Hey guys. I'm an incoming freshman for a top US university (CS major), and I'd really appreciate some advice on how I can stay in the US as a software engineer. From what I've read, the path is: 1. get an offer after graduation by grinding LC, projects, and internships 2. get the company to sponsor you for a H1-B (32% chance to win the lottery last year) 3. I get 3 shots at a H1-B (3 years) since I have 12+24 months of OPT What happens if I get unlucky (around a 30% chance statistically) and can't get a H1-B after three years? Internal transfer to Canada? Forced to return to my home country? The company might try for a EB-1 or O-1 if I'm a good performer? I've been coding since I was 12 and am pretty immersed in American culture, and I honestly would like nothing more than to have the opportunity to eventually get a green card and live in the USA. Is my understanding of everything correct? Is there anything I can do to boost my chances of staying (eg. Other visas?) Last question (sorry for the long post!): Do you guys think it's possible to save $500k from 3 years of work in tech + internships during college? (20k in savings rn, nothing significant) That way I could invest in an EB-5 visa after my OPT runs out if I don't get a H1-B. Thanks again for reading (and hopefully sharing your experience with me)!
Damn dude, chill...you're an incoming freshman, the only things you should be focusing on are just doing well in your classes, making friends, and getting laid, that's it.
Haha thank you! I just want to know what the process is like and my options are. Would hate to have to leave everything behind 3 years after graduation due to not getting a H1-B :( a friend of mine who graduated from a top 20 program was forced to leave the US since he didn't win the H1-B lottery.
To be honest, tech in the US is nowhere like American culture. Almost 70% of your coworker would be international and if you work in the Bay, that’s nothing like a typical US city life style.
Did an internship in the bay area and I have tons of friends who live there - from what I can tell, it's a pretty great place to live and work in all things considered! I'm surprised the international percentage is that high.
In 4 years you have no idea on state of economy or immigration policies. Impossible to determine.
I don’t know whether I should feel sympathy or disgust. Look I get it you are young and everything but for your own good stop worshipping US like it is the ultimate goal to happiness. Sure, tech companies are well-paying and more advanced than rest of the world but 2 things will happen with your mindset. 1) You will be always stressed because this process of greencard/citizenship is a long one and you need to invest in a lot of applications to keep up and one misstep could mean the end of the journey 2) Companies take advantage of pending applications and your desperate attempts to stay to keep you on a leash. My advise, relax a bit but be prepared. Give it your best but don’t rely on it like you can’t be happy anywhere else. There are a lot of opportunities at other places and tech is advancing all over the world. I speak from experience. I am currently in the process of H1B and I find it appalling how the government gives 0 f’s about this process. Who the hell grants visas by lottery for f’s sake? Why are greencards capped by countries and not in proportion to the population/applicants from a country? Why do we print documents and send then via mail to USCIS, they can simplify everything by investing in some decent web application. The simple answer is the government gives 0 f’s about you. So why are you so willing to be their biyatch? PS: My H1b results are pending and I give absolutely no sheets if I get selected unlike some people here who keep asking every 10 minutes if results were announced. If it happens it happens. Otherwise I move with my gf to France or move to Canada where I have triggered the PR process. Btw you can get PR in Canada in under 3 years with your qualifications after graduation. TL;DR: Chill. Life is too short to be someone’s slave
holy sheet
If green card aren’t cap by countries you would see all Indians and Chinese, I don’t think the US wants this. Immigrants want diversity but at the same time they want this^
Just to add to everyone else, companies dont just sponsor EB1 because you are a good performer. There are specific criteria for qualifying for EB1.
As others have said you're probably thinking too much. But i understand the pressure moving to a different country so here's my 2 cents. If you're getting into a "top US university" then you'll have little problems finding internships and even part time jobs that pay good in CS provided you do your part with study and preparations and applications. With this experience, working at just about any company outside the top 5 should be easy. The top 5 have a lot of competition, so it sometimes it doesnt matter how good you are cos there're 100 others like you (unless you're just a god). You do get 3 shots to apply for h1b (which is a coin toss). If that doesn't work out you could go back to school to get a masters degree in STEM which would give you another 2 years STEM OPT extension (2 more h1b tries). You could even shoot for a green card during this final 2 years. After this you'd have spent ~10 years in the US. If that doesn't work you could leave the US to a different country but working at a big company (preferably a top 5), work for a year or so, and come back to the US with an L1(i think its called) visa. There're other career paths that are more certain than a regular BS in CS. A doctorate + position at a mid to top university for example is (almost) certain to give you a green card. Saving 500k in just 3 years out of college is difficult unless you've got some sort of passive income or started a profitable business. There're endless opportunities in the US. So be creative. Do something worthwhile and you might not even need to kiss some company's ass to get that green card. Also remember that the world is way bigger than the US. Just make sure you're staying for the right reasons and not spend the better part of decades trying to get a green card. Most of all, enjoy the damn ride.
Oh man. Thank you so much for laying out everything so clearly like this - I didn't know about the L1 opportunity, but that sounds like a good option. What you mentioned about the "endless opportunities in the US" is precisely why I want to go there! :)
Their is another route as well marriage .
I can just say one thing. If you are taking a loan for 80k usd, it's too much risk to come to usa.. if your parents are rich, enjoy the ride
Find a good American wife.
While in college? He is not even drinking age yet.
You never know when love strikes. If he is in tech then that’s his only chance to actually meet a normal human being.
You are thinking too much. Slow down and enjoy the ride.
Thank you! I'm just hoping to be more informed about whether I'll be able to stay in the US - if the odds are bad, then I'll start making alternative/backup plans.
And dream bigger. Don’t follow what seems shiny to you now. Most “techbros” can do better but right after college the first total comp is too good to be true. All started with good ideals then dreams slowly die. So dream bigger, focus in class, work out, get laid more. Think about other fields. Do something interesting, anything.