<p>Hi everyone,
My friend told me that it is possible for anyone in the world to pursue any kind of education in the US. But international students are not sponsored for a job (work permit) by any aerospace companies in the US because of security issues. But if I can find myself an American wife then I can become an aerospace engineer in USA.
Is that true?</p>
<p>Thank you by the way</p>
<p>No, that doesn’t sound right.</p>
<p>Most security clearances are based on your history, not your wife’s history. Marrying a citizen doesn’t change who you are and where you are from. </p>
<p>The Aerospace industry is weak now and US citizens are having a rough go of finding positions, so an international grad, you would have it even worse and companies would not sponsor you.</p>
<p>Additionally, American women are unique. We’re brash, bold, and savvy. We know when we’re being conned-not a good plan.</p>
<p>If you marry an American citizen, and yourself become an American citizen you could eventually get a low clearance and try to work up from there. However, that option is one that will take time – as in, years.</p>
<p>You can’t work your way up clearances. That doesn’t happen.</p>
<p>First question asked of my daughter (EE) on her internship for a major government contractor:
“Can you provide proof of your American Citizenship status for a security clearance?”
Next question: “US city of birth”</p>
<p>First thing my engineering hubbie asks of all new potential employees: “Are you an American citizen, and can you provide proof of your ability to work in the United States for a government contractor?” </p>
<p>Security clearances take upwards of 6 months to a year-for US born citizens-and this would be for a “low security clearance”. This would not apply to a person who married a US citizen. It’s just easier for companies to hire US-born citizens-and there are plenty of people out of work who want those jobs and are US citizens.</p>
<p>If he married a US citizen, he could not readily get a clearance in this post 9/11 era. My neighbor has tried for years to get a security clearance and has not been successful. He’s had jobs here and there, but nothing permanent and he seems to think it’s because he is not a US-born citizen. He’s nice and he’s definitely talented, but he had to find a temp job outside of aerospace engineering. Additionally, most work in engineering is currently at a freeze now. Layoffs are common.</p>
<p>^^^ My brother works for a major defense contractor, he married a Polish woman, an engineer. Once she had her citizenship, she was hired by an aerospace company. Very limited clearance. As she was promoted up, she needed higher clearance, which she was given. She now works for the same defense contractor as my brother, also doing work that requires a fairly high-level clearance. They socialize in a circle of foreign-born engineers, all of them working for several huge aerospace companies in Southern California. </p>
<p>It can be done. Those companies are always looking to hire engineers because the US doesn’t produce enough. (So they say, anyway.) Naturalized citizens often fill that gap crucial gap between US-born engineers and those on H1B visas.</p>
<p>I live in Southern California and my husband has had to layoff engineers in quarterly cycles this past year. He had to fight for one of his engineers to keep him on the payroll. DH works for a major defense sub-contractor and the government contracts are just not there. Maybe your brother’s company has commercial contracts if his company is hiring? Everyone that my husband’s company contracts with, in defense and aerospace, is on a hiring freeze. </p>
<p>DD was the only intern hired by her defense contractor this summer. She was also told at the end of her internship, 2 weeks ago, that they wanted to give her an offer, but that a hiring freeze was in place so they couldn’t do that yet. She said the company wants her back, according to the employees.</p>
<p>I don’t know what my brother does: he’s not allowed to talk about it or his clients, but I assume he works with the government because he spends about a week per month in Washington DC. Maybe he’s a spook? ;)</p>
<p>Same here. Hubby used to travel frequently and I couldn’t know where, when or how. I have never been in his office because I don’t have a clearance to enter.
He just mentions in passing, “I had to layoff someone today who just bought a house”. So, I know that the industry has taken a hard hit.</p>
<p>Before, he used to say, “I can’t hire someone because he doesn’t have the right clearance”. I remember mentioning one time, “can’t they just move up and start lower level?” and he said “no, it doesn’t work that way”.</p>