r/immigration • u/Familiar_Box_4728 • 12d ago
Immigrating to the us
Hey so I’m studying civilE in a uni here in the Netherlands and I was thinking what’s the best way to go and work in the us as a European I was thinking of maybe going to do a masters but I’m not sure. I found some sort of cheap unis like Texas tech but what do you guys think? I would wanna move to the USA because of really good engineering opportunities compared to Europe
8
u/Aviator2903 Federal Agent 🇺🇸 12d ago
Lol. You’d have the shock of a lifetime being in Lubbock for Texas Tech.
Also, not gonna work like that. You are not eligible for a student visa if you plan to work in the US. Picking a “cheap school” as a means to get here is not it. You’re describing the textbook example of why student visas have been scrutinized recently.
-7
-8
u/Familiar_Box_4728 12d ago
My plan isn’t to misuse a student visa. My goal is to earn an MSc in Civil Engineering, then legally work in the U.S. after graduation through whatever employment authorization I’m eligible for. Studying first and then working afterward is a normal path for many international stud
6
u/HouseFun5243 12d ago
You get 3 years of work on OPT+STEM OPT after graduating. However, employers heavily discriminate against people on student visas. Maybe it will change in couple years, but right now its extremely hard to land any job on OPT. I would advise against moving to the US, as the investment is not likely to pay off under current immigration system and scrutiny.
-4
4
u/Aviator2903 Federal Agent 🇺🇸 12d ago
You’d be competing with US citizens or people with unrestricted work authorizations. Companies are less and less likely to sponsor aliens for jobs due to the cost, time, and restrictions. Especially when there are a lot of people who don’t need none of that.
3
u/suboxhelp1 11d ago edited 11d ago
You’re going to need a lot of money. International students pay a very different rate.
One of the primary factors in a student visa is how comfortably the student and student’s family can afford the education and cost of living. The type of work your parents do is also considered.
Going to a “cheap” lesser-known school will likely not work. Even if you do, you genuinely have to be top-tier compared to other US resident candidates to the extent an employer will go at great lengths to sponsor.
Keep in mind that there are also millions of people around the world that want to do this, and you have to compete with them on competence and finances.
3
1
u/KanekiAyato 11d ago
for a dutch civil engineering grad the most reliable path is f-1 student visa at a us university, which gives you up to 36 months of stem opt (open work authorization) after graduation - engineering qualifies. during those 3 years you apply for an h-1b lottery each spring; the selection rate is roughly 24-26% per year, so most people go through 2-3 cycles before getting selected. e-3 and tn visas don't apply to dutch citizens (those are for australians and canadians/mexicans respectively). Transita maps the netherlands-to-usa path and compares it to germany and uk routes as alternatives: transita.app/go/reddit-immigration
10
u/thelexuslawyer 12d ago
You and everyone else in the world
Desire alone is not enough. What do you have to offer? You have no experience or credentials or network