by Tony9306 » Tue Jan 08, 2008 4:39 pm
I hesitate to recommend this, but it is possible to transition quite
quickly to a green card via a post-doc stint at one of the national
labs. This sits somewhat uncomfortably in the grey zone between being
an industrial and an academic post-doc, and frequently not to your advantage.
However, the federal government generally finds it easy to supply itself
with H1 visas, and the pay and benefits compare with industry (at least at
this level). It\'s best to ignore any suggestions that you go through the
official lab sponsored green card route (riddled with internal bureaucratic
delay [obfuscation?], and often not delivered on). Hire an immigration
attorney instead. It is relatively straightforward for a lawyer to make
the case that you are making a useful scientific contribution to the country
if you\'re working for the government (pretty much undeniable), especially if
you\'re somewhere strategic like a weapons lab. I know of one example where
the whole process was completed in nine months for about $5k.
I\'ve glossed over many of the complexities, and it\'s not easy to get a gig
in a national lab as a foreign national. The bar is set fairly high (although
not quite in the same league as DJM\'s suggestion) and competition is pretty
fierce as they\'re good positions, and US nationals are understandably
always the preferred choice. Also if you\'re from a sensitive country you can
pretty much forget setting foot in a weapons lab.
You\'ll also need some decent publications and an award or fellowship or two
to flesh out the case for the green card, but you probably wouldn\'t have got
the post-doc job anyway without these kind of things on your cv.
Now for the sermon/warning. I have to echo what some of the other posters
have been suggesting. Research is becoming a very cut-throat game in the US
(and elsewhere), going into this as a foreign national - requiring paperwork
and good references - while lacking a driving passion, means you\'re entering
the fray with one arm tied behind your back.
cheers
Tony