Studying in the US
Author: Stefan Waldvogel
Studying in the US is not so hard
The first step is to get accepted at a US accredited university and the second step is obtaining a visa. Once you have been accepted at a US university, apply for F1/M1.
You have to apply for it in your country. Due to covid and the restrictions, few embassies are open. You can check the status here: travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html
If the status is 999 or emergency only, you cannot apply for a visa.
The visa requirements are strict. Make sure to fulfill all wanted points. If a single document is missing, your visa will be denied, and you paid the ~$500 for nothing. Google for denial rates to see if it is worth it. For some countries (India) the denial rate for F1 is ~27%.
The next step is the visa interview. You have to show that you do not want to stay in the US and you can finance your study time. The F1 visa is a non-working visa. You are not allowed to work in the US.
If you get a student visa in the US and finish your degree, you have 90 days to find a matching job (OPT).
Once you picked a Cybersecurity degree, you are stuck on a hard path. As an international student, you do not have US citizenship or a Green-card. It is additional work for an employer to hire you; you need trust, and most companies do not have a single reason to spend more money sponsoring a foreigner. Therefore, if you want a job after college, create a master plan and start networking as soon you arrive in the US. Set up as much as you can before you come. Examples: Buy a domain name, set up a web page, and learn how to use WordPress. Improve your LinkedIn account. Later, write blogs, be visible on Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., and show what you can. Work harder than all others; you have to stand out like a diamond. The Covid situation made this path very hard. Do not wait until you finish your degree because this is probably too late. Getting a job in 90 days requires a lot of luck or preparation.
In Discord channels or on LinkedIn you might see messages like this:
You have to apply for it in your country. Due to covid and the restrictions, few embassies are open. You can check the status here: travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html
If the status is 999 or emergency only, you cannot apply for a visa.
The visa requirements are strict. Make sure to fulfill all wanted points. If a single document is missing, your visa will be denied, and you paid the ~$500 for nothing. Google for denial rates to see if it is worth it. For some countries (India) the denial rate for F1 is ~27%.
The next step is the visa interview. You have to show that you do not want to stay in the US and you can finance your study time. The F1 visa is a non-working visa. You are not allowed to work in the US.
If you get a student visa in the US and finish your degree, you have 90 days to find a matching job (OPT).
Once you picked a Cybersecurity degree, you are stuck on a hard path. As an international student, you do not have US citizenship or a Green-card. It is additional work for an employer to hire you; you need trust, and most companies do not have a single reason to spend more money sponsoring a foreigner. Therefore, if you want a job after college, create a master plan and start networking as soon you arrive in the US. Set up as much as you can before you come. Examples: Buy a domain name, set up a web page, and learn how to use WordPress. Improve your LinkedIn account. Later, write blogs, be visible on Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., and show what you can. Work harder than all others; you have to stand out like a diamond. The Covid situation made this path very hard. Do not wait until you finish your degree because this is probably too late. Getting a job in 90 days requires a lot of luck or preparation.
In Discord channels or on LinkedIn you might see messages like this:
He or she started too late...
In my opinion, do not study Cybersecurity as a foreigner if you want to stay in the US. Pick a degree with cloud or programming because the chance to land a role is significantly higher.
In my opinion, do not study Cybersecurity as a foreigner if you want to stay in the US. Pick a degree with cloud or programming because the chance to land a role is significantly higher.
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