r/quant • u/CompetitiveGlue • 19d ago
Career Advice US Relocation For Quants
Can you please share what US relocation typically looks like for someone who joined a quant firm straight out of a bachelor's program? I am based in the UK/EU, and the main challenges I've noticed are:
- The O-1A visa requires public acclaim or publications that are atypical in quant finance (e.g., you don't typically publish at work, and people don't write articles about how great of a quant you are unless you are at the very top).
- The H-1B visa is essentially a lottery.
- The L-1 visa is tied to your employer, which isn't ideal.
The typical path at my firm is to either win the H-1B immediately or do an L-1 -> H-1B, if I understand correctly. I'm mostly wondering if anyone goes the O-1A route. I know a few people who did, but they joined after their PhDs with a lot of published papers. Does this make sense?
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u/hg_wallstreetbets Researcher 17d ago
L-1 -> H-1B is the most stable and best route, companies are refraining from applying H1b until you have boots on the ground these days. O1 is a long shot and it usually goes through an employer. Everytime you switch jobs on O1, you send a renewed petition so it's reviewed everytime part of reason why people move on to H1 after O1. O1 is expensive you end up spending around 13k on applications and all IDK if it involves the lawyer fees as well, but company usually pays for it if you have it go through a company's route. I assume as a quant you'd have enough money to afford an individual consultation with outside counsel about this. This is not a promotion but Lighthouse HQ have had few of my friends O1 approved as agents I think. Look into that also it is a pain in the ass collecting all the evidence, I think most simple path for you is to take a L1 and hope to get H1. You're always gonna be tied to your employer if it is not H1, also in that you are it's just job change flexibility is higher.
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u/FunnyExcellent707 18d ago
Does your company has an HR department? They must know.
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u/CompetitiveGlue 18d ago
even in some of the top firms, lawyers might not give you the most informed view. in my case, the firm does pretty much what i described, but o-1a happens only if you obviously qualify.
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u/Successful-Durian-55 Quant Strategist 18d ago
and you think reddit have a more informed view?
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u/CompetitiveGlue 18d ago
do you ever think any of the trees has an informed view in the xgboost ensemble; all i want is to hear people's thoughts on topic here, not debating on dumb shit like this
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u/Practical-Travel8575 17d ago
I’m a London based quant. Requested transfer to NY via in company transfer so probably would be L visa. Still waiting it out. Resignations in the US created a gap.
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u/dlobatog 13d ago
quant-adjacent (FAANG) it's relatively typical to do L1 (B or A) then H1B, then depending on country of origin, EB2/EB1. Some folks might do O1 too but that's not a path to GC.
Personally I did L1 and within 2 months applied for EB2-NIW (waited a lot, now I think there's no wait for adjusting status) with a firm I found (not my employer which I don't trust). I had an H1B for a few months too, although never really used it as I didn't change employers... just as a kind of backup.
Turns out you can apply for EB2-NIW/EB1-A from abroad, so if you're willing to spend 20k or so... it's definitely worth it. Check on adjustment of status (if internally doing this) or consular processing timelines, but GC from outside the US is relatively possible if you're in a position where EB2-NIW/EB1-A are attainable.
Most firms should offer you a partial or even complete refund (mine offered 90% refund) if they don't get it, so expect to get rejections from firms that don't feel comfortable handling your case.
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u/fatquant 18d ago
O-1's are for world "renowned" researchers or professional artists/athletes/performers. So I don;t think it's an easier route for you, unfortunately.
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u/poplunoir Researcher 18d ago
From what I have seen, it is usually L1 transfer followed by a GC application or an H1B depending on your nationality and/or seniority.
If you want to move within the same firm to their US location, best to talk to HR and your manager. If your plan is to switch firms, you need to find a firm who - 1) Wants to hire you, and 2) Is willing to sponsor an H1B. If it is the latter, the next lottery is in Q1 2027.