Brian Said:

What are the chances of transferring colleges to America?

We Answered:

As long as you have the money and the grades a US school will accept you and get you your F-1 visa.

For a foreign student with an F-1 student visa to become a US permanent resident and eventually a citizen, the process is:

Once you are about to get your degree you find an employer willing to hire you when you graduate. You are allowed to work for 1 year under what is called OPT under your visa but the job MUST be related to your degree.

During this year, you convince the employer you are worth the $5000 to sponsor you for an H-1B visa. Normally the application must be made on April 1st. If they get you approved for an H-1B, your OPT time will be extended to October 1, which is the normal start date for an H-1B visa. The H-1B is normally good for 3 years and can be renewed for one additional three year term. An H-1B is easier to get if you have a masters or PhD.

To get an H-1B you need a degree in a “STEM” field. These are fields in the sciences, technology, engineering or medicine that are in demand in the USA. A masters degree is best. Such a degree will get you an H-1B. An Arts degree will not.

The catch is that the labor certification rules for an H-1B became tougher last year and if a US citizen with equivalent qualifications can be found you are out of luck. This pretty well means that only people with highly technical degrees can qualify. Anyone with a degree in non technology areas will not likely qualify for an H-1B as there are no shortages of US citizens with non-technology degrees.


The reason you need to go through getting the H-1B is because it is a bridge to allow you to remain in the USA while the green card application is processed. If you have a masters or PhD, the green card process takes almost 3 years. Without this step, you will have to leave the USA while the green card is being processed.

Once they have obtained an H-1B then you have a while to convince the employer to file for a green card for you. This will cost them about $14,000 so you better be worth it. Depending on your degree this process takes between 3 and 10 years to process. However, your H-1B will be extended for as long as necessary.

At any time you can short circuit this process by marrying a US citizen. In that case, the US citizen, who has to be over 21 and making more than 125% of a poverty line income, has to file the paperwork. The best thing is if they hire an immigration consultant to do it.
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Fiance Visa

The US citizen has to apply for a fiance visa for you and you have to marry them within 90 days of entering the USA. They must be over 21 years old and making more than 125% of what is considered a poverty line income in their state. Generally $30,000 a year or more.


It costs about $1300 to file all the paperwork and I suggest in order to get it done as quickly as possible that an immigration consultant be hired. This will cost about $1000 more but it is generally worth to avoid mistakes.