Moving from Canada to USA

Hey everyone,

I’m a Canadian who ideally wants to move to and work in the US.

I’m a senior associate at a mid sized Canadian pension plan doing infrastructure direct co investments and fund investments. I’m also a CPA (from earlier in my career).

I would love to move to a pension in the US (I don’t care where) and wondering what the easiest visa path for me to take would be, and how easy actually getting hired down there would be?

Thanks!

 
Most Helpful

As a Canadian you can get a TN. There’s TN economist - which excludes financial analysts, but lawyers find a way if the firm really likes you. But USCIS will look at your coursework and past experience and might disagree if there are very few econ courses/relevance.

Then, there’s TN accountant, which should be a plus for you given your CPA. But the lawyers need to change your job descriptions to look accounty.

If you want to work for a non-profit to start with, you can directly get a H1 visa without a lottery or anything. (This is the easiest way, I have seen kids take lower salaries to work at a non-profit because the immigration risk is not worth the differential pay.) 

Otherwise, you start on a TN, and the firm will apply for your H1, I don’t remember how many times is allowed if you don’t get the lottery.

Getting a job in the US is easier than in Canada if you do your part. Canada has a lot of shit, gatekeepers, nepo, making extra seats rarely available.
But in the US, if you network, be persistent, and have a good personality, you impress people and you get interviews.

 

Investment Analyst in PropTrad:

As a Canadian you can get a TN. There’s TN economist - which excludes financial analysts, but lawyers find a way if the firm really likes you. But USCIS will look at your coursework and past experience and might disagree if there are very few econ courses/relevance.



Then, there’s TN accountant, which should be a plus for you given your CPA. But the lawyers need to change your job descriptions to look accounty.



If you want to work for a non-profit to start with, you can directly get a H1 visa without a lottery or anything.



Otherwise, you start on a TN, and the firm will apply for your H1, I don’t remember how many times is allowed if you don’t get the lottery.





Getting a job in the US is easier than in Canada if you do your part. Canada has a lot of shit, gatekeepers, nepo, making extra seats rarely available.

But in the US, if you network, be persistent, and have a good personality, you impress people and you get interviews.


Thanks - I mean I’d be looking to do what I do now at a pension in USA, so the job description wouldn’t be accounting whatsoever.

 

Thanks - I mean I’d be looking to do what I do now at a pension in USA, so the job description wouldn’t be accounting whatsoever.

Yes, but the USCIS does not care what you want to do. And if the firm applies with exactly what you do, guess what, you'll not get a visa.

So the lawyers always prop up the job description to make it match the easiest visa category for you to get, regardless of what your actual day to day responsibilities are. If it is easier by accounting, they'll make it look accounty. That's non-negotiable.

What you need to do on your part is cold email and network heavily - which is a lot easier in the US - and get a job at a sponsorship friendly firm first.

 

Investment Analyst in PropTrad:


Thanks - I mean I’d be looking to do what I do now at a pension in USA, so the job description wouldn’t be accounting whatsoever.




Yes, but the USCIS does not care what you want to do. And if the firm applies with exactly what you do, guess what, you'll not get a visa.



So the lawyers always prop up the job description to make it match the easiest visa category for you to get, regardless of what your actual day to day responsibilities are. If it is easier by accounting, they'll make it look accounty. That's non-negotiable.



What you need to do on your part is cold email and network heavily - which is a lot easier in the US - and get a job at a sponsorship friendly firm first.


How often does this actually work? Like lawyers making a job description sound better and everything still getting approved?

 
Funniest

That is immigration lawyers' bread and butter.

I once saw a lawyer get a helicopter pilot a religious worker visa by listing 9 different responsibilities of helping religiously and the 10th one basically "occassionally fly helicopters ...".

 

Works as long as you don't mess up your visa interview doing exactly what you're doing right now.

 

Sint ex nemo mollitia sunt nam. Natus non autem ut est repellat accusantium maxime. Et maiores culpa error numquam ut est voluptatem. Deserunt ea amet cumque facere. Ullam recusandae architecto eos qui.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (87) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
9
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”