H-1B Visa changes – A Potential Boon for MBA Applicants

I understand the concerns that a number of you have regarding the proposed changes to H-1B. First of all, you should be concerned and closely watch any changes to the Visa process. However, some of you are missing the crux of proposed regulations. Hence, please read below:

1. H-1B was designed to enable students such as yourself i.e. those who complete their Masters and MBAs from elite universities to work here. You guys are not abusing the system, a good number of folks from companies such as TCS, Infosys, Satyam etc. are. Because of this abuse, legitimate candidates (you) are unable to secure a Visa because of the upper cap on the number of Visas issued.
2. The proposed regulations primarily seek to address this abuse, hence making more visas available for deserving candidates such as yourself.
3. Duration of OPT: Nothing changes for MBA students. It currently is 1 Year, and will remain the same. For STEM students (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths), there is a proposal that the duration of OPT be reduced. Again this is a secondary agenda item in the proposal, and there is a good chance that the duration will continue to be same.
4. The same companies that hire International MBA students (about 20% of all companies that recruit on campuses) are currently fighting to ensure that these changes are passed in a fair manner.
5. One more thing – H-1B visa is not an immigrant visa. There is no negative impact on immigration policies as a part of these proposals (nothing that pertains to you guys anyway). In fact, some bills want to make immigration easier for H-1B visa holders.

Lastly, remember these are proposals. These proposals are debated, amended, and then passed. The purpose of these proposals is to make it easier for you to secure a Visa. Hence, watch them closely but don’t be afraid of them. Don’t let this give you a reason to procrastinate your GMAT Preparation or MBA application. At the same time should you look at other international B-Schools – Absolutely!! Especially if they provide the same/similar value that US B-Schools provide.

Dear Payal,
Thanks a lot for your detailed response. Good to connect with you months after attending your live classes

Coming to the topic, I agree we aren't the folks who are abusing the system but the reality of the day is we suffer more than the folks who actually abuse. While this pisses me off sometimes but then I think of what Bill Gates once said: "Life is not fair, get used to it".

There are so many who have already suffered in last 2-3 years and possibly the trend won't change in at least next 1-2 years.

At this point, I really don't care about the "intention" of H1B or the politics around it. Fact is my friends from Stanford, Kellogg and Wharton are returning back to India for lack of H1B sponsors while those who went to tier-2 colleges in India and joined IT firms are working in US on H1B and preparing there GC applications.

I'm not sure who's at gain/loss here. This is how it is. Sad but true...

Rohit6 : I also have a friend who is an alumnus of Tepper. He was working in a small boutique consulting firm. He was told to leave the firm. Now he is searching for a job in Canada. We are on very shaky grounds now.
If you don't mind me asking, are you still planning to pursue your MBA this year? Or you are looking to do in some other country such as Canada? Just wanted to know your viewpoint.

Hello theincredible!
Is it possible to find a job in Canada after MBA in USA? I mean in visa terms - is it tough or not very?

BagretsovaN : Hi there, things are pretty much simple in Canada. Its pretty much easier to find jobs in Canada and visa policies are encouraging for international students. Although the Canadian economy is not as big as US, jobs are plenty, especially in business hubs such as Toronto and Vancouver. I think Canada seem like the better option right now.

Hi theincredible!

I know that Canadian legislation toward international students is more favoritable, but is the same for international students who studied on other countries such as USA? However, the top MBA programs in USA are much higher in the ratings than Canadian. Education is for the whole life, not only to get the first job. So I consider option to get the degree in USA, and in case of visa problems try to get a visa/job in Canada.

I'm still going to do an MBA from US. I'm hopefully putting down my ISB admit and choosing a top US program.

Thanks for your reply. I wish you all the best for your future!

theincredible, thank you for your point of view.

Absolutely!! Happy to help. I think this thread deserves more posts. Would have been really interesting to everyone's point of view on this very critical issue that will inevitably affect our careers.

Amid ‘Trump Effect’ Fear, 40% of Colleges See Dip in Foreign Applicants


Source -> New York Times => https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/16/us/international-students-us-colleges-trump.html?_r=0

Thanks for posting this!! Yes I read the article sometime back and was not surprised to see this. This was expected as international students constitute an humongous group of people applying to US bschools. I have heard that they plan to increase scholarships to attract international students. Although, I am not sure if that will convince international students. One of my friends rejected an offer from Tepper and Anderson and is joining Schulich this year. He was rejected from Rotman. In an unprecedented state of affairs, Schulich's seats were filled by mid January and Rotman has rejected/waitlisted a record number of Indian students with very high gmat scores. Things are finally looking up for Canada and Canadian bchools!!

Hi theincredible,

I bumped into that very recent discussion about Schulich if you are interested.

https://gmatclub.com/forum/schulich-yor ... 36244.html

Regarding the scholarship to attract internationals, I heard the same as you had. But it is unclear to do because the cuts to in federal fund are massive to many sectors in the states including education in all levels in order to fund defense and security. We will see what will happen the incoming few months.

I don't think the number of applications to US B-Schools are reducing, as the average GMAT of admitted students ( Indian) are nearly 30 to 40 points higher than average GMAT of school.
Moreover, what I believe the selling point for all the top 30 US B-Schools is the global exposure they provide to candidates, and the diversity which is there in the class. If these schools starts reducing international students, the whole global experience and diversity will go for a toss, eventually reducing the interest from domestic students as well.
However, post MBA job opportunities is still a big question?

True @crackum7. The US schools do value diversity a lot and international students are a big contributor to the overall value proposition of an us mba and higher gmat scores. The jobs prospects are the primary reason why international students are concerned about doing an MBA from US. That's why it's in the best Interest of US schools to provide more scholarships and attract students. Other countries such as Canada and Australia are looking much better in terms of job prospects post MBA.

As @mo2men has said, we'll have to wait and see.

Rohit6 : Good analysis there, buddy. However, let me point out one specific thing here. In the long run, students are going to be in a huge loss. Can you imagine a MBA market where US is no longer an option? What remains? Canada, Australia and probably Germany (not sure though!). How many good schools do you know in these countries? You can probably count them on your fingertips. US constitutes a very large chunk of bschools and for good reason too. We'll have even fewer choices and that's very scary! The competition will be immense and international students with lower gmat scores will be affected more. The downfall of US bschools is good news for nobody. I am literally scared to think about the situation if US goes in the way of UK.

theincredible
Hi Buddy,
Below are my thoughts:

"In the long run, students are going to be in a huge loss"
They're going to be in a loss, for sure. My point was that US schools will be at a Bigger loss. Sure this situation brings good to no1 but good folks, who are willing to work hard and make a difference will do that in spite of all these geopolitical changes.

"Can you imagine a MBA market where US is no longer an option?"
Absolutely. US business schools have risen to there present status only in the last few decades. I wouldn't be surprised if US schools or MBA as a degree loose there sheen and reputation in the next few years/decades.

Having said that, I would also like to point out that US schools, over the last few decades, have successfully stood the test of time and have evolved significantly. I'm sure US schools will keep evolving. What if US schools start to push globalization and diversity the way to they push sustainability and social issues now? That'll change the whole game. Moreover, as the political dynamics change, I'm sure new leaders will come up in other parts of the world. If there aren't options today in Australia/Canada/Emerging world doesn't mean there won't be tomorrow. In long-term market forces will take charge and new leaders will emerge (ISB is one such good example)

IMHO change is always good in long-term. Let's me optimistic.

I understand your present situation completely. My suggestion would be to make the best decision based on "present" day circumstances without predicting the future and in long-term always be ready for surprises

Do I make sense?