I'm a European PhD. My boyfriend is American. New York or London?
I have had several good conversations with MBB consultants who have encouraged me to apply to this year. I received my PhD last year and have been doing postdoc work in a soft science in Europe. I need to choose between London and New York (I'm based in a Scandinavian country currrently). My boyfriend of several years is American and New York a lot easier for him given his field.
London is the compromise option, but my question is how much of a handicap having a European degree and my background is in applying to positions in New York. I see two issues:
1) visa sponsorship -- is it a big obstacle for new consultants, and does it put me at a disadvantage?
2) Is the bigger obstacle the relative obscurity of my European degree?
Is problem #2 also extensible to the UK, or is it much more of an issue in the US?
Appreciate the advice.
VISA issues are alive and kicking for all Europeans so you'll have to get ahead of that ASAP if you want to move. The obscurity of a degree at PhD level doesn't really matter in Europe because not all schools offer all kinds of research. If the university of Blah Blah offered a PhD with the potential to contribute significantly to field X then the contribution is more valued than the school. Not sure how it is for the US. In general I get the feeling it's easier for US citizens to get EU VISAS than the other way around so moving to London may be a good idea for both (provided you can both find lucrative jobs).
Are you 100% set on management consultancies? There are plenty of jobs for PhD degree holders without visa caps; at universities, non-profits, or research organizations (google "h1b cap exempt jobs" or similar). If you have decided to go for a consultancy then you'd need sponsorship for H1x, L1x, or E. This can be tricky at best and not an easy way.
Honestly, if you have been together for long enough and trust each other - the easiest way would be getting married and him sponsoring your K1.
edit 1: re foreign degree There will be some people who don't value foreign degrees as much as local ones, but that depends on your degree, field, which school you went to and so on. I know plenty of European friends who carved out a nice career in the US based on a EU degree. Same in London or the UK (but more and more are leaving the UK for various reasons, not necessarily their degree). Based on my experience in London, I found it also has something to do with the industry you are in. i.e. in finance a LSE degree would be more favorable than "Stockholm School of Economics" (even though this is also a great school).
edit 2: If you currently don't reside in the UK as a EU citizen and if this is a viable option I would hurry up. There is a chance you won't be able to live/work after 03/19 unless you have I L R (or the new "settled status") , apply for residency or have some other sponsorship lined up.
edit 3: I just remembered another option - if you are an immigrant with extraordinary abilities you might be able to self-petition your US visa or green card. This would either be EB-2 or the O visa category and relies on many factors we might not be able to discuss here in detail. A good immigration lawyer should help you here. https://www.immihelp.com/greencard/employmentbasedimmigration/eb-2-nati…
Great suggestions! Thanks so much.
Visa Question
I'm open to MBB consultancies since all of the people I've spoken to who work there or who are alumni have been unanimous about the quality of the colleagues (if not always the work), and it's a great point of entry into policy, nonprofit or if I want to do it, industry.
Is visa sponsorship not a big deal for MBBs, or is it really a handicap even for them?
Degree Question
Unfortunately, I don't think my institution will have much weight in either the UK or the US (it's in a niche soft science field, nominally "biology" but closer to policy). The school is good in that field, but it won't mean much even to a well informed layperson. The PhD, grade and skills are the key pieces.
I'm curious if this makes New York a much further reach as my degree is even more "foreign" than it would be in the UK. New York is much easier for my boyfriend.
A visa sponsorship (employment based category) is always a big deal, for everyone involved - employer and employee. It is an expensive, time-consuming avenue and won't always work out as planned. H1b is a lottery, L1 has gone up in price and will have a lot more scrutiny (because it has been abused by many folks). Self-petition for NIW-EB-O is a tricky route and requires a strong case, but feasible. Based on your questions and how you ask I think you should really dig deeper into the immigration topic and research as much as possible.
I don't have a lot of knowledge about your field of science, so I can't tell whether you are a competitive candidate for MBB or not. However, you need to check with your MBB contacts whether their employer is willing to sponsor you and how.
Looks like selling yourself into a role plays as much a role here as all the other bits. You need to be aware of the market more than anyone else because nobody on here might know enough about biology/soft science to make an educated decision. London -> you don't need a visa for the UK if you move right now. This is easier for you. NYC -> might be easier for your bf but, unless he proposes to you and will sponsor a K1, it is not only more difficult for you but more likely impossible.
I personally feel US Americans to be more open about foreign degrees than British employers. Depending on whether you have any work experience at all, you need to quickly make a decision before Brexit might take away your only option for an English speaking country for both of you.
In which country do you guys want to live in the long-term? If you are planning to get married and settle down anyway I would just get over that right now. It is the easiest way and gives both of you the ability to work and live in each others home country. (edit: the opportunity for dual-citizenship does not exist for all nationalities though, especially a citizenship within the EU can not always be combined with others. But this is something for the future, not now).
edit2: I just re-read your post. If you are not against working in a non-profit organization (and your post states that): Some of these non-profit organizations are exempt from H1x capacity limits and therefore also the lottery. I would focus on this avenue if you have a way of getting in. http://www.immi-usa.com/h1b-cap-exempt-jobs-non-profit-h1b-visa/
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