a risk you have to be willing to take. Also keep in mind that the F-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa and the assumption is that you will go home after completing your studies and your OPT. So if you are denied the H1B visa, don't win the H1B lottery, etc, you aren't going to get a lot of sympathy from the Feds, or your university for that matter.

Playing the DV lottery will not affect your status unless you win and then proceed to pursue the route to the Green Card.


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## Skippy13 (Oct 1, 2008)

twostep said:


> Confused
> Are you trying to say you think companies sponsor undergrads for H1 or just sponsor undergrads?
> a)Read through H1 requirements.
> b)Nobody in my circle of college recruiters for US corporations has heard of this.


Twostep: I am aware that no one can sponsor an undergrad (student) and that one needs at least a BA/BS to have the opportunity for H1B sponsorship. What I was saying is that companies can sponsor students who graduate for H1B's. I thought my case might somewhat be strengthened as I already hold a degree therefore its possible a company might be willing to enter me for the H1B visa twice as its drawn in April. Once prior to my graduation and once after if needs be.

Bev: OPT is pretty common for foreign students who study in the USA. It does allow the opportunity to impress an employer which hopefully I will be able to do. However, I was hoping to impress during internships etc and then be sponsored for the H1B, going through the process twice if necessary. (As stated in my response to twostep). The hours a student can work are limited to twenty hours per week on Campus (Which is pretty ridiculous imo). However a student can work unlimited hours off campus during the summer periods I do believe....Although I will need to look into this more.

Could you guys give any input into how my previous J1's and degree might be viewed by the consulate when applying for a F1? Is there a chance that I could be denied for any reason?

I have also considered going into teaching and I have heard that there is a demand for teachers in the US. Can anyone tell me if this is the case and would this qualify me for the uncapped H1B? 

Thanks everyone,


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

Journalism is a tough field, so it will be hard for an employer, even after a year's working experience, to meet that 'no Americans or permanent residents available' barrier that you have to cross even to get to that H1B lottery. Now, if you came over and did a nursing degree...


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## Tiffani (Dec 4, 2007)

Skippy13 said:


> Bev: OPT is pretty common for foreign students who study in the USA. It does allow the opportunity to impress an employer which hopefully I will be able to do. However, I was hoping to impress during internships etc and then be sponsored for the H1B, going through the process twice if necessary. (As stated in my response to twostep). The hours a student can work are limited to twenty hours per week on Campus (Which is pretty ridiculous imo). However a student can work unlimited hours off campus during the summer periods I do believe....Although I will need to look into this more.
> 
> Could you guys give any input into how my previous J1's and degree might be viewed by the consulate when applying for a F1? Is there a chance that I could be denied for any reason?
> 
> ...


There's nothing ridiculous about the 20/hour per week limit during the semester. You are there to study, not to work. You will be required to be a full-time student and believe me, you will not be able to work more than 20 hours a week and survive a full course load. There is no restriction on the number of hours worked inter-semester as long as the work is still done on campus.

As far as internships are concerned, you will need to either use part of your OPT for your internship or you MAY be eligible to use CPT (Curricular Practical Training) depending on whether your particular institution supports it -- it's convoluted and difficult to explain but there are many more restrictions on CPT so some universities don't bother with it at all, and for some universities it's severely restricted. One university I worked for did it on a regular basis because there was a well-established Cooperative Education program already on campus whereby students could receive academic credit for work done in their field, and another university where I worked only allowed people from a few very programs to participate in CPT because they required an internship as part of their degree program. The upshot is that unless you enrol in a course where you must do an internship to get the degree, you will likely have to use part of your year of OPT for the internship. Which isn't a bad thing, mind you, but it does chip away at your time post-graduation. 

Any previous J1s to which you were originally subject to the 212(e) requirement will still apply. You will still have to fulfil a home residency requirement before transitioning to even an H1B visa. So if you haven't already spent 2 years at home, you better do it before you start studying in the US. 

Can you be turned down for an F1 visa? of course, you can be turned down for any visa! The main reason why my students were denied visas were about 95% of the time lack of ties to home country IF they already had everything in order from the university that they needed. Finances were an issue the other 5% of the time. But Britain isn't really known as one of those places where there's a lot of bank fraud so your biggest hurdle, assuming you are clean legally, will be proving that you plan to come home. 

Teaching at the university level will exempt you from the H1B cap; otherwise I am not sure.


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## Skippy13 (Oct 1, 2008)

Tiffani said:


> There's nothing ridiculous about the 20/hour per week limit during the semester. You are there to study, not to work. You will be required to be a full-time student and believe me, you will not be able to work more than 20 hours a week and survive a full course load. There is no restriction on the number of hours worked inter-semester as long as the work is still done on campus.
> 
> As far as internships are concerned, you will need to either use part of your OPT for your internship or you MAY be eligible to use CPT (Curricular Practical Training) depending on whether your particular institution supports it -- it's convoluted and difficult to explain but there are many more restrictions on CPT so some universities don't bother with it at all, and for some universities it's severely restricted. One university I worked for did it on a regular basis because there was a well-established Cooperative Education program already on campus whereby students could receive academic credit for work done in their field, and another university where I worked only allowed people from a few very programs to participate in CPT because they required an internship as part of their degree program. The upshot is that unless you enrol in a course where you must do an internship to get the degree, you will likely have to use part of your year of OPT for the internship. Which isn't a bad thing, mind you, but it does chip away at your time post-graduation.
> 
> ...


Maybe I was being a little bit harsh on the 20 hour a week limit. As a student 20 hours a week is a lot. Is finding work on campus difficult and are there many jobs available for students?

I completely overlooked the J Visa in my thinking as they were granted to me at university. For some reason I assumed that becasue I was a student at the time they were granted that I wouldnt have to fulfill the 2 year residency requirement...Dont ask me why! So would the two years cover both J1's or would I have to do two years per J1 meaning I would have to stay in the UK for 4 years? Confusing I know. 

Thanks for the advice synthia but I really dont know how I would handle nursing per say....I cant say its something I have ever really thought about! Does that apply specifically to nursing or does it include other health professions (i.e- physchology, physiotherapy, athletic rehabilitation) 

Thanks for the advice guys, I am really finding this helpful


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## Tiffani (Dec 4, 2007)

1. job availability on campus really just depends on the university, but usually there are some things available to do. You just have to look hard for them.

2. you only have to do 2 years even if you have had 2 J1s that require the home residency requirement. It's not an accrual system  2 years will cover both.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

You should make up your mind - is it journalism or nursing? Two cups of tea.

What will you as brand new graduate with nothing but a BA in journalism bringing to the table to make a potential employer sponsor a visa?

If nursing is not your calling you will be miserable every day. Yes there are shortages, mainly in somewhat rural areas. I am not up to date on the current visa situations for nursing. They have been tightened recently. Will a US nursing degree allow you to work in this profession in the UK if necessary?


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

I only mentioned nursing because with a US nursing degree and license, you would almost certainly get a visa. With a journalism degree your chances are slim. I was trying to illustrate that having skills we need as opposed to those we don't need greatly increases your chances. We suffer from a chronic shortage of nurses. Journalism is still percieved as a 'glamorous' field. Lots of graduates, lots of competition, and except for the lucky few, a fairly low-paying job.

I didn't mean to imply you should seriously consider nursing or any other field for which you have no interest (and probably no aptitude) just to get into the US, any more than I would seriously suggest you try a fraudulant marriage.


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## Skippy13 (Oct 1, 2008)

So ive been doing some thinking and ive decided that I really cant do an undergraduate degree. Weighing up the loss of earnings against the possibility that I might not even get to stay in the USA has made me realise that it might not be the best option for me. Nursing is not for me at all and I was being silly in even considering it.

What I am thinking of doing is another degree in the UK in my free time via correspondence etc, and then doing a masters/ MBA in the USA. With work experience here and further academic qualifications, would this improve my chances of staying in the USA? 

Im also putting in my DVL aplication now  Fingers crossed!

Also, does anyone think immigration laws are going to change anytime soon with OBama in office?


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

Skippy13 said:


> Also, does anyone think immigration laws are going to change anytime soon with OBama in office?


Definitely! But whether this will benefit you or not is the question!


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

Why do you need a second degree to do an MBA? MBA programs are specifically designed for those whose undergradute degrees are in different fields. Mine was in math, my cousin's was in engineering, and one of my classmates had a degree in music education The only advantage is that undergraduate degree classes are less expensive and some schools (not all) give you credit for them, thus shortening the program.

An MBA from a US university may not put you in any better position, anyway. I've read articles about MBA candidates at places like Harvard who are worried their job offers will be rescinded before they even graduate.

Obama has promised to look at ways to keep high-tech PhDs in the US, and to work on reducing illegal immigration. With the unemployment situation the way it is, he is not going to make it easier for foreigners to get jobs in the US. I would expect things to tighten up. If anything gets easier, it would be immigration from countries that are underdevloped or where people are considerably less free than they would be here, 'huddled masses yearning to breathe free' and all that. You wouldn't qualify.

Have you thought about Australia or Canada?


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Skippy13 said:


> What I am thinking of doing is another degree in the UK in my free time via correspondence etc, and then doing a masters/ MBA in the USA. With work experience here and further academic qualifications, would this improve my chances of staying in the USA? ...
> 
> Also, does anyone think immigration laws are going to change anytime soon with OBama in office?


Doing another degree in the UK and getting a bit more experience is actually a good idea. For starters, it will delay your departure for America - and that allows you to get a better perspective on how this economic crisis is playing out and just what that will mean for someone in your position. You need to do a bit of study of the US job market (and that changes all the time). For getting hiring from overseas, more experience in your field is always better than less. And while you're at it, you should do what you can to get some specifically "multinational" experience - either working projects with those from a variety of countries, or doing short term assignments outside the UK.

Obama will probably make changes to the immigration laws, but it's not high on the priorities just now. Use the time you have to study the situation and get the experience you need, and in 3 or 4 or 5 years you may be in a far better situation to move over.
Cheers,
Bev


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## Tinkerbella (Dec 1, 2008)

Skippy13 said:


> Whats going on everyone?
> 
> So some of you moderators may remember me from earlier posts regarding MBA's and MA studies in the USA. Well, after some consideration and research, Ive decided to go to the US and 'retrain' so to speak.....I am going to do another undergraduate degree.
> 
> ...



Hi there

A US journalism qualification will also not be valid in the UK if you want to do any kind of court reporting. You'd need your NCTJ law.


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

From what he has said, I don't think any changes Obama makes are going to help in this case.


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