US Visa Cap...Companies in US wont hire international

[pun500]

Originally Posted by amitchau29

how about this option:
Do am MBA in the US..the US mba will be acceptable in USA/Canada/Gulf..hopefully India and Europe too. the reason am saying US MBA as its globally the most acceptable.
Apply for Canadian PResidency while doing MBA in US. the US MBA works fine in canada. The canadian permanent Residency takes 2 yrs if u apply from USA. With the residency in place u dont have to worry about work permits etc.and is equivilant to a US green card in canada. So the MBA can take a year or 2 depending on which one u choose. Work on the OPT in the US for a year. OPT in US u get after studying in US. By then ur canadian PR will be through so move to lovely canada and live their. No need of US H1B visa or green card. Also once u get canadian citizenship after living in canada for 3 years..U can work in the US on a TN visa if u wish too...not H1 but its a nafta visa for canadians. I have heard canada is a lovely relaxed place with a good quality of life. u may not make obscene money but good standard of life. This is my plan after lot of thinking and researching...hope it makes sense for others. cheers.

jobs in canada are not easy to find !!

[amitchau29]

i agrree jobs in canada r tough to get...thats why i prefer the US MBA over Canada etc...it keeps 2 countries open to work in..the US and canada...a canadian MBA would limit one to just canada as in USA they dont value mbas from outside. also after a US MBA one is eligible for 20,000 H1B visas incase one wants to try ones luck with the US work permit...its not impossible either. many people get jobs on this 20k quota...their is a proposal to increase this limit for people with US masters degress. of course this canada option is for people who r not going to the absolute top schools and want to earn like $200k ultimately..this canada plan will not make u super rich. this might upset and make canafdian angry but I know some people who have used this route very successfully.
also as I said, the US MBA also works better in the Gulf than any other MBA. so ultimately in my view despite this H1B visa issue, the US is the best place to get an MBA..am sure many people will disaggree...lets discuss this as its a very imp decision...the MBA destination is vital!

[Peruvianguru]

Originally Posted by amitchau29

i agrree jobs in canada r tough to get...thats why i prefer the US MBA over Canada etc...it keeps 2 countries open to work in..the US and canada...a canadian MBA would limit one to just canada as in USA they dont value mbas from outside. also after a US MBA one is eligible for 20,000 H1B visas incase one wants to try ones luck with the US work permit...its not impossible either. many people get jobs on this 20k quota...their is a proposal to increase this limit for people with US masters degress. of course this canada option is for people who r not going to the absolute top schools and want to earn like $200k ultimately..this canada plan will not make u super rich. this might upset and make canafdian angry but I know some people who have used this route very successfully.
also as I said, the US MBA also works better in the Gulf than any other MBA. so ultimately in my view despite this H1B visa issue, the US is the best place to get an MBA..am sure many people will disaggree...lets discuss this as its a very imp decision...the MBA destination is vital!

Dear Amit, some light criticism in the form of questions for you:

1. Does coming from an "absolute" top school preclude you from becoming "super rich"?
2. What do you mean/imply by "absolute"?
3. Being realistic, I know most prospective MBA students aim at this degree solely because of the financial perks associated with it (a group of people which, fortunately, I do not belong to). Instead of thinking that an MBA will transform you into a driven differentiator why do people always restrict its value to a money making tool?
4. Being a G8 member and one of the most consistent economies in the world, how can u state that Canada will not allow people to become (super) rich. At what income level can we categorize people as being rich or not? For instance, would an Indian student - who used to earn US$8,000 per annum - do not feel great enough about himself if after getting his/her degree, he/she is hired by a top firm with a US$70,000 annual income? Richness is relative, some people will not assess their success based on money they get.
5. I do respect your opinions but your US centric view of the world is way too strong.

I am not trying to be overconfident here but I know, after some months of research, professional and academic benchmarking with intl. students and enquiries at "top" b-schools, that I would gain admission at some global top 10 schools. However, I have decided to apply to Ivey UWO and Judge (Cambridge) based on "fit" and none of these two is ranked prominently (well, JBS is 15 in FT 2007). Would Harvard / Stanford / Wharton graduates make me feel inferior, less prepared or at disadvantage? LOL, not even the slightest chance that this would/will happen. My feeling is that some prospective MBA candidates only look at the US because they are not confident enough about their own capabilities and believe that a brand will compensate their weaknesses.

I am open to constructive criticism, best regards

PGuru

[kgkid]

Originally Posted by amitchau29

after a US MBA one is eligible for 20,000 H1B visas incase one wants to try ones luck with the US work permit...its not impossible either. many people get jobs on this 20k quota...their is a proposal to increase this limit for people with US masters degress.

you are not qualified under 20K while graduating. you would qualify only when after you graduate, which tends to be end of May or mid-June in most cases. The application timeline opens on Apr 1st. For instance, this year almost the entire 20K was used up by Apr end. Most of the MBA ( in excess of 95% +) did not get their degree by then. If they did not qualify in the lottery then they will have to wait for applying next year Apr 1st under the quota. If they successfully get it next year under the 20K quota then they will have to spend 3 months (time between end date of OPT and start date for H1) outside the U.S. This is the reason last year 30-40% companies opened up for internationals but this year it is mere 20%. Almost half the financial institutions have stopped recruiting including but not limited to UBS, CSFB, Citibank, etc.

I am not qualifying my condition because I also had a personal tragedy in late March that resulted in my deicision. So IF i apply next year then I would most certainly have my options wide open.

[kgkid]

Originally Posted by Peruvianguru

PGuru

Dont fret over it. He just acted juvenile.

[sgmat]

Guys after reading your views I have made some conclusions

1. There is no point at all in applying to US B SCHOOL anymore...
2. One should forget US B school and think of other B schools outside US..
3. thIS CONDITON OF THE H 1 VISA in US wont improve by the next year too n I think it will remain like this forever or what....

Please throw some light on these conclusions....

[puhrince]

good points but I can point out some issues with this - MBA from simply any school in the US is wrong, there are tons of schools there but only a top 30 is worth it; among them a few top 10 schools are global brands, the rest are all regional = placements are in and around that area..an MBA in US is not like an MS in Engg. where u can attend any damn school and still get a good job.

regarding the move to Canada, there are 4 great schools here - placements in the Toronto area go through them first, so if u want to move to Canada, you should be attending one of these schools - why would you take the complicated route to come here? but yeah the quality of life is much better here...one good thing is the PR which one can apply during the course of your study too.

Originally Posted by amitchau29

how about this option:
Do am MBA in the US..the US mba will be acceptable in USA/Canada/Gulf..hopefully India and Europe too. the reason am saying US MBA as its globally the most acceptable.
Apply for Canadian PResidency while doing MBA in US. the US MBA works fine in canada. The canadian permanent Residency takes 2 yrs if u apply from USA. With the residency in place u dont have to worry about work permits etc.and is equivilant to a US green card in canada. So the MBA can take a year or 2 depending on which one u choose. Work on the OPT in the US for a year. OPT in US u get after studying in US. By then ur canadian PR will be through so move to lovely canada and live their. No need of US H1B visa or green card. Also once u get canadian citizenship after living in canada for 3 years..U can work in the US on a TN visa if u wish too...not H1 but its a nafta visa for canadians. I have heard canada is a lovely relaxed place with a good quality of life. u may not make obscene money but good standard of life. This is my plan after lot of thinking and researching...hope it makes sense for others. cheers.

[puhrince]

but most of the English speaking jobs are in UK, so why aren't u going to a UK school instead?

Originally Posted by itsrahul

purhince: There are work permit related problems also. If a company based in Europe wants to employ a non EU person, it has to first make the job offer public for EU candidates, i.e. it has to prove that there isn't a EU candidate eligible for the job. This is a lengthy legal process and many mid/small size companies do not engage in it.

Second issue is the language problem. If you are not going to UK, you must learn the local language.

Also, you do not get as many recruitment opportunities on campus as you get in US (barring in some top schools like LBS/INSEAD etc).
I am going to HEC this year and whatever I have written above is based on my interactions with the current students.

[puhrince]

I disagree on this. There is a mentality among Indians that jobs in Canada are tough to find. I was in the US for 8 years and kept hearing horror stories - I researched and found this - its for people who come directly from countries abroad with just a bachelors degree and no work exp..of course you will end up with no jobs...I am living it live out here in Toronto now, so I know how it is...the stories about people driving cabs and working in factories are people who came with no work experience, which of course is sad but one should not generalize this.

All the MBA grads are doing well - the swanky finance & consulting jobs in Toronto pay as high as $150k..I know alumni who are making $300k after a few years - so where do your facts come from? Money is not the biggest plus for me but am just quoting facts. Rotman & Ivey are top schools by itself and are both well known in Chicago & NYC (Rotman alumni have tie ups with both LBS & Columbia alumni as well). Yes the economy is much smaller than US, like every other country but Toronto is the 3rd biggest financial hub in North America (after NYC, Chicago) - so finance jobs are dime a dozen here. All the American companies have their Canadian branches here: example - GE (US) will not hire you without a green card, but GE (Canada) will take you in since you will get a PR by the time you graduate...so weigh these factors too.

finally my choice came down to a few things - the 20k quota is used up mainly by MS students anyway, and employers in US still don't want to sponsor international students..so choose your pick - be in the US and keep praying someone hires you on a H1, OR study abroad and have a shot at all jobs in the market. I made the latter choice, got 2 equally good internships (one in the US and one in Toronto) - chose to stay in Toronto since my wife is here.

another factor - if you are married, your spouses will have to hunt for an H1 too and again if he/she is in non-IT field, it sucks..in Canada & UK, spouses automatically get an
open work permit..this helped my wife - she was able to get a job which was double her salary in US.

Of course I am not promoting Canada, but I just encourage everyone to consider it along with UK. I had considered UK schools as well but it would have been a big move for me while Toronto was an easier move.

I hope I was able to guide you all more on this matter - any points/queries are welcome. I am just giving my perspective after having lived in both countries now. I also wish that the immigration problems in US gets resolved since then it will be easy for everyone, and trust me, I would move back to the US too.

Originally Posted by amitchau29

i agrree jobs in canada r tough to get...thats why i prefer the US MBA over Canada etc...it keeps 2 countries open to work in..the US and canada...a canadian MBA would limit one to just canada as in USA they dont value mbas from outside. also after a US MBA one is eligible for 20,000 H1B visas incase one wants to try ones luck with the US work permit...its not impossible either. many people get jobs on this 20k quota...their is a proposal to increase this limit for people with US masters degress. of course this canada option is for people who r not going to the absolute top schools and want to earn like $200k ultimately..this canada plan will not make u super rich. this might upset and make canafdian angry but I know some people who have used this route very successfully.
also as I said, the US MBA also works better in the Gulf than any other MBA. so ultimately in my view despite this H1B visa issue, the US is the best place to get an MBA..am sure many people will disaggree...lets discuss this as its a very imp decision...the MBA destination is vital!

[puhrince]

I would modify this and say, if you are planning to join this year, consider schools abroad..if in the next year or two, wait and watch and then make ur decision

Originally Posted by sgmat

Guys after reading your views I have made some conclusions

1. There is no point at all in applying to US B SCHOOL anymore...
2. One should forget US B school and think of other B schools outside US..
3. thIS CONDITON OF THE H 1 VISA in US wont improve by the next year too n I think it will remain like this forever or what....

Please throw some light on these conclusions....