H1B for a nonexperienced future master's graduate

[Mihai89 0]

Hello,

I am a 24 years old Romanian citizen (Europe), following a master's program. I will graduate in July 2014. I have a bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering and my master's program is focused on Sustainable Development ( the same general area of specialization).
I too have a dream.... I wanted my whole life to work in the US, to get some experience in the greatest country & economy there is, simply put, to live the American Dream (still believing in it). Unlike many others, I chose the US not only for the wages, but for the society, the way of life, the history...
A H1-B visa seemed the only viable way toward a Green Card (besides DV lottery). My diplomas surely have a US equivalent, as per H1-B conditions. Considering that I have only 2 months of work experience in my field (sales engineer for water & waste water plants, aka a big 0 probably), would an employer apply for a H1B on my behalf?
I am (painfully) aware of my disadvantages: no experience, fees to be paid (although I want to refund the employer, how can I convince him/her that I'm trustworthy?) and possibly some other. I am probably a burden for that company. I don't have a Toefl diploma (if needed, I could get one immediately). I even started to learn AutoCAD and American environmental laws on my own, as a possible leverage. A potential employer doesn't know that I am hardworking (willing to work 7/7 just to get a chance to prove that I am willing to work hard for my dream), honest, dedicated, motivated and so forth.
Long story short: are there employers willing to overlook my lack of experience and hire me solely for those positive reasons listed above? Or even if they are willing, isn't my lack of experience a no no for the Dep. of Labor ? It is a longshot, but I will not quit until I've tried everything.

Thank you very much for your answers.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

An employer might want to file for you. It's totally up to them.

You seem to be thinking about this the wrong way. You are not a burden on a company that wants to hire you. They want you and are willing to pay.

H1B isn't for charity - it's to get people here that an employer really needs when no one else can do the job. They are willing to pay for that.

If you have special skills, then maybe someone will want to hire you.

Have you applied for any jobs yet?

Edited August 15, 2013 by Harpa Timsah

[Gosia & Tito 199]

Hello,

I am a 24 years old Romanian citizen (Europe), following a master's program. I will graduate in July 2014. I have a bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering and my master's program is focused on Sustainable Development ( the same general area of specialization).

I too have a dream.... I wanted my whole life to work in the US, to get some experience in the greatest country & economy there is, simply put, to live the American Dream (still believing in it). Unlike many others, I chose the US not only for the wages, but for the society, the way of life, the history...

A H1-B visa seemed the only viable way toward a Green Card (besides DV lottery). My diplomas surely have a US equivalent, as per H1-B conditions. Considering that I have only 2 months of work experience in my field (sales engineer for water & waste water plants, aka a big 0 probably), would an employer apply for a H1B on my behalf?

I am (painfully) aware of my disadvantages: no experience, fees to be paid (although I want to refund the employer, how can I convince him/her that I'm trustworthy?) and possibly some other. I am probably a burden for that company. I don't have a Toefl diploma (if needed, I could get one immediately). I even started to learn AutoCAD and American environmental laws on my own, as a possible leverage. A potential employer doesn't know that I am hardworking (willing to work 7/7 just to get a chance to prove that I am willing to work hard for my dream), honest, dedicated, motivated and so forth.

Long story short: are there employers willing to overlook my lack of experience and hire me solely for those positive reasons listed above? Or even if they are willing, isn't my lack of experience a no no for the Dep. of Labor ? It is a longshot, but I will not quit until I've tried everything.

Thank you very much for your answers.

One other possibillity is gain employment with a company within the EU that has operations in the US. Transfers do happen. There are industrial companies that hire recent graduates (environmental engineers included) into a training/rotation program. That could be a good avenue to follow.

[N&S 32]

Have you considered following your MA with a Phd here in the US? Most universities have financial support available for grad students (work as TA / RA etc) and it would give you the chance to "get a foot in the door" and meet potential employers. Student visas seems somewhat easier to obtain (though it will probably still depend on individual circumstances and if Romania is considered high-risk but if you find a college that would like you as a grad student it should be feasible...

[Mihai89 0]

An employer might want to file for you. It's totally up to them.

You seem to be thinking about this the wrong way. You are not a burden on a company that wants to hire you. They want you and are willing to pay.

H1B isn't for charity - it's to get people here that an employer really needs when no one else can do the job. They are willing to pay for that.

If you have special skills, then maybe someone will want to hire you.

Have you applied for any jobs yet?

One other possibillity is gain employment with a company within the EU that has operations in the US. Transfers do happen. There are industrial companies that hire recent graduates (environmental engineers included) into a training/rotation program. That could be a good avenue to follow.

Have you considered following your MA with a Phd here in the US? Most universities have financial support available for grad students (work as TA / RA etc) and it would give you the chance to "get a foot in the door" and meet potential employers. Student visas seems somewhat easier to obtain (though it will probably still depend on individual circumstances and if Romania is considered high-risk but if you find a college that would like you as a grad student it should be feasible...

First of all, thank you for all these answers. Getting a job in a US company that operates in EU is a good idea, I have KPMG right here in Romania for instance. Although I think that this will take some time, maybe. Also, getting a job in this field is very difficult, the EU 'market' in this field isn't as booming as the American one. I applied for an internship at KPMG (here in Bucharest) but as I've heard, unless you pay something, getting a position is close 0. Of course, there are other companies too.

Secondly, I didn't apply for a job yet, since I finish my Master around July 2014. I thought that it is rather early? What do you mean by special skills? Sadly, I only have my theoretical knowledge and willingness to prove myself.

I know about student visas, I actually wanted to follow a master's program in the US, but the costs are staggering. About that financial support, I considered my chances to be pretty low, since there are so many students with straight A's. Are there other feasible financial support instruments? They seem out of reach. I really can't afford paying 15-20k $/year. Besides, according to the US law, I cannot work off campus, right? So even if I borrow that huge amount, who would wait 2-3 years for me to refund it, without a monthly rate/interest?

I would go with a F visa if I were to choose, it is so much easier. What do you mean by high risk? People getting visas and never returning after the visa expires? I don't think this is the case. Anyway, the denial rate is pretty high here, that's why we can't even qualify for that Visa Waiver program.

[Gosia & Tito 199]

First of all, thank you for all these answers. Getting a job in a US company that operates in EU is a good idea, I have KPMG right here in Romania for instance. Although I think that this will take some time, maybe. Also, getting a job in this field is very difficult, the EU 'market' in this field isn't as booming as the American one. I applied for an internship at KPMG (here in Bucharest) but as I've heard, unless you pay something, getting a position is close 0. Of course, there are other companies too.

Secondly, I didn't apply for a job yet, since I finish my Master around July 2014. I thought that it is rather early? What do you mean by special skills? Sadly, I only have my theoretical knowledge and willingness to prove myself.

I know about student visas, I actually wanted to follow a master's program in the US, but the costs are staggering. About that financial support, I considered my chances to be pretty low, since there are so many students with straight A's. Are there other feasible financial support instruments? They seem out of reach. I really can't afford paying 15-20k $/year. Besides, according to the US law, I cannot work off campus, right? So even if I borrow that huge amount, who would wait 2-3 years for me to refund it, without a monthly rate/interest?

I would go with a F visa if I were to choose, it is so much easier. What do you mean by high risk? People getting visas and never returning after the visa expires? I don't think this is the case. Anyway, the denial rate is pretty high here, that's why we can't even qualify for that Visa Waiver program.

The job I was noting is one with an industrial company, for example Air Liquide, that has extensive operations in the US but is EU based; and if someone needs environmental engineers is them; and I do know for a fact that they have internship programs for recent graduates. A consulting like KPMG or others would have more limited positions to what you are looking.

The student route is an interesting one. Grades play a role but actually your chances are not based just on A's; it is often a matter of hitting the right college looking for the right graduate student, which does not necesarily even mean the degree you've got. I know this first hand, as I originally came to the US on a student visa and with no $ on my name. The RA/TA (Research assistant, teaching assistant) is one way to work on campus for a decent wage and with the possibility of having your tuition paid on top (I did). Engineering degrees are more likely to get funding to the student, foreign inclusive: the fact is that engineering schools in the US have few US citizens as students; most are foreigners.

I'd start looking at programs/colleges that you are interested; it is a real advantage if you have someone you know inside already as they can speak for you to the professors. Professors are always looking for assistants: the tenure of a professor is tied to the grants they get, and to get grants they have to produce results; on the other hand, student assistants are "cheap labor" (dont' take this the wrong way, but it pays enough to support yourself). Of course, having someone inside will help you land a position as oppose to trying to get one by e-mail/letters (which is not impossible but you start with a disadvantage already. If there is a professor from your country I'd definitely contact him/her. Applying to college from outside the US is a matter of timing: you should target a start of next Fall (Aug 2014), for that, applications are being considered possibly from around December of this year. Notice that in some colleges, applications are reviewed as they come; which means an early application has more chances even with lower academic credentials. Keep track of deadlines for international students that are different than if you were here. In the meantime, ensure you have the standard tests they will ask for (GRE and GMAT for example), but defer taking them until you have some candidate colleges with possibilities, because you can select where the scores will be sent when you register but you;ll have to pay extra if you want the scores to be sent to additional schools later.

It is possible to obtain a permit to work off campus, not easy but possible. But, I'd not go that route as you would most likely need to work hourly and those are not going to be evry highly paid.

Good luck

[Mihai89 0]

You have all my gratitude, I didn't know about Air Liquid (or the fact that consulting companies have more limited needs). I have just to get a job there and then convince them to transfer me.

As for the student option, although I do not have an 'inside agent', I am willing to consider it. It is the less preferred option now that I know about these real internship positions. I never excelled at math and from what I've seen, GRE seemed pretty difficult to me. Not that I am not willing to do anything to get a decent grade.

Thank you for all that information.

[kzielu 1,148]

A H1-B visa seemed the only viable way toward a Green Card (besides DV lottery). My diplomas surely have a US equivalent, as per H1-B conditions. Considering that I have only 2 months of work experience in my field (sales engineer for water & waste water plants, aka a big 0 probably), would an employer apply for a H1B on my behalf?

One more thing to add - you do realize H-1B has essentially nothing to do with Green Card and does not provide any clear path towards getting it ? Green card sponsorship through employment is entirely separate process that can be done without H-1B.

[Mihai89 0]

One more thing to add - you do realize H-1B has essentially nothing to do with Green Card and does not provide any clear path towards getting it ? Green card sponsorship through employment is entirely separate process that can be done without H-1B.

Yes, I just said that because H1B is a dual intent visa. It seems better, according to my current situation, to get a visa first. A job would give me the means to support myself.

I didn't study the sponsorship of a GC through employment to be honest, I will do some research.

Thank you for pointing this to me and for your time.