Breaking into NYC IB as international

Couldn’t have have put it better. 100% facts! 

Such a helpful comment man. Much appreciated! 
I figured it was gonna be like this, also I don’t think I am actually unique compared to the Ivy League and top targets kids applying to the Analyst programs.. just as you mentioned the networking is so tough since I have tons of people in London/Frankfurt from my school but basically none are in NY or at least not in banking in NY. People tend to not respond to a foreigner - which is totally understandable.
 

Seems like my best shot might be pursuing an analyst role at a lower BB in London and see if I can somehow transfer early. However, as you also mentioned would mean that I am basically tied to banking and my firm… I will see what’s gonna happen. Thank you for your response! 

In your situation, and given the timeline you're aiming for, it's nearly impossible. Here's why:

1. Lack of Work Authorization (Green Card/Citizenship): You don't currently have the legal right to work in the U.S., which is a major hurdle.

2. Competitiveness: To be blunt, you're not as unique as you may think. U.S. banks, especially those in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities, have a vast pool of highly qualified candidates already based in the country. Why would they sponsor a non-U.S. citizen who hasn’t even completed their undergraduate studies in the U.S.?

3. Undergraduate Status: You've already finished your undergraduate studies in Europe. The majority of U.S. banks explicitly require candidates to be current undergraduates to apply for their programs. While you could pursue a master's degree in the U.S., most banks aren’t inclined to recruit graduate students for summer analyst roles, even if they are enrolled in U.S institution. Moreover, you would still face work authorization issues during recruitment.However you could maybe do an MBA in the future and work at a US bank at the AS1 level. 

4. Limited Network: Unlike Europe, where the recruitment process is more structured, the U.S. relies heavily on networking. Since you haven’t attended school in the U.S. and lack connections, you’ll struggle to find common ground with U.S. investment banking professionals. Realistically, even if you resort to cold emailing, your response rate will be extremely low. Also most Banks don't open for FT positions in the U.S, most of the FT recruitment it done network based (even if its publicly advertised).

Ultimately, the main reason you'll face difficulty achieving your goals is the lack of full work authorization in the U.S. If you could obtain permanent work authorization, your path would be much smoother. As you mentioned, your best option might be excelling at a European bulge bracket bank with a strong L1 Visa pipeline and transferring after two years. However, this would limit your flexibility—you'd be tied to the bank and unable to recruit for private equity if that’s something you’d want to explore.

Then, how all these chinese student make it to the U.S ? I feel Mfin program at Ivies, MIT, UCB etc.. are full of asians people - but they will stay ? What's point paying 150k to go back in China

Not married hahah! That might be a great idea but I’d have to get to the point pretty quickly not sure if they’d like that. Seems like the best way is joining a European bank and transitioning - as you mentioned. Thank you for your comment!