Breaking into the US as a European
Good evening everyone,
Thanks to all of you reading this message. I have been working in infrastructure private equity for a MM European fund for now 2 years. I'm coming from a semi-target school and I have one dream, working for a fund in NY. For some of you, it might sound childish but I grew up with this ideal vision of the US, and I think it is time for me to discover this new world. Truth or imagination, it's now or never (before I get a family). I gave a lot of toughts to internships or VIE but none seems right. I'm even wondering if I should go back to school and apply for a MS in Finance. I'm all ears and would definitely appreciate any hints to break into this exciting market !
Thanks for the help.
As an European myself working in the US, I would advise you on either transferring internally (if your fund has a presence in the United States), or get your MBA and recruit straight given you already have previous experience.
Good to know ! Thanks for sharing your view. How many years of experience would you recommend to have before applying for an MBA? Also, do you believe that only the top 15 MBAs are worth it for the money ? I saw this kind of reasoning online but couldn’t fact check it.
1. There is no right answer for how many YoE but most people say 3-5.
2. For the MBA, yes i would say it only makes sense to get it from one of the top schools.
If you don't have US Citizenship / Permanent Resident card, your only feasible options for a move to the US are:
1) Internal transfer (L-1 visa): find a job at a multinational firm, and after one year working for them, they are eligible to sponsor an internal transfer visa to their US office. Keep in mind that this visa does not allow you to reside permanently in the US, nor to switch employers once you are there, but if you end up doing that with 5+ years of experience in the EU/UK it is very likely that they would start processing your immigration.
2) Education (F-1 visa -> OPT -> H1B). Getting an MBA, then recruiting for a job while in the US. You'd have up to three years of work authorization (STEM OPT, offered by most MBA majors), and then you'd have 3-4 shots at the H1B lottery. If you are not familiar with the terms, F-1 is the student visa, and H1B is the skilled worker visa.
3) Investor green card (EB-5): I believe the minimum threshold today are USD 900k dollars in a project that meets specific requirements. Returns on those investments are usually not great, but it is a path to permanent residency, and you would be able to move without having to worry about visa sponsorship.
4) Marriage. Probably the fastest way to move the US, but obviously not very simple. It needs to be a bona fide (genuine) relationship.
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