Hello folks,
I am a 1st year MBA from Aisa and I just received a summer internship offer from Roland Berger. However, I am not qualified for full-time OPT after graduation as I have used it after my first master.
So, is anyone familiar with the L-1 VISA (relocating me to oversea office for one year and get me back to the states after that) policy/general practice of RB? Are they willing to help in this situation?
Hi there,
Congratulations on the offer! In terms of your question:
Q: So, is anyone familiar with the L-1 VISA policy/general practice of RB? Are they willing to help in this situation?
As Ian said, I would recommend to check it with Roland Berger once you get the full-time offer - they should be able to explain the process to follow in your particular case. If they decide to extend a full-time offer, they will have all the interest to find a solution.
Best,
Francesco
Hi there,
Congrats on the internship!
I would be extremely surprised if they are having you intern in the US without the intention of sponsoring you for full-time if they like you.
Ultimately, if you're interning in x country, that's exactly where they're going to have you work. So, you should be safe here!
That said, it's worth checking with them after the internship and when they give the offer. Wait for them to give to offer (and it will likely just suggest you're in the same US office in which you interned). If it doesn't say this, then you have negotiation power as you now know they want you!
Thanks for the timely reply! To be clear, my internship is in one of the American offices and I would love to stay here for full-time. My concern is that since I am not qualified for OPT after graduation, are they willing to relocate me to an oversea office (say Canada) and get me back with L-1 VISA? I know consulting is more flexible than IB, but am not sure about how likely it is.
I don't know them so I can't speak for them! Only they can...as such, you need to ask them. I will repeat what I said before (nothing changes): I can't imagine they would give you an internship in x country and then NOT find a way to get you a full-time offer (and visa) in x country. There is more than 1 visa. Ask them once you have an offer from them.
Thanks Ian!
My pelasure Yiming! Good luck in the internship. Here's some reading to help you secure that offer: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/tips-for-consultans
Hi Yiming,
First of all, congratulations on the offer from Roland Berger!
I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:
If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.
Best,
Hagen
Thanks a lot! I do have a following up question: is it better to talk to RB about my issue before or after I get the return offer? I am concerned about potential risk of telling them right now without impressing them with my work/leaving a good impression so that they would be more willing to help? Thanks again!
Hi Yiming, of course, I am always happy to help. I believe that assisting you with visa sponsorship is not something that is tied to your future performance. As such, I would advise you to reach out right away.
Hi there,
congratulations.
If RB is interested in keeping you after the internship, they will sponsor your visa. If your visa category requires a lottery for instance and it might take some time to get approved, there have been workaround ways in the past - e.g. you working for an office in another country intermittently until your path to the US is cleared.
Good luck
Thanks a lot for this answer!
Hi there,
Congrats on the offer!
Yes, generally they are very willing to help with all sorts of Visa related documentation. However, I would suggest you contact them as soon as possible to get the process rolling.
Best,
Cristian
Thanks for answering! I do have a concern regarding asking ASAP: is there any risk associated? My strategy is to impress them with good performance and talk with them after securing a full-time offer
Hi,
congrats on the offer - US is a very competitive market for consulting!
I would very pragmatically
1) Ask for clarification to RB HR on past “similar cases” in that specific office and gauge reaction
2) Informally reach out via linkedin to RB people in US who came in through internship AND that have profiles similar to yours (e.g. internationals)
→ Caveat: please be attentive to craft a relevant linkedin connection request message (e.g. highlight commonalities, …) - with that you should get 20-30% answers ratio
3) Ask your Program career service if they have any precedent (i.e. any international in need for Visa that was recruited in the past from RB) and how the process went
→
Thanks a lot! It seems like he first thing is to finish the summer intern and get the return offer.