NeilSYDNEY

Hi All,

I am a Relationship Manager (Business Banking) with one of Australia's four major banks. I have over 5 years experience in the banking industry all of which is in Sydney. I also have an MBA from an Australian University & a (3 year) Bachelor of Science degree from overseas. I have been wanting to pursue career growth opportunities in the US banking market.

Hence did some research & found some similar jobs in the US with lots of banks spread across the US, but could not find any employers who would be willing to sponsor an overseas candidate. Or I was not looking in the right place!

Also found some information through google about H1B & E3 Visas & have paid for an online US based company (www.h1base.com) "are these guys legit?" to assist with resume building & submitting to prospective sponsor employers.

Is there anyone here from the Banking industry, specifically a relationship manager (commercial/business banking) who may have applied for jobs in US and has been successful in getting a sponsorship & has actually obtained a H1B or E3 visa and started work in the US?

OR is an H1B or E3 Visa a domain of the Technology Sector/Accoutants/Health Care Professionals/Lawyers & Teachers only?

Just wanted to know if I am wasting my time by going through this whole process.

Any help, comment, account of past experiences is appreciated.

Regards,

Neil

scrubbedexpat099

h1base, well you can do a search, but shall we say none of the comments I have seen have been favourable.

I am not sure what a relationships manager is, but it does not sound like it would be anything the US is short of. You need to ask yourself why would a Bank want to go through the cost and hassle of employing you.

Have you thought of working for a US Bank locally and seeking a transfer.

NeilSYDNEY

Hi Boiler,

Thanks for your comments. I really appreciate your response. Your comments make sense to me in some ways.

But mate adding to my earlier post, could you please see below a job advert (one of very many) I found online through bankjobs.com the description matches word to word what I do in my current role here in Australia.

The job is online now, employer a major US Bank! Knowing what you know from the job description below, do you think I would struggle to find a sponsorer? Would this classify as a "specialty occupation" as per the definition by INS.

Not everyone can do commercial lending, you need experience in the industry to be able to do credit analysis and manage a set (250+ relationships) of customers who know you as their personal/business banker. I had to do commercial lending exams through OMEGA Performance Corporation before being hired for the role.

Also, H1base has assigned a personal consultant to me who is accessible via email, phone, etc., so seems like these people might be legitimate after all. I had a response from the consultant re: resume query. But still waiting on my questions re: sponsorers.

************************************************** ******
(ADVERT)
Business Relationship Manager
Confidential
Phoenix, Arizona

Print this job
Close window to return to search results

Job Code: BRMPHX

The Bank ranked #1 in service to Small Business customers is growing their staff in Arizona and Nevada. The Business Banking Group in the Greater Phoenix area has plans to double revenues over the next 5 years. Additional opportunities exist for the Las Vegas, Reno and Carson City markets.

The Business Relationship Manager will help to grow a portfolio of business customers with revenues of up to $20M with lending needs ranging from $100K to $3M. Because much of the approval process is local, turnaround times are short.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

•Manage existing Business Banking customers and build portfolio.

•Seek out and actively develop new business with commercial customers with revenues of up to $20M.

•Cross sell both business and personal banking products in an effort to better serve the customer while increasing revenues for the Bank.

•Perform thorough credit analysis before presenting loans for approval.

EDUCATION/REQUIREMENTS

•Solid credit and analysis skills, backed up by a minimum 2 years credit and lending experience is required. In-depth credit training and previous experience as a Credit Analyst are preferred.

•Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, accounting or related field is preferred

•Previous experience in mid-market commercial lending, preferably with loans from $100K - $3M

•Excellent listening and relationship building skills

•Top tier sales and negotiating skills as demonstrated by revenues generated and customers retained

•Self-directed yet proven team player.

Competitive compensation package including base salary (DOE), plus bonus, and excellent benefits.

************************************************** *******

Any immigration attornerys here that may have worked on an H1B/E3 visa case for someone like me who might want to shed some light.

Guys I am desperate for information. This is my first time seeking opportunities outside Australia. There is a lot of information on the net but none specific to my need. Hence, subscribing to forum's like these to see if I could get some genuine answers to my questions.

Any comment is appreciated. Any links to any internet based resource that might help me are also welcome.

Regards,

Neil

bzuccaro

Neil:

Based on the job description you provided and your qualifications, it looks like you would have a viable H-1B petition.

FrenchBrit-Luke

Neil,

Just back visiting after a few months of the forums. Saw your thread.
I faced much the same problem as yourself. Important things to consider are that most US employers HR departments will not be savvy about the H1b visa process.
I worked as a bilingual Financial Advisor in France for three years and wanted to move to the US to be with my girlfriend. In spite of my experience and language skills I was not able to find anything in the banking field.
There are companies that can take care of the filing for H1b visas on behalf of a sponsor company. These companies would be a good source of information about your eligibility for an H1b visa.
The favourite alternative for most people who post here is... find a US citizen, fall in love and get married.
In the end I did manage to get a job and a visa is being sorted. Not a banking job but a sort of internship visa (called a J1). It is valid for 18 months and I have been told that it will be possible to get an H1b at a later date once I have been working/"training" in the US for a little while.
It is seriously hard work getting to the US without a stethoscope in your hands if you know what I mean. (Medical professionals have it easy). Would you consider a change in career? What are your motives? Would you want to return to Oz after a stint in the US?

Hope this is useful...

Luke

scrubbedexpat099

I would call that a Lending Officer but perhaps I am a bit out of date.

I would wory more first about a possible employer than whether the job fits the H visa, the Degree mention obviously helps.

Solicitors/Attorney do the paperwork, I have yet to come across a company that sells it services to aspiring H entrants as being other than a waste of money.

Must be plenty of US Banks in Australia, I would start there.

thething

Neil

See my reply to you in the other thread. I would rely on personal contacts to try and find a position over here. I am sure there must be plenty of banks looking for quality staff and international experience is always a plus.

Banks will shy away from work visas because of cost and delays. The beauty of the E3 is that it is fast and almost free. Try and find someone in a boutique bank with an international clientele that would see value in hiring an Australian.

Go for it!

Thing

NeilSYDNEY

Hi Thing,

Thanks for the response mate, that gives me some hope. I will try to find some contacts in America. Its not going to be easy as you know. But it seems like if you want to work in America nothing is straightforward. Google is full of same H1B info on every site. Also, most H1B forums are full of techno people or people with existing H1B visas.

I have got atleast two attorneys reply to me who think I might a case for H1B petition, should I find an employer to sponsor me. But again its the attorney's!!! my experience with them is none and don't know how some of these attorneys in America are like. I am sceptical.

Still waiting for a response to my email to the personal consultant assigned to me at H1Base.com. Hopefully he is not ignoring me and is just away on holidays or something.

I guess I should just concentrate on finding a job in the US first and then just hire an attorney to assist me with an H1B/E3.

Although H1B would be an ideal visa due to dual intent for Green Card, I think given the way the H1B quota gets full & time & money it takes to organise one, my best bet would be E3. Green Card can come later.....(don't know how? a girlfriend maybe..he he, as someone suggested)

Any more information & experiences are welcome. I want to gather as much information as I can and make this happen.

But thanks for your comments all.

Neil

scrubbedexpat099

H1, you do need the lawyer, the Employer does.

If you have not done so, read here:

http://www.kkeane.com/

thething

E3 is definitely a better bet than H1. I think E3 is a good angle to get employers interested where they may shy away from an H1 because of the cost and the annual quotas. The E3 LCA is so easy an employer can do it themselves without an attorney. It's literally a 3 page form with no cost to process it.

If you have a steady job, being on E3 for a long time is probably a better option than a green card. The whole green card process is totally broken and it's not a good idea to get your hopes up that it is going to get fixed any time soon.

Here are some ideas for networking to check out...

Linkedin.com
Australian American Association
Advance.org
southern-cross-group.org

NeilSYDNEY

Hi Thing,

Thanks again for your advice and links. I have subscibed to Advance.org and have found a few contacts (mentors) in the financials services industry. Will put up some queries on their discussion forums and see how I go.

Cheers! & Happy New Year to all.

Neil

Kevin Keane

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

An H-1B needs to meet primarily one criterion: the job must require a
bachelor's degree. Unfortunately, the job you list below clearly does not
qualify on that basis. It says "PREFERRED". This would mean an automatic
denial. It also calls for just two years of experience - if it called for
12 years, you could substitute experience for a degree.

Even if the ad said "degree required" USCIS would often deny such
applications because they would often still take the position that for such
a job, a degree is merely helpful, not essential. You have to be able to
make a business case for the specific job that a degree actually is
essential. For this reason, it is usually a lot easier to get an H-1B for a
scientific or technical job than a business one.

NeilSYDNEY wrote:

    > Hi Boiler,
    >
    > Thanks for your comments. I really appreciate your response. Your
    > comments make sense to me in some ways.
    >
    > But mate adding to my earlier post, could you please see below a job
    > advert (one of very many) I found online through bankjobs.com the
    > description matches word to word what I do in my current role here in
    > Australia.
    >
    > The job is online now, employer a major US Bank! Knowing what you know
    > from the job description below, do you think I would struggle to find a
    > sponsorer? Would this classify as a "specialty occupation" as per the
    > definition by INS.
    >
    > Not everyone can do commercial lending, you need experience in the
    > industry to be able to do credit analysis and manage a set (250+
    > relationships) of customers who know you as their personal/business
    > banker. I had to do commercial lending exams through OMEGA Performance
    > Corporation before being hired for the role.
    >
    > Also, H1base has assigned a personal consultant to me who is accessible
    > via email, phone, etc., so seems like these people might be legitimate
    > after all. I had a response from the consultant re: resume query. But
    > still waiting on my questions re: sponsorers.
    >
    > ************************************************** ******
    > (ADVERT)
    > Business Relationship Manager
    > Confidential
    > Phoenix, Arizona
    >
    > Print this job
    > Close window to return to search results
    >
    > Job Code: BRMPHX
    >
    > The Bank ranked #1 in service to Small Business customers is growing
    > their staff in Arizona and Nevada. The Business Banking Group in the
    > Greater Phoenix area has plans to double revenues over the next 5
    > years. Additional opportunities exist for the Las Vegas, Reno and
    > Carson City markets.
    >
    > The Business Relationship Manager will help to grow a portfolio of
    > business customers with revenues of up to $20M with lending needs
    > ranging from $100K to $3M. Because much of the approval process is
    > local, turnaround times are short.
    >
    > KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
    >
    > •Manage existing Business Banking customers and build portfolio.
    >
    > •Seek out and actively develop new business with commercial customers
    > with revenues of up to $20M.
    >
    > •Cross sell both business and personal banking products in an effort
    > to better serve the customer while increasing revenues for the Bank.
    >
    > •Perform thorough credit analysis before presenting loans for
    > approval.
    >
    > EDUCATION/REQUIREMENTS
    >
    > •Solid credit and analysis skills, backed up by a minimum 2 years
    > credit and lending experience is required. In-depth credit training and
    > previous experience as a Credit Analyst are preferred.
    >
    > •Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, accounting or related field
    > is preferred
    >
    > •Previous experience in mid-market commercial lending, preferably with
    > loans from $100K - $3M
    >
    > •Excellent listening and relationship building skills
    >
    > •Top tier sales and negotiating skills as demonstrated by revenues
    > generated and customers retained
    >
    > •Self-directed yet proven team player.
    >
    > Competitive compensation package including base salary (DOE), plus
    > bonus, and excellent benefits.
    >
    > ************************************************** *******
    >
    > Any immigration attornerys here that may have worked on an H1B/E3 visa
    > case for someone like me who might want to shed some light.
    >
    > Guys I am desperate for information. This is my first time seeking
    > opportunities outside Australia. There is a lot of information on the
    > net but none specific to my need. Hence, subscribing to forum's like
    > these to see if I could get some genuine answers to my questions.
    >
    > Any comment is appreciated. Any links to any internet based resource
    > that might help me are also welcome.
    >
    > Regards,
    >
    > Neil
    >

- --
Please visit my FAQ at http://www.kkeane.com before asking a question here.
It may answer your question. Remember, I am strictly a layperson without
any legal training. I encourage the reader to seek competent legal counsel
rather than relying on usenet newsgroups.
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Folinskyinla

Hi:

Although you note an area of contention -- the word "preferred" may not be fatal. Its been a bone of contention for years that Department of Labor would treat a "preference" as a "requirement" while former INS would not.

Since former INS was within Department of Justice, it was an interesting litigation position that would DOJ now allow "whites preferred" as a way around equal opportunity charges?

Kevin Keane

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Folinskyinla wrote:

    >> Hash: SHA1
    >> An H-1B needs to meet primarily one criterion: the job must require a
    >> bachelor's degree. Unfortunately, the job you list below clearly does
    >> not
    >> qualify on that basis. It says "PREFERRED". This would mean an
    >> automatic
    >> denial. It also calls for just two years of experience - if it called
    >> for
    >> 12 years, you could substitute experience for a degree.
    > Hi:
    >
    > Although you note an area of contention -- the word "preferred" may not
    > be fatal. Its been a bone of contention for years that Department of
    > Labor would treat a "preference" as a "requirement" while former INS
    > would not.
    >
    > Since former INS was within Department of Justice, it was an interesting
    > litigation position that would DOJ now allow "whites preferred" as a way
    > around equal opportunity charges?
    >

I don't think I can agree with that. You are right that former INS didn't
treat the preference as a requirement, and they are the ones who count. The
main basis of that treatment is the fact that, with the exception of
university teachers, the least qualified US candidate is still considered
qualified for the job (this standard comes from Labor Certifications, but
would be transferable to H-1B as well).

There have been successful LCs that said "preferred" but only if they
required 12 years of experience in the alternate (and even then, they would
occasionally balk). At least, I have never heard of any other
interpretation, except maybe where a case may have slipped through.

Your point to equal opportunity is fascinating. In the end, though, I don't
think these situations are comparable enough. The difference lies in the
fact that EEO generally does not allow any type of different treatment
based on race, while immigration law does not really care about whether
candidates are treated equally, as long as they meet the minimum
requirement.

- --
Please visit my FAQ at http://www.kkeane.com before asking a question here.
It may answer your question. Remember, I am strictly a layperson without
any legal training. I encourage the reader to seek competent legal counsel
rather than relying on usenet newsgroups.
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NeilSYDNEY

Hi Kevin & Folinskyla,

Thank you to both for your insight. It is becoming clearer to me that my chances at finding a sponsor may not be all that great after all.

I agree with Kevin and his view, however Kevin the job ad I posted earlier was just one of many hundreds that I may qualify to apply for. Most job listings are specifically asking for a bachelors degree. Does this mean anything!!!

The more information I seek the more confused and dissappointed I get.

I have applied online for some of these jobs only a couple of days ago. With the holiday season I don't know if there is any particular hiring frenzy in America right now. Once I start getting responses from the employers I will really know what to expect.

I have also found out through individual bank websites, some are very upfront about their policies in relation to hiring overseas candidates, e.g. Bank of America & Metlife Bank both have a note with every advertised job which clearly states they will not sponsor work visa (H1B) or transfer work visa's.

Besides no matter how many job's I find online, the important bit is will the employers call for an interview knowing I am overseas & want to sponsor me? I can't apply for a Visa without a job offer & an LCA that remains the fact.

Having said that I will keep on applying until I am 100% certain that there is no hope.

My experience with H1base.com is not satisfactory. Still waiting for a reply to my email from my (supposed) personal consultant.

H1base.com guarantees that they will keep posting my resume to the right employers until I actually find a job & the location of my liking I only paid for their services because they had banking as one of the industries of expertise.

Another thing I have noted through all the discussion forums and my direct emails to immigration attorneys is that almost all attorneys believe I will qualify for H1B/E3 Visa.

But again, the attorneys do not come into the picture until I have a job offer so back to square one. Unless there are attorneys that also run placement agencies & can find me a job & help with the visa at the same time??? or is that a dumb question.

Anyway, Kevin here are some links to some job ad's I found on Monster.com:

http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob....,128,1862,1863

http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob....,128,1862,1863

http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob....,128,1862,1863