I am planning to go to USA on F1 visa. I recently graduated high school and have decent grades (3.75 GPA) and have pretty good grades in 11th and SEE as well. I am going to sit a SAT exam this October and expect to score 1400+. I will apply for universities which will provide me as much scholarship as possible but I have doubts if I will be able to cover my studies+expenses on my own in USA if I don’t get enough scholarship.
Is it possible to do it by doing off-campus jobs? Is it safe?
It is possible to work off-campus but you will probably encounter a lot of problems. I know people who have done it but it isn’t very easy and not very worth it. (depending on your financial status ofc) I know a few people who have done it and here’s what I can say. (everything I list below has happened and likely will happen)
1. Hard to find someone willing to give you the job off-campus (usually only get 7 elevens or some small restro and from what I have heard both are pretty shitty places to work)
2. Keep in mind the owners have complete power of you when you try to work off-campus on a F1 for obvious reasons. (can also possibly snitch)
3. The only incentive for the owner to hire you is because they can pay you below minimum wage and you can do nothing about it, again for obvious reasons.
4. The employer can in fact elect to not pay you at all for your work by either delaying payments forever or just flat out refusing to pay.
5. Sure you can file a complaint and he possibly could get charged for something but you? Likely kicked out of the country for violating F1 restrictions.
6. This means you can possibly hamper your studies to work to pay for your studies to not get paid and also risk getting deported.
Only risk it you really really need the extra financial help and are willing to take some risks.
You can instead develop some skills and work for some small firms (research or any small firm eg. Data Analyst, part time web dev etc) during the summer break when your allowed hours gets to 40 hrs/week from 20hrs/week. If you do well there is a chance they offer you some remote freelance type of gig and offer some work for you during your school time as well.
If you feel like you can’t afford the offer letter the Uni provides you, please write an email explaining why you need more financial help. I know a lot of people who have been able to request more help (a rich/reputed Uni can usually provide you more on repeated request after offer but don’t be too annoying). If you really feel like the college would be a financial burden for you just don’t go to the US, just go some where in Europe where its cheap to study and can find relatively cheaper housing. Although US does provide some of the highest salaries out of college it does not have to be the END ALL BE ALL.
Please, its not worth creating a massive hole in your family pocket just to go the US in some random Uni (maybe its debatable if you get into some Ivys or top LACs) unless you are actually just that insane of a student (in which case you probably would not have to find a off-campus job). I don’t see the worth to force yourself in the US to study in some random ass university when its getting increasingly hard to get a H1B later after graduating, you can just study in Europe and apply to work in the US later in life. JUST TO SAY IT A FINAL TIME –
1. If affordable (can pay without having to become poor and without having to ruin parents lifestyle SIGNIFICANTLY) -> okay to go to random uni ( i know people do this but just my honest opinion, just go to europe or other cheaper options if you just have to leave Nepal. You can try to get hired in the US later.)
2. If can not afford ->
1. Must go to some top LACs/Ivys or,
2. get a really good scholarship/aid in some random Uni
Also, final tip if you want to secure a really top Uni(Ivys/top LAC) you need one of the 4
1. Some fairy tale level of Luck
2. Maybe an insanely good essay
3. (1520+ in SAT and above 3.0 GPA) or (1450+ and 3.9 – 4.0 GPA)
4. Insane Extra Co (some state level, olympiad, international level shit)
If you don’t think you can afford then I would just stay here. Legally you won’t be able to get off campus job without a work permit which is not easy to get. You are allowed 20 hours of work legally on campus.
Yes you can work illegally off campus but if you get caught your visa could be void.
Not as easy as everyone thinks to work and pay for college. Just stay here and get a good education without the unnecessary stress.