HaggisMuncher

Hi all,

Another person asking about H1B visas here.

I'm wondering what my chances are of (realistically) securing a H1B based on my circumstances.

Relevant facts:

25
British citizen
I'm about to graduate with a degree in law
I've spent 2 years working in Germany for the European Commission as a "Research Project Officer" (fancy way of saying research project manager).

I don't intend to practice law in the US (for obvious reasons), would I likely get work in another field (finance, compliance etc.) with a law degree?

I know in the UK, it's common for law graduates to work in various sectors in addition to the legal sector; is it equally as common in the US while meeting H1B visa requirements?

I'm concerned that my lack of post graduate work experience may (and understandably so) put off employers - especially with the outlay for costs etc., I'm just hoping my time at the European Commission and another local government will be enough for an employer to take some kind of interest in me. Has anyone managed to emigrate to the US on a H1B as a fresh faced graduate?

Has anyone managed to go through the H1B route with a law degree?
If so, what industry are you working in now?



Thanks!

Pulaski

Honestly, slim.

For starters H-1B's were about four-times oversubscribed in 2016, so even with a job offer and a valid application, you only had a 27% chance of getting a visa.

Even with a visa, e.g. a spouse visa, it is notoriously difficult to get an employer to pay any attention to you while you are outside the US. Adding the need for visa sponsorship, and having to wait until October before you can start work, not to mention the legal costs and visa fees, you can see why most employers simply aren't going to bother with your application.

ireland2016

Hi,

I moved to the U.S. on an H1-B when I was 24 as a fresh graduate with no work experience. I happened to find an employer in the U.K. who had an office in the U.S., and made my intentions clear from the beginning that I wanted to work at their U.S. location.

My degree was in IT (general), and the job was related to media analysis.

It wasn't easy, but was possible and ultimately proved successful. I would recommend getting an academic equivalency evaluation done by Trustforte or some other U.S. based organization (the USCIS will want to know that your U.K. degree is equivalent to a U.S. degree - it is). And also to work with an immigration attorney - preferably one retained by your prospective employer in an ideal scenario.

As mentioned above, the fact that H1-B visas have become oversubscribed in recent years is definitely an issue, so timing and a proactive immigration attorney would be important considerations that I would factor in if I was applying any time soon.

As for the specifics about whether your legal background makes you eligible for an H1-B - I'm not sure but hopefully some others can chime in here.

Anecdotal, but I happened to be sat next to an immigration attorney in my office a few days ago, and he was talking with a young British guy who worked at the U.K. Mission to U.N. Couldn't help but overhear that he was here on an H1-B.

Good luck.

ireland2016

I didn't wonder it. His opening remark at his consultation was, "I'm currently on an H1-B visa."

ian-mstm

Sorry, but it's one of my pet peeves: it's an H-1B visa... an H visa, category 1B.

Ian

ireland2016

I stand corrected!