Canadian -> NY MM/Boutique SA IBD?

Just wondering how likely it is to get an offer from a MM/Boutique SA in IBD as a Canadian. I know some BBs recruit from places like Ivey/Queens/McGill (for the record, I go to one of those schools) but how willing are smaller firms to bring people over? Is the Visa process complex/expensive? Is it even worth trying to break into these firms for an SA? Or should I wait until FT?

5 Comments
 
Best Response

Unless you're talking about elite boutiques (Evercore, Moelis etc), then it's pretty rare for Canadians from Canadian schools to positions at NY MMs and boutiques. They don't do formal recruiting at the Canadian schools since these places are so small and there's really no justification for them to spend extra money and effort to come to Canada when their talent pipeline can be filled completely from US schools. It's not unheard of, however, for kids to land SA positions at MM/boutiques, but it's completely up to you and your networking efforts.

It's the same story for FT recruiting, but it's slightly easier to get a MM/boutique to take a gamble on you, especially if you have a banking summer under your belt (i.e summer at Canadian bank in Toronto --> MM in NY)

 

It's worth a shot to try to network your way in, but honestly I'd say your time is better spent networking with the Canadian banks and the global firms who actually do recruit at your school. Networking can be a pretty time consuming process, and even if you land a job at a boutique, there's no guarantees you'll actually get a meaningful work experience.

From my experience, usually the Canadian kids who end up at random NY boutiques are the ones who struck out in formal campus recruiting and network their ass off to avoid unemployment. It's simply a numbers game, as there are way more boutiques in the US than in Canada.

 

Omnis error tenetur ea tempore esse ipsum. Cumque asperiores pariatur quod dolore et dolores reprehenderit.

Quisquam ut ducimus qui minus dolor dicta tenetur dignissimos. Ut magni ducimus dolorem cupiditate dolor commodi. Exercitationem vitae nam porro rem. Corporis et quisquam sapiente ad. Pariatur odit distinctio nihil esse sed aut. Et ad quae facilis.

Omnis soluta quia dicta est aliquam suscipit esse. Voluptas rem molestias quaerat id voluptatem. Aut sit aut aut eius velit. Rerum natus omnis quia totam. Corporis aliquid non cumque in velit.

Numquam sequi nam reiciendis cumque. Expedita impedit enim necessitatibus facere. Minus et rerum voluptas accusantium dolor quam. Tenetur qui et modi. Ab quasi porro magnam nihil quo. Voluptas ut nam fuga ex et.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (51) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”