General > General Technical Chat

Migrating as a PHD student to US

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bdunham7:

--- Quote from: ali_asadzadeh on April 16, 2024, 01:08:05 pm ---My final goal is immigration to US and starting my own company, But I see this as a helper to ease immigration process and get some initial money to help start a profitable job, since 2000$ is slavery and I have big dreams.

--- End quote ---

Getting into a US PhD program is a reasonably good start of an immigration strategy as long as you understand the rules and are willing to commit to the process.  How long it takes depends on things like how good your school and program are, how well you do and luck.  The most reliable course is to finish your PhD and then get an academic job--this will qualify you for the EB2-PERM Special Handling at the least and possibly EB1-B if you do exceptionally well, publish and meet the right people.  Once you have the green card, you're on the way to wherever it is you want to go.

Your attitude may need adjustment, frankly.  If a good school is willing to offer you a free PhD plus a stipend (tuition remission plus the $2000) and you think of that as slavery, you aren't ready to play the game.  There are other ways to immigrate to the US, but starting a PhD program and dropping out probably isn't the best plan.

Rick Law:

--- Quote from: bdunham7 on April 16, 2024, 05:45:51 pm ---...
Getting into a US PhD program is a reasonably good start of an immigration strategy as long as you understand the rules and are willing to commit to the process.
...
There are other ways to immigrate to the US, but starting a PhD program and dropping out probably isn't the best plan.

--- End quote ---
(Bold added)

I agree with bdunham7 here.  I have seen at least one very disappointed person who tried that.  I've also seen H1B's who failed to convert (to permanent) and that too is heart breaking when they are forced to pack up and move back.


--- Quote from: ali_asadzadeh on April 16, 2024, 08:42:55 am ---Hi,
... ... as a starter it would be ok to be an employee buy finally I'm a man of starting my own business... ...

--- End quote ---

Disclaimer first -- Law is my name, not my field.  I am not a lawyer.  I am sharing what I know as a laymen.

Since owning a business is your ambition...  There is also the Immigrant Investment Visa.  USA should/would welcome folks with knowledge, ambition, and grit to do the hard work.

I assume you are not currently loaded with cash.  You could also consider starting your business in Canada first.  Build it up some, then expand by open a branch in the USA and transfer yourself to head up the branch location.  You are then on L1A visas (intra-company executive/management transferee)...

I think having a branch in the USA you head-up (and own) makes that a little less risky than starting from zero on unfamiliar grounds with no backing.  I just looked it up so I have the link below.  You need to have (without borrowing) $1M or $500K (if in rural or high unemployment area) to start, but I think your own Canadian company could borrow.  Then once when you fulfilled the requirements (excluding direct relatives, hiring 10 locals for a duration), you get your permanent residence.

Consult an immigration lawyer.  Details matter.  Most of us non-lawyers wont known the details, or may misunderstood the legal issues involved.  There probably are plenty of other legal means that most laymen won't know either.

More info on investment visa (and a link there for employment based visas) here:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/immigrant-investor-visas.html

Edit: added "...or may misunderstood the legal issues involved..."

nctnico:
All the above still leaves me wondering how so many illegal immigrants manage to become legal US residents without going to universities (far from it) but just stay in the US and work.

jpanhalt:
They also vote, and in many places, that is illegal, but still happens.  That's a totally different issue, political, and best kept out of this.  It, along with "abortion rights," will be major issues in our upcoming election for President.

Rick Law:

--- Quote from: nctnico on April 16, 2024, 06:05:48 pm ---All the above still leaves me wondering how so many illegal immigrants manage to become legal US residents without going to universities (far from it) but just stay in the US and work.

--- End quote ---

I think there is abuses with "refugee" status.  Some are here as "refugees pending adjudication" which means years waiting for the legal process to finish.  If they don't show for the adjudication, then they become (in the actual wordings of existing law) illegal aliens.  Mean time, they are pending (but legal).

There is also the "deferred due to natural disaster" given temporary legal residence.  I know many (tens of thousands) are here because their home country had an earthquake some 15 years ago, and their return requirement is still deferred because bureaucrats and politicians like to kick the can down the road.

The price of doing it right is steep.  Years of waiting along with loads of paperwork and likely loads of lawyer fees.  But you have the security and perhaps the pride of having done it right.

Edit  - this was posted then I saw nctnico's last reply... may be I should have stay off that topic, but since I already wrote it, and this merely stated what happened as FYI answer to the question... I left decided to just leave the reply.

Edit 2:

Grrr... it was jpanhalt's reply that I saw after posted my reply...  Now I used up my annual mistake quota.


--- Quote from: jpanhalt on April 16, 2024, 06:17:02 pm ---They also vote, and in many places, that is illegal, but still happens.  That's a totally different issue, political, and best kept out of this.  It, along with "abortion rights," will be major issues in our upcoming election for President.

--- End quote ---

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