US student here, applying mostly to US schools, but maybe a couple Canadian schools too. Obviously schools like Toronto and UBC are fantastic, but how do mid-range schools like Calgary compare to US schools (in terms of prestige for either jobs or PhD programs in the US, competition to get admitted, things like that)? Are we talking more or less on the level of MSU, Rochester, Indiana?
Also, how does the visa situation usually work for internationals? I know lots of internationals come to the US to do a Master’s and use that to become local and get a US job. Does their student visa let them stay, or do they still need to get a work visa when getting a job? (Is the situation similar in Canada?) I’d probably want to work in the US afterward, but you never know.