Law School Discussion

Quote

If you got a PhD (along with a JD perhaps) it would actually be much easier for you to stay here, PhD's don't count against the H-1B (skilled worker visa) quota and they are much easier to hire for companies, then you could get a green card after a few years.

I'm curious. What does this mean? I'm a foreign student too, starting a JD program this fall, but I have a PhD. Will this somehow magically make it easier to obtain a work visa a few years down the road?

I believe that a J.D. is considered to be the same level as a Ph.D. for immigration visa purposes.  But it is not exempt from H-1 quota.  Master's and Ph.D. degree holders (who received their degree from a US institution) have an additional 20,000 per year H-1B quota.  While that makes your chances to get an H-1B better, I believe the quota was exhausted in two weeks this time, but at least it's not a lottery like regular H-1B quota.

The previous poster is probably thinking of the H-1B quota exemption for non-profit employees.  That is, if you go to work for the government or a non-profit research institution after you graduate with your J.D., you can apply for an H-1B immediately and have nearly 100% of getting it (assuming your paperwork is in order).

Either way, once you graduate, you'll have a year of practical training, which is plenty of time for your firm to get all documents in order and have them ready to file on the first day H-1 applications are accepted (currently it's April 1 of each year).


If I confused you more than I helped, go to immigrationportal.com and search for H-1 visa info - it's a pretty good resource.

Which section are you in?  I'm in 4D.

P.S.
We're also discussing it here:
http://www.lawschooldiscussion.org/students/index.php/topic,7514.msg62438.html#msg62438

I got a phone call from Vandy today. I missed the call, and didn't get the message until 6pm, so I won't know what the deal is until the AM. I can't believe I didn't hear my phone!!!!!!! I left a return voice mail asking them to please call me in the morning.

Has anyone else gotten a call recently? If so, what was the news? I never sent my waitlist form back in (basically, I got it the night before I was about to go out of town for my wedding/honeymoon, and forgot to send it before I caught my plane....after I got home 3 weeks later I thought it was too late anyway)...so I am thinking they might want to ask me if I still want to be on the waitlist or ask me where they should send my rejection.

If I got in though, I would scream with delight.

I doubt they would call you unless it's an acceptance.  And if they do call to see if you're interested in staying on the waitlist, at this point of time it's a "we want to accept you and wonder if you'll say yes" kind of question.

Please update tomorrow - I won't say congrats just yet not to jinx you.

Research schools very well on LSN to make sure they give out a lot of full rides.  WUSTL, for example, only has 1-3 full rides total, and you have to apply for them separately.  They do have many half and 2/3 tuition scholarships though.

GW gave out free rides like candy this year, plus 1 year of housing on top of that.  I'd def. apply there if I were you. UIUC as well. I was very interested in the subject last cycle, hope it works out well for you!

One piece of advice - don't accept initial scholarship as the school's best offer.  If you are really interested in the school, tell them how much you like them and how a bigger scholarship will seal the deal for you.  If you're a highly competitive candidate who's genuine, polite, and persistent, it will work out for you.  I had to go through 3 rounds of scholarship re-negotiations with UT, but it was well worth it in the end. 

Do they give out merit scholarships to international studnets?

Definitely.  Check out the LSN link in my signature - all of those schools give merit scholarships to international students (some for full tuition amount)