Category Archives: Visa Info

Information about all types of US Visas and the best ways to obtain one

F-1 Visa: What is this US Student Visa & How Do I Get One?

Visa Info, , , , , , , ,

The F-1 student visa is a nonimmigrant visa allowing foreign students to come to the US and attend US colleges or universities but can also include some other approved academic institutions and earn a full degree at all levels from Undergraduate to Masters to PHD.

Generally if you are doing a high-school exchange program you would be on a J-1 visa (althougth there a few exceptions).

It also can be used to attend Higher Education English Language schools in the US for students to improve there English and obtain certification at the end that is Internationallly recognized. Often many foreigners take this route as it can be hard to accepted either initially or especially transferring with the proving of available funds requriement and actually paying for a US college.

F-1 visa Requirements

1. Unless you are attending an English Language school, you generally must be fully proficient in English to participate in all aspects of the University/College classes. There are a couple of rare exceptions where the University you are attending may make an allownce to teach you extra English classes but this is not common. Many Universities may make you sit some sort of entrance test or submit a lot of documentation proving your English ablities.

2. You have to prove prior to starting the course to the University and then officially signed off on by the USCIS that you have enough funds to pay for education and living expenses prior to receiving your approval to begin studying. This can be a steep requirement even for State Universities.

This requirement varies state by state and college by college. However for example your living expenses proof in New York is a lot higher than states in the middle of the US like Ohio for example. With the private universities which are generally the most well known ones like Harvard, Yale, etc., foreign students except on scholarship generally have to pay the large tuition fees in full up front.

3. The institution has to be approved by the USCIS (United States Customs and Immigration Service). Most institutions have been approved long ago, this generally applies to the more obscure new schools that noone may have heard of.

4. The Institution has to issue you Form I-20A-B which is essentially there satisfaction that you meet all requirements like funding, english competency, academic pre-requisites, etc.

Pros & Cons of the F-1 Visa

– The main benefit of course is that you can earn a US degree or certificate which is well respected around the world and also participate in campus life in the US which opens up a lot of opportunities to you
– You Transfer from one school to another or switch academic programs by notifying the change to the USCIS
– You can legally work part-time on campus and have access to OPT (Optional Practical Training) which allows you to work in the US for a period of time, usually around a year max for undergraduate students and a max of 2 years for post graduate students.
NB: You cannot work legally off campus unless your Institution approves it which is hard to get as you often have to prove economic hardship. Generally no institution will authorize this regardless in your first year of study. In reality many people do work off campus however this may effect your chance of a Green Card/Permanent Residency later in life.
– You can travel freely in an out of the US as long as your visa is valid and your I-20 form is signed by the Instituition
– You can bring your dependents on the F-2 visa but they cannot work.
– You cannot apply for a Green Card directly from an F-1 visa status

You can generally stay as long as it takes to finish your studies and you can extend your stayon the F-1 visa relatively easily by being approved by the appropriate school officials. The I-20 extension should be filed along with your passport, Form I-94, Arrival-Departure document, a letter stating the reason for your extension.

A lot of people change from the F-1 visa to the H-1B visa or for Australians, change from the F-1 visa to the E-3 visa after completing their studies so they can continue to live and then work normally in the US.

Hopefully we may see you as a student in the US sometime soon 🙂

CJ

How to Get A Job on the E-3 Visa?

Visa Info, , , , , , ,

If you read through my many posts on the E3 visa, you will realize I have already covered most of this information already in other parts in depth. However I thought I would a quick step by step guide of how a person can get a job on the E-3 visa in the US.

For reference previous posts include;
What is the E-3 Visa?
How much does it cost to get your E-3 Visa?

Do I need a Lawyer for my E-3 visa process?
Creating a US-style resume for E-3 visa job applications

Are their E-3 Visa jobs available for Australians right now?
E-3 visa terms and definitions

E-3 Visa Jobs
Extending, Renewing or Changing Employers on your E-3 Visa

E-3 Visas and Green Cards
How to explain the E-3 Visa to a prospective employer

E-3 Visa and the F-1 Student Visa
Laid off on an E-3 Visa

The E-3D Partner and Dependent Visa
E-3 Visa Job Interviews

So as you can see there is a really comprehensive list of resources and information we already have to help you land your E-3 Visa position and also informaiton in many other posts that is useful as well even though documented for other US visas.

In the E-3 visa jobs link above we mention some of the best tips like;
– sites to visit
– having a US phone number if you are overseas
– setting up job interviews
– using other visas as a stepping stone like the J-1 Internship visa and F-1 student visa
– looking at smaller companies beyond the well known brands

So I don’t want to re-hash directly information you can easily read in other article. However we will try to provide some new and different ideas as well as to how you can get your E-3 visa.

An interesting thing that I know from reading others experiences is that those on the E-3 visa who took a chance and went to many interviews found that once they were in the door they were looked upon favorably initially. Although it was more difficult to get that first interview and then sustain the enthusiastic interest right to the end of the process and a job offer.

More often than not you will either be directly competing with a local US candidate or the image in the head of the recruiter/employer of the ideal US candidate. So you kind of have to show qualities that said US candidate is unlikely to or does not process.
Unlike Australians, the US are much more global in their business thinking (i.e. think to the fact and mindset they call the champions of the US NBA and Major League Baseball “world champions) so the fact that you already are a global person is something you should emphasize in interview answers while ensuring you have complete grasp of US concepts.
So for example if a question is asked about your experience in said field and your thoughts on the current market, give answers from both a US perspective and a foreign/global perspective.

You will obviously be assessed on your ability to fit in an organization and this is where you do have an advantage. The general and relaxed nature and demeanor of an Aussie versus an American comes across naturally if you just remain personable in your usual way. Of course ensure the fact you have strong desires and work ethic is coming across too while keeping that demeanor.

In the US as I state a lot they are a lot more upfront about salary and bonus requirements and it may be one of the earliest questions you get asked in an initial phone interview. This is something I learned over time that being firm in your response (which is unnatural to many Australians when talking about money) of what you are worth will convey to the interviewer many of the above qualities as well as an understanding of the industry. Of course if your demand is way way off the said industries general scales you may also be discounted at that point too.

If you are within the US, and you are applying in other cities and locales, often the prospective employer will pay for you travel expenses to get to an interview so do not be shy to ask. Also take it as a good sign that they do accept as at this stage you know at least they are pretty serious about your candidacy.

Finally ensure that you talk about benefits in your interview chats. Of course in Australia, Health Insurance is not really a topic of comversation with employers and Time off and Sick Leave is often assumed to be industry standards of 4 weeks and 2 weeks respectively. In the US, you should ensure your employer is covering your medical, dental and optical insurance and probably a life insurance package along with a 401(k) plan which is their non-mandatory equivalent of superannuation in Australia.

As for time off if you are getting 3 weeks annually you are doing well for an initial start and remember most companies allow you to take unpaid leave as well should you need more. Sick leave is weird in the US in that some companies don’t even have it all and it just approved based on your circumstances. Generally a good workplace will let you be an adult with this but abuse of it tends to be looked upon unfavorably come bonus, promotion and these days lay-off times.

Good Luck 🙂

CJ