Legal Eagle - Admission dilemma for Master’s degree - Working Abroad

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Legal Eagle - Admission dilemma for Master’s degree

Nandini Nair says that a four-year Bachelor’s degree is required to qualify for Master’s degree in a US varsity

I am doing my Bachelors in Computer Science (2nd year) in India and want to do my MS in the US. My problem is that my BSc degree is a three-year course and my total education is only 15 years. The consulate says that I need a total of 16 years of education to complete my MS degree in the US. What alternative do I have and what type of visa can I get? My cousin has a green card in the US. Can he help me out in any way?

—Suresh Jain

There is no alternative for you. If you want to pursue a Master’s degree in the US, you need to have a four-year Bachelor’s degree. In the US, all Bachelor’s degrees are for four years. That is why the consulate asks for 16 years of education because they know that is the requirement imposed by US varsities for a Master’s program. Your

cousin in the US cannot help you in any way. There is no family-based preference category that will enable you to get into the US. All he can probably do is help you financially qualify for an F-1 student visa.

I went to the US on H1-B visa in the month of April 2000 through a consulting company in New York. After working for eight months with that company, I transferred my H1-B to another consulting firm in New Jersey. I started working for the new company from December 2000 till September 2001. I had to come back to India when they did not have any projects for me. Now I want to return back to the US on my own expense at the end of January or the first week in February and try to find a job. The New Jersey consultant has paid me from October 1, 2000 to October 20, 2001. They are still holding my H1-B and have not cancelled it. What sort of problems could I face at the port of entry in the US?

-Sheila Rajput

You may face numerous problems at the port of entry. The authorities may want to verify whether you are still an employee of the company that has sponsored your H1-B because it has been more than a month since you departed for India. They may also demand recent pay slips to make sure that you are still in valid status. They may also question you about your reasons for leaving the US and on that basis determine whether you were laid off, thus ascertaining that your H1-B has been cancelled even if the employer did not inform the INS. Lastly, they may want to know the details of your project and the proof of the same. In addition, there can be numerous other questions. So it is best if you reconsider your idea of entering the US.

I am a commerce graduate and have received a Master’s in Commerce Degree Certificate in 2001. Now, due to some family problems, I had to pursue jobs in the computer field. I am currently working as a systems administrator in a company in India. Since I have a commerce background and I am in the computer field, can I qualify for a US visa? Is there any possibility that I can be refused a visa due to the fact that I have a Master’s degree in Commerce rather than a technical degree like a MTech or BE? I also have Microsoft and other certificates.

-Anand Gupte

Yes, you may face a difficult time since you have a MCom degree, but I have seen many guys with this background get their visa approved. Though it has become difficult in recent times but it is not impossible. Individuals from different educational background who have been securing a visa must have had at least three years of work experience in the IT field before they applied for an H1-B visa. So, it would be better to get more work experience in the IT field so that you can further your chances.

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Legal Eagle - Admission dilemma for Master’s degree
Nandini Nair says that a four-year Bachelor’s degree is required to qualify for Master’s degree in a US varsity I am doing my Bachelors in Computer Science (2nd year) in India and want to do my MS in the US. My problem is that my BSc degree is a three-year course and my total education is only 15 years. The consulate says that I need a total of 16 years of education to complete my MS degree in the US. What alternative do I have and what type of visa can I get? My cousin has a green card in the US. Can he help me out in any way? —Suresh Jain There is no alternative for you. If you want to pursue a Master’s degree in the US, you need to have a four-year Bachelor’s degree. In the US, all Bachelor’s degrees are for four years. That is why the consulate asks for 16 years of education because they know that is the requirement imposed by US varsities for a Master’s program. Your cousin in the US cannot help you in any way. There is no family-based preference category that will enable you to get into the US. All he can probably do is help you financially qualify for an F-1 student visa. I went to the US on H1-B visa in the month of April 2000 through a consulting company in New York. After working for eight months with that company, I transferred my H1-B to another consulting firm in New Jersey. I started working for the new company from December 2000 till September 2001. I had to come back to India when they did not have any projects for me. Now I want to return back to the US on my own expense at the end of January or the first week in February and try to find a job. The New Jersey consultant has paid me from October 1, 2000 to October 20, 2001. They are still holding my H1-B and have not cancelled it. What sort of problems could I face at the port of entry in the US? -Sheila Rajput You may face numerous problems at the port of entry. The authorities may want to verify whether you are still an employee of the company that has sponsored your H1-B because it has been more than a month since you departed for India. They may also demand recent pay slips to make sure that you are still in valid status. They may also question you about your reasons for leaving the US and on that basis determine whether you were laid off, thus ascertaining that your H1-B has been cancelled even if the employer did not inform the INS. Lastly, they may want to know the details of your project and the proof of the same. In addition, there can be numerous other questions. So it is best if you reconsider your idea of entering the US. I am a commerce graduate and have received a Master’s in Commerce Degree Certificate in 2001. Now, due to some family problems, I had to pursue jobs in the computer field. I am currently working as a systems administrator in a company in India. Since I have a commerce background and I am in the computer field, can I qualify for a US visa? Is there any possibility that I can be refused a visa due to the fact that I have a Master’s degree in Commerce rather than a technical degree like a MTech or BE? I also have Microsoft and other certificates. -Anand Gupte Yes, you may face a difficult time since you have a MCom degree, but I have seen many guys with this background get their visa approved. Though it has become difficult in recent times but it is not impossible. Individuals from different educational background who have been securing a visa must have had at least three years of work experience in the IT field before they applied for an H1-B visa. So, it would be better to get more work experience in the IT field so that you can further your chances.