<p>I'm an international student applying to biomedical programs in the states. I'm thinking of a back up plan in case the worst thing happens. I would like to do research as my career but I do not want to stay in my country for either PhD or as a RA and am wondering about the opportunities as a RA in the states. How does it work? I approach individual faculty to see if they have money to hire a RA/ technician?</p>
<p>Where are you from? Can you get a visa to work here if you were able to land a job? I was under the impression that the school you attend sponsors you for the student visa, so depending on the country you are from, it might be difficult to get here without that.</p>
<p>Anyway, that aside, you can get RA positions in industry as well. The companies, as well as many universities, do have job listings on their websites.</p>
<p>i’m from Hong Kong, a city in China. People from my city do get work visa but i’m not familiar with the procedure. i’ve heard that it’s difficult to get one since 911</p>
<p>so is it common to have non-local RA/ technicians in a lab? do they usually do their undergrad in the states or have some kind of connections (e.g. his former supervisor knows someone there)? sadly i have none of it…</p>
<p>I thought I would chime in…</p>
<p>There are plenty of technician/RA jobs in both academia and industry labs, especially in the Boston area where I currently am. Many institutions/companies have online job postings and will often say if the do not sponser visas or are only accepting local candidates. It may also be useful to contact job placement agencies/recruiters; Labpros and Commonwealth Sciences are two I can think of off the top of my head. However, I have no idea of how difficult it is to get a visa (I’m a US citizen)</p>
<p>thanks mbr484! I’ll look at the places you suggest.</p>