I am on OPT STEM now that authorized me to work in the US for 3 years. I am now in the middle of my program and trying to transition to H1B visa before next year.
However, most offices are not willing to go through the whole visa process/paperwork/cost to hire an architectural designer. I have a few friends that are happy to refer me into their offices (some medium firms, some corporate firms), but they aren't confident about me getting hired because of my status.
So what is your H1B experience? Would love to hear your stories.
Rusty!
Jan 25, 19 10:28 am
I've known a few people who got 0-1 visas instead, but trick for that one is to have a really good portfolio of built work. Not something you'd have right out of school.
uuuuu
Jan 25, 19 1:14 pm
I have looked into O-1 visa as well, but I don't think I exactly fit in that category (People with Extraordinary Ability or Achievements, Pritzker Price winners only?). Also the projects that I am working on are not built yet. Do you know if your friends transitioned from H1-B to O-1?
Rusty!
Jan 25, 19 1:45 pm
People I know who had O-1 got them directly without any visas in between. They had really nice portfolios of built work. And it was genuinely quality design. So in that sense 'extraordinary' means really good work. Not sure how the employment sponsorship sequence works though.
archinine
Jan 25, 19 9:01 pm
I know people who have done this. I don’t know all the rules, but it is not an easy process and very few firms are willing to do it, why would they if they can find someone who doesn’t need the visa? The people I know who did it successfully were sponsored by a firm they previously worked at either during school or on some sort of temporary 1 year work after school visa that was not the H1B. I know plenty of others who did the same but were not chosen in the lottery system even after the firm sponsored the visa. I have not heard the case of someone ‘cold’ applying to firms just out of school and in immediate need of the sponsorship. However firms are quite desperate for talent at the moment so your odds are currently as best they’ll be for the latter approach, assuming you have high quality work and some amount of experience, references etc.
I am on OPT STEM now that authorized me to work in the US for 3 years. I am now in the middle of my program and trying to transition to H1B visa before next year.
However, most offices are not willing to go through the whole visa process/paperwork/cost to hire an architectural designer. I have a few friends that are happy to refer me into their offices (some medium firms, some corporate firms), but they aren't confident about me getting hired because of my status.
So what is your H1B experience? Would love to hear your stories.
I've known a few people who got 0-1 visas instead, but trick for that one is to have a really good portfolio of built work. Not something you'd have right out of school.
I have looked into O-1 visa as well, but I don't think I exactly fit in that category (People with Extraordinary Ability or Achievements, Pritzker Price winners only?). Also the projects that I am working on are not built yet. Do you know if your friends transitioned from H1-B to O-1?
People I know who had O-1 got them directly without any visas in between. They had really nice portfolios of built work. And it was genuinely quality design. So in that sense 'extraordinary' means really good work. Not sure how the employment sponsorship sequence works though.
I know people who have done this. I don’t know all the rules, but it is not an easy process and very few firms are willing to do it, why would they if they can find someone who doesn’t need the visa? The people I know who did it successfully were sponsored by a firm they previously worked at either during school or on some sort of temporary 1 year work after school visa that was not the H1B. I know plenty of others who did the same but were not chosen in the lottery system even after the firm sponsored the visa. I have not heard the case of someone ‘cold’ applying to firms just out of school and in immediate need of the sponsorship. However firms are quite desperate for talent at the moment so your odds are currently as best they’ll be for the latter approach, assuming you have high quality work and some amount of experience, references etc.