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International Undergrad. Here is my experience ->

Definitely Sponsors (0 Discrimination/no quotas) ->

1) JPM 2) BofA 3) EVR 4) Moelis 5) GS 6) Barclays 7) Houlihan Lokey

Case by Case/Sponsors only if top candidate/Quota for intl students ->

1) MS 2) Citi (SF/LA doesn't sponsor, NY might) 3) Lazard (NY definitely has internationals, but I think u need to be one of the top) 4) CS 5) DB 6) PWP 7) Cowen 8) William Blair 9) RBC (Only H1B1/E-3)

Does not sponsor ->

1) UBS 2) Greenhill 3) Wells Fargo 4) Guggenheim 5) Rothschild 6) Pretty much most MMs and Boutiques

Again, this is from my personal experience! Your own mileage may vary. Out of the list JPM and BofA are incredibly supportive, so they're your best bets tbh. Most of my recruiting efforts were focused in NY, and I accepted an offer there (also recruited the west coast though).

 

I just heard that a bunch of banks have stopped - not entirely sure about RBC. I just know that they will consider you if you have access to the H1B1/E-3 but you need to network and have access to OCR (since you won't pass the regular online app).

 

Yeah this does not apply to canadians because I'm talking about the OPT -> H1B sponsorship. The TN has been having so many issues and they don't even have access to the one year OPT that all internationals in the US get.

 

thanks for the list. Just curious when you are filling out online apps, there are always two questions: are you legally allowed to work in the US? and do you need sponsorships now or in the future?

What do you put for those? I was wondering is it the case that if you put yes then they auto screen you out of the pool

 

Yes for both (legally = opt, sponsorship in the future = h1b)

Honestly if they do that then they wouldn't have sponsored you anyways. HR checks into your status once an offer has been extended and there have been many many cases where they revoke your offer when they find out you're an international.

Sucks but that's life

 

My international cousin graduated and had a FT position for GS in one of their Cali offices for IB. They "urged" him to transfer to their London office because of his citizenship status over there.

He wanted to stay and ended up leaving because it was more of a subtle - "do it or there might just happen to be one less spot for next year's return offers and we all know whose getting canned".

 

I would guess Moelis LA isn't sponsoring anymore because they used to hire a bunch of kids from my school in Canada and they aren't hiring anyone for summer 2019. Or at least they're getting more nervous about it than they were before.

 

I can confirm Moelis LA took international kids this class (Not canadians since they need to go through TN which is getting fucked sideways - I'm talking about regular OPT -> H1B).

Will they take 3-4 internationals out of a class of 8-10 (or whatever it is)? Probably not.

Was sad to hear about Ivey this year -> the kids from there typically crush it wherever they go and it really sucks that they're getting caught because of a change in USCIS policy.

 

I know people assume that a lot of MMs/Boutiques don't give sponsorships, but I know a guy who landed a FT job out of an MSF program. The bank was not supposed to sponsor visas (at least that was what he thought/heard/was told by his career counselors). So I guess it really depends? If they like you/you are viewed as a good candidate, they'll still consider the possibility.

Persistency is Key
 

This. I superdayed with a bank that does not typically sponsor but they made an exception for me by even offering me a shot (Didn't end up getting the offer though).

For all the international monkeys out there - networking is key. Make that trip out and actually meet people and you will be surprised on how much traction you actually receive.

 

Most of the BBs should still be hiring international students. Some straight up do not take international students (Barclays). Not sure about EBs but i've seen some international students go to Moelis, PJT and EVR. Those spots are very very limited though

 

Jp, goldman, citi, lazard, evercore, db are some places I know of that have hired international students from my school or I know people who are going there. If you name some places maybe I can look and see if any international student from my school is going there

 
unqwertyfied:
As a graduate student, you don't have to go through the crap undergrads have to since you qualify for a Masters degree exemption. So banks will be more open to recruiting you than undergrads. Also, if you prove yourself to be baller, the bank will find a way to make employment happen.

Hey there, can you explain what the Masters Degree exemption is? I have not heard of that thanks.

 

Bullshit. Most banks don't even recruit grad school students. They only do for M3 MBA, but they are mostly US citizens or Internationals who went to US undergrad and have several years of experience in either US or HK or elsewhere. So, don't expect to get recruited if you are from shitty, foreign undergrad.

 

So what are the underlying reasons as to why sponsorship plays such a big role in recruitment? Is it the expenses for the bank (Because it is relatively insignificant for an MS, Citi or CS), or the fact that the entire sponsorship process is essentially a lottery?

I have a couple buddies going through this process, and I'm curious as to why this matters.

 

Hi berkshirehath8888, whoops, looks like nobody chimed in here.... maybe one of these discussions below is relevant:

  • Which banks are still sponsoring H1B visas? reach out to alums in IBD. I'm an international student, so I'll need H1B sponsorship. ... the money is paid back, do the restrictions still apply? I'd be interested to know which banks ... are still hiring H1B workers. Investment Banking International h1b visa ...
  • Management Consulting Salary & Compensation, Average Bonus in Consulting Consulting Bonuses For undergrads, no consulting firm is going to give out significant bonuses. There are ... working with the firm. Here's @John-Doe8 on how signing bonuses are paid out: John-Doe8: You are ... correct. You'll typically have your bonus paid out during the school yea
  • List of Investment Banks that Don't Sponsor H1B for US Entry-level Postitions For those of you who need H1B Visa sponsorship for entry-level, can we make a list together to ... together. Thanks a lot! h1b h1b visa sponsor f1 visa International Student ... international students for their analysts at all. It could be wrong but let's make an up-to-date list ...
  • 7 Figure Hedge Fund Salary- Myth or Reality? want two to three years of experience in their analysts. If you do get hired out of undergrad, ... forget the bottom line of starting a hedge fund: to make money. If a hedge fund manager can afford to pay ... the cash. It's a very cut-throat world out there. Bottom line is that, to reliably make 7 figures ...
  • How to figure out if I-Banking is right for me for it. I've heard stories of the rigor and 100 hour weeks. When did y'all figure out that ... see what y'all have to say. I want to learn more about I-Banking and see if I would be a good fit ... you wanted pursue I-Banking? Also, how appealing is a MPA to banks? Should I get a minor in finance? ...
  • Didn't get paid a bonus as a PE Associate... looks like. Anything else worth asking for? If they can't bring up cash comp by a significant ... To preface: This is a longish post under a burner account. If you don't want to read it the ... my path and my choices are up to me so I'm not asking for a "fix my life" type of ...
  • List of US companies sponsoring H1B Visa helpful for fellow international students. Kudos to folks at McIntire who compiled this list. ... different companies. h1b visa ...
  • More suggestions...

Maybe one of our professional members will share their wisdom: kyd ajshehada Dylanzhu

I hope those threads give you a bit more insight.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

International here, offered BarCap IBD and sponsored. Target school, don't know if it helps, and STEM + GC expected during OPT period. RBC hired an international student from my school this year, so did BofA and Citi (3 offers).

 

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