Hi, I am currently a BB investment banker in an APAC country looking to break into a tech corporate development / strategic finance role in the US.
Just wondering how hard it is to break into such a role in the US? I am guessing the biggest hurdles are the visa requirements and potentially my lack of tech exp. If it's any better I come from a country which has our own work visa for the US which is pretty easy to attain but i'm just concerned recruiters are unaware of it and tend to shy away from foreigners in general.
I know lateraling with my bank to US is probably the easiest route but i prefer not to stay much longer.
If the goal is to permanently move and reside in another country, however, there are alternatives that may make sense
- further education if you can afford it (employers paying for this is increasingly rare, but also possible)
- date/marry someone in the destination country. This makes even more sense if you come from a community where people prefer partners from their own culture. Doesn't have to be arranged, but there is a reason why so many niche dating apps and portals exist. You may have a preference that your spouse has a certain cultural, religious or linguistic background. Or maybe you don't want to be alone any longer. It doesn't matter, marriage is a key route into a new country these days and it is one that will work for many people for generations to come.
- if the destination country is more important than the career you currently have - some people have a life-long dream of starting their own business or do something else than sit at home or commuting to the office. If you have already decided that moving to the other side of earth is the right thing, why not go one step further and also rethink your career? Now might be the best chance.
- Always have a plan B or alternatives. Maybe the US won't work out, but Canada might. Maybe your employer won't move you internally, but another one might? Maybe starting your new business is too risky, but maybe starting a franchise might work? ETC - come up with LOTS of avenues before you decide...
It depends on what your ultimate goal is and the reasons behind them.
1) Is the goal to live and permanently reside in the US for the rest of your life? Then I'd consider investing the right amount of money for the education, investment visa or business visa. This, however, can also work as an internal transfer.
2) Is the goal to only spend a limited time in the US? I would not invest a large amount of funds but seek easier routes into the countries.
Internal transfers happen all the time, I have seen them across multiple industries and companies.
If you are not married yet and want a more permanent residence in the US - dating/marriage is also a solution.
There is, unfortunately, no working holiday visa in the USA. These are just ideas and I am not an immigration attorney, of course, and a legal professional may provide further assistance.
As you can see, there are various avenues into a new country and many options are available. Simply applying to a job in the US and hoping to land a visa sponsorship is indeed a possibility, but I wouldn't bet my career or life on it. You would have to time the application in the right window, the employer would have to file the visa application, pay the attorney, justify the investment internally and also externally (labor market assessment), and then in all likelihood not be able to get you the visa anyway (due to the lottery of H1b). This is a very unlikely avenue, but it is not impossible.
Also, participate in the the diversity lottery if your background allows it - low chance of winning, but you never know!
Thanks for the detail response! Indeed I can go down the E3 route which would be the preferred option.
However, the pre-requisite for an E3 visa is attaining a US job offer which then becomes circular if US employers reluctant to hire / unware of the visa.
Should I start reaching out to US recruiters and employers and try to inform them of the E3 process?
I would I would try the following
- explain to your current employer that you can transfer internally with the E3 (which is also a possibility). They can eliminate all the L visa effort. If that doesn't work, you can carefully try to navigate the internal network and look for jobs that way.
- Or, hit up Australian banks in the US and they will know more about this scenario.
- Explaining E3 to a US employer is a more complicated route, although this might work eventually.
- Try finding a job through WSO. There are quite a few Australians on here who'd understand the situation.
Technically, you are allowed to travel to the US on VWP to interview, you just can't live and work there on it. So you could fly in, interview, explain the situation, and then leave until the offer comes in. Maybe all of this is easier f2f?
But you'd still have to declare that you need sponsorship, and that is when most companies will probably stop looking at your profile even though it would be "an easier sponsorship".
Best of luck.
Thanks, appreciate the suggestions. Was hoping not to do IB for much longer so preferred if i didnt transfer with my current employer.
I think i may go US without a job as i don't mind taking a sabbatical and see if i can have a better time F2F
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