Investment Banking in the US as an international applicant?
Hi,
I am from India, I have a bachelor's degree in Financial Markets. I have 3.50+ GPA. I will also attempt CFA level 1 in NOV 2023. As my degree is of 3 years I am also getting a 1 year degree in entrepreneurship.
I am planning to get a MSF from UT Austin. It's a 10 month program. I know very well that I won't be able to secure an Investment Banking role right after graduation.
My goal is to eventually secure a role in Investment Banking. My final final goal is to get into a Long/Short fund or Private Equity.
My current plan is to get a job after graduation as a Business Valuation Analyst in Big 4 specifically in the Transaction Services Group and then eventually network and try to get into Investment Banking after a year or 2.
I also plan to clear the rest of the CFA levels while working.
If I fail to do that I will apply for an MBA program in the US after 3 or 4 years of working.
Does my plan make any sense? Do you know anyone who has pulled this off?
Thanks & Regards.
Big 4 doesn't sponsor international students + it sucks, better off doing a boutique. Also, UT Austin is a huge target, especially for IB in the southern US, so you could very much get an IB role post-grad.
This topic has been discussed countless times on WSO, it would be easier to use the search function. Many good posts out there.
In short:
F1 - OPT - H1b (2x 3 years) - GC - citizenship
you can use AOS during this time if you have other arrangements, i.e. investment based greencard, marriage to USC, or similar
There are much better sources for immigration/visa questions online, like immigration forums, reddit or similar. WSO is not the best source for this topic. For finance related questions I would look into WSO, but for any of the above, look elsewhere. Reddit has actual immigration lawyers posting really good data.
Please also note that due to mass immigration and filings the H1b is hopelessly oversubscribed and not easy to get.
Yeah, also I forgot to add I only want to work in Texas cause of low taxes and cost of living.
I thought only UT Austin's Undergrad and MBA has prestige and high quality opportunities.
Does UT Austin's MSF hold the same level of quality opportunities and prestige?
You created a new account just to add that?
Texas does have lower CoL compared to other coastal cities, but it's not like living in Texas is super cheap. Property taxes are much higher, just to give one example.
Sorry, new here. I using it on phone so UI is little hard to navigate.
Houston, Austin and Dallas still has very low rent compared to NYC,SF,Boston, Chicago, etc.
That's alright, welcome to WSO.
So, the main issue will be finding a sponsor for OPT who will also take you on their H1b intake.
Also, with a compressed 10 month program you don't normally have time for any internships. You'd have to find work after graduating without having worked somewhere.
Did you get into the MSF?
It is really difficult obtaining the H1b nowadays, read up on the regular immigration blogs and sources/legal firms. They will all happily take your case and fees, but the chances are slim. About 9-11 percent, I think during the last round.
Exactly. In a position where I’m now trying to transition out of the US. Can’t build a career if you can’t even secure a long term visa or residency in the country. OP I implore you to reconsider other options
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