First word of advice is, check with the school's Office of International Studies, or whatever they may call it. They're the ones that would have helped the student get a student visa in the first place, and have to sign their I-20 every time they leave the country, etc. In my case, they were extremely helpful, explaining which programs I was eligible for, finding the right forms and even advising on how to approach the whole matter in job interviews.
What it boiled down to is that I happen to be from what appears to be the only country in the world where you're not eligible for the Diversity Lottery (aka "green card lottery"), England. So even though I had been here long enough to probably have gotten one that way, I wasn't allowed. However, students here on an F1 visa are permitted to apply for 12 months of Optional Practical Training. If you're smart, you take those 12 months _after_ completing your degree. Then if you're lucky, you'll get hired by a company willing to sponsor you for a change to an H1B visa before your 12 months runs out.
It was more complicated in my case, since I had very little notice that I was going to be able to graduate. So there were a few months of not being able to work while I waited for my OPT to be approved. But at the same time, I had those few months to look for work without wasting any of the 12 month period. Oh, and here's the catch: you have to be employed doing something relevant to your field of study.
As an H1B is only valid for up to 6 years, you again have to rely on the charity of your employer to further sponsor you for a green card. I got lucky there again - the week before I started work, the company lawyers started the ball rolling on both my H1B and green card at the same time. The paperwork for the H1B was in long before the Oct 1st start of the new fiscal year, so I should have one before they run out, some time in Jan. or Feb. (fingers crossed).
In short, tell your students to enter the Diversity Lottery each and every year they can. Get help from your International Studies/Students' Office, and fill out _all_ of the required paperwork in plenty of time. Try to time your 12 months of OPT for when you can be fully employed, hopefully impressing your employer so that they'll help you with the H1B process.
Or get married to a US citizen. I'm doing that, too:) Ironically, the reason for a legal marriage long before we've saved up to put on an actual full-scale wedding would be so she can have health insurance, not for me to get a green card, but that's another story....
Slashdot Mirror
First word of advice is, check with the school's Office of International Studies, or whatever they may call it. They're the ones that would have helped the student get a student visa in the first place, and have to sign their I-20 every time they leave the country, etc. In my case, they were extremely helpful, explaining which programs I was eligible for, finding the right forms and even advising on how to approach the whole matter in job interviews.
:) Ironically, the reason for a legal marriage long before we've saved up to put on an actual full-scale wedding would be so she can have health insurance, not for me to get a green card, but that's another story....
What it boiled down to is that I happen to be from what appears to be the only country in the world where you're not eligible for the Diversity Lottery (aka "green card lottery"), England. So even though I had been here long enough to probably have gotten one that way, I wasn't allowed. However, students here on an F1 visa are permitted to apply for 12 months of Optional Practical Training. If you're smart, you take those 12 months _after_ completing your degree. Then if you're lucky, you'll get hired by a company willing to sponsor you for a change to an H1B visa before your 12 months runs out.
It was more complicated in my case, since I had very little notice that I was going to be able to graduate. So there were a few months of not being able to work while I waited for my OPT to be approved. But at the same time, I had those few months to look for work without wasting any of the 12 month period. Oh, and here's the catch: you have to be employed doing something relevant to your field of study.
As an H1B is only valid for up to 6 years, you again have to rely on the charity of your employer to further sponsor you for a green card. I got lucky there again - the week before I started work, the company lawyers started the ball rolling on both my H1B and green card at the same time. The paperwork for the H1B was in long before the Oct 1st start of the new fiscal year, so I should have one before they run out, some time in Jan. or Feb. (fingers crossed).
In short, tell your students to enter the Diversity Lottery each and every year they can. Get help from your International Studies/Students' Office, and fill out _all_ of the required paperwork in plenty of time. Try to time your 12 months of OPT for when you can be fully employed, hopefully impressing your employer so that they'll help you with the H1B process.
Or get married to a US citizen. I'm doing that, too