international student and investment banking

Career Opportunities & Internships Investment Banking
1

<p>I have heard of cases where international students with high gpa at top schools on visa not getting offers and interviews simply because they are on visa and require endorsement from future employers (i.e. <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/investment-banking/781952-hardwork-nothing-why.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/investment-banking/781952-hardwork-nothing-why.html&lt;/a&gt;). How do investment banks (GS, MS, JPM, Citi, BoA, etc.) usually treat a case like mine?</p>

<p>I'm an international student who has applied for permanent residency (not yet approved). I can work in the US, but I have to renew my work authorization every two years until my application for permanent residency is approved, which will happen sooner or later because my application is based on my father's (a tenured associate professor) employment.</p>

2

<p>Would investment banks view me as a candidate without a green card, or as a candidate who doesn’t have issues regarding work authorization and doesn’t need any help with immigration?</p>

<p>I know colleges and medical schools definitely viewed (would view) me as a candidate without a green card due to the fact most funding is restricted to be given to permanent residents and citizens.</p>

3

<p>There may be issues for banks receiving TARP funding, they have strict requirement around hiring non US citizens.</p>

4

<p>No Green Card is no Green Card. They are not going to parse your situation unless you have something unusual they really want and need. There are dozens of qualified candidates for every job now.</p>

5

<p>I haven’t encountered a question on applications that would suggest that I don’t have a green card yet. I guess they are going to bring up this topic during interviews, if I get them.</p>

<p>hmom5 - I’m looking for summer internships. Do you think they will parse my situation if I have a GPA of 3.9+ from an Ivy?</p>

6

<p>I think you’ll need to offer something they really want–there are lots of 3.9’s from ivies. Speak a valuable language, incredible math skills for some areas, contacts in a country…something to differentiate you.</p>

7

<p>If you are majoring in economics (or any other majors that are not easy majors, i.e. math, political science, etc.), your chance should be good. Getting a 3.9+ majoring in econ is not easy, and banks will chase after you if you have that. I know plenty of international students with 3.8+ from Ivies with no special abilities or valuable contacts getting jobs at most prestigious investment banks.</p>