Any stories of international students securing internships in the U.S. despite not going to college there?

How common is it for international students to secure internships in the U.S. who don't go to a school there? Its obviously rare but is it one of those thing that does happen every year and at every firm (i.e. 1 or 2 top candidates) or are the odds basically 0 even if you have a very strong profile?

Would a profile like this:
Oxbridge, top 3 in class rankings in economics, incoming MSc finance at top target
Incoming GS/JP SA, past internships in PE, VC, HF and IB (EB)
Varsity team for 2 sports
+ diversity background

Still yield close to 0% odds at interning in NYC? I've never applied before, but don't want to prepare for technical questions etc THIS early if my odds are negligible.

 

Not sure what the above responses mean, therefore asking for clarification. These internationals HAVE a greencard or LPR? Or not?

Any application for any role has a question whether the applicant requires visa sponsorship now OR in the future. If you tick yes, it is unlikely an employer will proceed with this candidate. There is simply too much paperwork involved to make this work.

There are exceptions for educational facilities, churches, sports programs, etc - assuming they are not relevant here.

 

What makes the firm so unwilling to entertain international applicants (I.e. no citizenship etc) in the U.S, but it’s seemingly not that big of a deal in the London/Asian offices? I can understand a preference for one over the other but to this extent?

 

There may (emphasis on may) not actually be a program under the visa system to allow non-US residents to work in an internship capacity if they're not students of American schools. International students now use the CPT/OPT provisions of their student visas and someone who isn't on a US student visa will obviously not have access to those work authorizations

 

The thing is, international students in the US have a special work authorization due to studying in the US which can let them work for up to three years without visa sponsorship. The employer can then apply 4 times for H1B, which almost guarantees that the international student will get it. That’s why firms are friendlier towards internationals studying in the US than towards internationals studying abroad.

 

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