International Students who want to work in Finance in the US and need Visa Sponsorship

I'm also an international student looking to work in the US full-time after graduation (Spring 2014). Specifically, I want to work in equity research. Haven't seen a post like this one before (point me to one if it exists and I'm wasting your time here) but I thought it'd be a good idea to have a forum where international students looking for work in the US could chat/share advice and tips. If you were an international student who was sponsored to work in the US, how did you do it? Was the Visa sponsorship a big issue? If you're looking for work in the US as an international student, what are you doing, and how is it going? Are you currently doing an internship in the US? Where do you go to school (target/semi-target/non-target- more specific if you wish). Etc etc.

6 Comments
 

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"I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature."
 

Hey there - saw you in that other thread. I just graduated and am also looking for sponsorship. Would love to keep in touch about this issue.

I'm also interested in equity research, as well as management consulting. I'm currently doing an internship at a boutique firm that does structured finance analytics. I have very little finance experience (this is my first finance internship), and graduated from a target school in June, with a liberal arts major and a minor in statistics. Am currently practicing case interviews for consulting, and trying to get up the learning curve quick for finance stuff.

What's your story?

One tip I do have - try to find out before hand whether certain firms categorically do not sponsor visas. It'll save you wasting time and energy applying to positions that you have no shot at.

Most of the big firms sponsor, but some do not. In particular, I know that Wells Fargo does not sponsor as a rule. Don't know whether you're interested in management consulting, but neither does Accenture.

Another thing - some small firms do sponsor, though I think it's probably pretty rare. The small firm I'm interning at now has several international full-time employees, for example.

 

Hello and welcome to the club! It's tough getting sponsored and I'm in the same situation. There are a few similar posts here though. I am trying to make it in IB and equity research as are a whole lot of other smart people. I'm graduating spring 2015. I would say networking is your best bet mate.

 
Best Response
amer00777

I'm graduating spring 2015. I would say networking is your best bet mate.

Generally, for BBs, networking doesn't make a difference in whether a firm will sponsor you or not. Most firms have firm-wide policies on visa sponsorships. So it's just a matter of asking the recruiter / your contact what the case is for each firm. (Or searching on here.) Most BBs, from what I have seen, do sponsor.

You should also remember that sponsorship by a firm is only the first step. Sponsorship in itself doesn't guarantee getting the visa. Everybody who gets sponsored is then put into a lottery pool (or at least was this year). Then, based on the lottery, you're told whether you can continue to work in the US or not. Because the lottery is completely random (or at least that's what my friends said), I have some international friends who, even after being sponsored, could not work in the US and had to be moved to other offices.

 

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