H4 Visa VS F1 Visa

Friends,

I am working with MNC and having 9+ Years of experience.

Recently my wife got H1B and she will be traveling in Q1 2016. Now I worried on traveling on H4 dependent visa or go for F1 visa for higher studies (currently I am B.E. in Computer Science). I read few Pros and Cons on both visa, but still unclear and not able to take decision. Can someone please assist me on this? My long term goal is to work in US.

Well, it can be difficult decision to move to US on H4 as you may not be able to work immediately. Unfortunately, there is no shortcut to work in US, there are many pros and cons for each path. Becoming a student and studying for 2 years to get OPT and then H1B visa is a tough journey as you spending a lot of money and time and then dependent on h1B lottery. There are some schools that offer CPT from first semester, but that program can be tricky and there is so much fraud around that…you need to be careful on that option…Earlier this year H4 Visa EAD was approved, if your wife’s employer processes green card quickly, this looks like a better option as there are less downsides to this. You may also consider asking your current employer to sponsor you L1 visa and move on that as it is better and both spouse and the main visa holder can work… It can be a tough decision…think about all alternatives and make an informed decision.