H1B Visa and OPT Issues.

[MBAstudent]

Hello everyone,

I am a second year MBA Student in a US B-school. I was in Technology Consulting prior to my MBA and now I am looking for a career - switch to Finance. As everyone else, I am also struggling in this tough job market and haven't landed up any job yet.

I have thought about 3 options at this point of time:

Option A

My school has quarterly based system which has given me flexibility to graduate in March and as a result become elligible for (65K + 20K) H1B visa lottery.

But as I don't have any job right now, I am planning to approach some bodyshopper and submit my application for H1B by selling myself to him as a Technical Consultant based on my pre-MBA six years of experience. Meanwhile I will keep on looking for the job in Finance and in case I get one, I will start working for them on OPT till my petition arrives and then i can get my petition transferred. The only problem here is that I have to request my bodyshopper to hold on before I start working for him so that I can buy some time to keep on looking for the jobs in Finance. I am not so keen to go bakc to tech consulting.

Such an arrangement will allow me to not only fit in 85K quota this year itself as compared to 65K quota but will also allow me to sell myself to the Finance companies which are not willing to sponsor H1B.

Option B

Dealy my graduation by another quarter and graduate in June but apply for H1B through some bodyshopper for 65K quota and then use next quarter to keep on looking for the jobs in finance. This would help me to avoid the hassle with my bodyshopper for allowing me to sit on the bench while I am looking for the jobs but it would be at the cost of 20K H1B quota reserved for US students and I might not be lucky enough.

Option C

Forget about the bodyshopper and graduate in June. If i dont have any job by then, give my OPT start day in Aug end (OPT can be started in 2 months lead time but not more than that) and then look for jobs till Oct end (you can on OPT without job for max 3 months). If no job till then back to the country.

I would really appreciate any thoughts and suggestions. Thanks in Advance.

regards,
MBAStudent

[MBAstudent]

Please Help.

I would appreciate if someone could please reply to my post.

[txh1b]

The market for a fresh out of school finance professional seems very unlikely to happen in the next few years when the professionals with loads of such experience are wandering the streets of NY looking for a job.

I would suggest you to go for IT/Technical jobs for which you claim to have the knowledge and experience. Remember, OPT can only be used in the field of your study and you cannot use it to work for a consulting company unless it is related to your education.

Good luck!

[MBAstudent]

Thank you so much for your reply. I understand that markets are tough for recent graduates in Finance and that is the reason I am exploring the other options like going through some consulting company and get some job in IT/Business Consulting. I believe I can easily relate my MBA with Business Consulting jobs I am targeting through these body shoppers and hence use my OPT. I would like to have your rough opinion on how likely it is to get H1B if applying only in 65K quota, which is my option 2 consideration.

The market for a fresh out of school finance professional seems very unlikely to happen in the next few years when the professionals with loads of such experience are wandering the streets of NY looking for a job.

I would suggest you to go for IT/Technical jobs for which you claim to have the knowledge and experience. Remember, OPT can only be used in the field of your study and you cannot use it to work for a consulting company unless it is related to your education.

Good luck!

[txh1b]

The quota will not be an issue this year from my guess. If you have a US advanced degree, you still qualify for the 20 k irrespective of the field.

[MBAstudent]

What I actually meant to ask is that in case I graduate in June (which means I am not done with my graduation in March), I am not elligible for those 20K and hence I am going to fight for a plce in just 65K which might be more competitive....

The quota will not be an issue this year from my guess. If you have a US advanced degree, you still qualify for the 20 k irrespective of the field.

[MBAstudent]

Another scenario which I am not sure about is: If I file for H1B through some bodyshopper in March and say by May/June (before my petition comes), I get another offer from another employer (whom I am willing to join and is willing to sponsor my visa next year, i.e. in 2010). In such a case, what should I do? Should i cancel my H1B application? Can I?

What I actually meant to ask is that in case I graduate in June (which means I am not done with my graduation in March), I am not elligible for those 20K and hence I am going to fight for a plce in just 65K which might be more competitive....

[Subramanya]

Another scenario which I am not sure about is: If I file for H1B through some bodyshopper in March and say by May/June (before my petition comes), I get another offer from another employer (whom I am willing to join and is willing to sponsor my visa next year, i.e. in 2010). In such a case, what should I do? Should i cancel my H1B application? Can I?

---- If you apply for H1 in 2009 and before it is approved, you can get many other offers. In this case you apply for a transfer to the company for whom you desire to work. Wait till the transfer is approved (may be just a receipt) and join them. There is no need to wait till 2010 for them to apply for a new H1

---- Keep in mind that both the meployers have to prove their credentials while they are sposnoring your H1

---- From all your posts iat appears that you would like to wait for good offers and then make a decision. Consider that H1 is a lottery system base approval as on today. If you are not successful in the lottery in 2010 for your preffered employer, you have to wait till 2011

[txh1b]

Keep in mind that if a H1b COS is approved, you will no longer be able to use OPT as F1 status is lost. Many employers are notorious for applying for a COS even when told not to do it.