The US boasts some of the finest universities, a lot of which consistently rank in the world university rankings. As per the QS World Ranking 2020, about 45 of the top 100 universities are from the US.
American universities offers a wide range of flexibility. You can tailor make your courses and programs to the extent you have the freedom to not only select the course content, but also the structure. At the undergraduate level, you have the liberty to pursue different courses (subjects) before you declare your major at the end of the second year. This helps you experience the subject interest and then decide without much hurry. Similarly, for your graduate studies, you can choose your preference and when you progress for your dissertation, you can focus on the ideas you want to lay emphasis upon.
Universities in the US are divided into two categories – Public/State and Private. The education cost at a public/state university is comparatively lesser than that of a private institution. Your expenditure on tuition fee depends on the type of qualification and university or school you opt for. To cover tuition fees, you will need approx. $10,000 to $55,000 (USD) a year (indicative).
Most commonly, humanities, education and arts courses are cheaper, while subjects such as medicine and engineering are likely to be more expensive. If you wish to study at Masters level, the tuition fees are typically higher and the costs vary depending on the program. As with most other countries, MBA programs are often the most expensive. The average cost for these programs is around $60,000 (indicative).
Open to meritorious international students to help them fund their studies, these can be partial or fully paid, depending on the criteria, course and the institution. Many scholarships and bursaries are also offered by the American government, and various private and public establishments as well. When applying to any of these scholarships, make sure you check with us.
The amount of scholarships available and the type of award varies between institutions. Certain research programs may provide up to 100% of the tuition fee besides covering a part of your living expenditures. You may experience higher competition when you apply for government scholarships in comparison to the university scholarships. So, we suggest you to start with the procedure about 8-12 months before your preferred intake begins.
An F1 visa is issued to international students who are attending an academic program at a US college or university. F1 students must maintain the minimum course load for full-time student status. Full time status for a graduate student is a minimum of 9 credits per semester and for undergraduate students it is 12 credits per semester. They can remain in the US up to 60 days beyond the length of time it takes to complete their academic program, unless they have applied and been approved to stay and work for a period of time under the OPT Program.
F1 students are expected to complete their studies by the expiration date on their I-20 form (Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant Student Status) which is provided by the US college or university that the student has been accepted to and will attend.
Exchange visitor J1 visas are nonimmigrant visas for individuals approved to participate in exchange visitor programs in the United States that can extend to one or two semesters.
On your F-1 visa, you can only stay in the United States for 60 days after your graduation date, so it’s in your best interests to start planning for your course of action well before you graduate.
OPT – Optional Practical Training: Optional Practical Training (OPT) is an immigration option for recently graduated F-1 Visa students. Basically, it is temporary employment authorization. Keep in mind that your employment must be related to your F-1 topic of study. Graduates may apply to receive up to one year of OPT employment authorization. If you studied certain Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, you may also apply for a two-year extension of your OPT for a total of three years.
H-1B Specialty Occupations: The H-1B is a nonimmigrant visa that gives graduates temporary employment authorization in high-skilled occupations. H-1B applicants are required to have specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher or its equivalent. Most H-1B jobs are in industries such as science, engineering, and information technology.
An international student can transfer their F-1 student visa status to an H-1B status with the help of a sponsoring US employer. The H-1B status allows the graduate student to live and work in the United States for up to six years. To be eligible for this type of visa, you must prove to USCIS that you are uniquely qualified for the position in the company because of your field of study.
In your fifth consecutive year of employment at the same company, your employer can file for employment-based permanent residency. This will extend your H-1B visa past the six-year limitation. If you change jobs within the six-year period, you will need to apply for an H-1B visa again.
Your school is sure to offer career services, and they are likely to have a good deal of experience helping international students to find jobs in the US following graduation.
Also GoWorld has partnered with TriCosain’s Scott Downs and Gerald Doyle to offer students a world-class career services offerings. Take advantage of their experience, and set up a meeting with Gerald Doyle, you career coach to discuss your specific situation and goals.Contact us to know more.
