I want to do my undergraduation in USA… and I wonder if I’ll get a job once I graduate from a good university… I need a job and that’s why I’m leaving my country … to the States… Most universities said I could most probably get a job on graduation (when I wrote to them)… how far is that true ???
You would need to get the appropriate work visas. Since not all employers are willing to deal with the work visa paperwork, your potential employers in the US would be more limited compared to graduates with US citizenship or permanent residency.
Regardless of what you plan on doing 5 or 6 or 7 years from now (after you apply, get in, study, graduate, do OPT…), your primary goal should be to STUDY. You will NOT be given a STUDENT visa if your goal is to work in the US.
If you got your CS degree from a top CS school, like Stanford, Berkeley or MIT, you will most likely get a working visa.
In 2012, approximately 524,000 foreign students were in the USA on F-1 visas to study at U.S. colleges and universities. From 2008-12, Computer Science was the 6th most popular major for foreign students, accounting for ~4.3% of all foreign students on F-1 visas (~23K individual Bachelors degree students in CS .) I don’t know how many of these CS students get jobs in the USA after they graduate. However, some 45% of all foreign student graduates do extend their visas to work in the same metropolitan area as their college or university. I would think that the percentage of CS graduates must be higher than this overall average … and that it must be higher still if we count any CS grad who extends a visa to work anywhere in the USA.
So the short answer to the OP’s question is “yes” (many students do get a job in the USA once they complete their BS in Computer Science here … although the percentage must vary greatly by university and by job location.)
http://www.brookings.edu/research/interactives/2014/geography-of-foreign-students#/M10420
When do they apply for the work visa? is it before they graduate or after they graduate?
International students can work in the US after graduating from college, using the OPT extension on their student visa. Here is a link: http://www.ice.gov/sevis/practical-training
The amount of OPT a student has depends on what they study in college. For most majors it is 12 months. For some science and technology majors, the OPT is longer.
When the OPT ends, if the student has not found an employer who has succeeded in getting an H1B visa for him/her, the student will have to leave. The employer must apply for the visa. Only a limited number of H1B visas are available each year, and the competition for them is fierce.
Yes, it is easier for a good Comp Sci or Engineering student to eventually end up with an H1B than it is for someone who does not have a technical major, but there is no guarantee whatsoever that any one student who majors in Comp Sci or Engineering will end up with a work visa.
Agree with happymomof1^^^^ and MYOS1634. Additionally, lots of American students are now entering into those majors, so finding a job will be tough. It is easier for corporations to employ US and permanent residents. If the jobs call for security clearances, which many do, the US grads and perm residents get first dibs and are highly-sought employees. In other words, plan on returning to your country for your future jobs because nothing is guaranteed in the US.
OH well.I hope I get GC before I graduate.
Here is a question:
I will most likely apply for GC this year after my mom’s gets approved, but it seems like the process will be delayed due to increase in no. of documents. Also, if I go over 21 and don’t get age adjustment, it will take even longer.
Let’s say I’m done with undergraduate before my GC comes out. Should I try to extend my OPT until my GC comes out?
Yes, you do your O¨T until you have your GC.
What should be done if my GC doesnt come out even aftsr my OPT? It seems like science field majors can have up to 17 months opt
I thought the whole point of supporting foreign students was for them to go back to their home country in order to improve things there.
@JustOneDad Not the whole point. The US derives a huge benefit from attracting some of the best students in the world to study, who then decide to stay and work for tech companies, in medicine, research, engineering, etc. Things would slow down quite a bit if we had to rely solely on a domestic talent pool.
@JustOneDad - paul2752 is already only two steps from his green card because he has a parent mid-process who then will be able to get one for him.
@paul2752 - Yes, you do need to keep in mind that your green card might be delayed. So have a back-up plan for what you will do if it isn’t ready by the time your OPT expires.