Country guide
Country guideUnited States
The largest research system in the world, the highest sticker prices, and the widest gap between sticker price and what people actually pay.
- Study applications
- Work visa, if you already hold an offer
The United States has more strong universities than anywhere else, and the most complicated money. Published tuition is frequently not what a funded student pays, because assistantships, fellowships and departmental aid are negotiated at department level rather than centrally.
That is the single most important thing to understand before applying. A programme with a higher sticker price and good funding can cost less than a cheaper one with none, and the difference between the two is often larger than the entire cost of studying in Germany.
We cover the United States for study applications. We do not offer a work abroad service for the United States, because the H-1B route runs on an employer sponsored lottery that no consultant controls or should claim to influence.
What it costs
Our fee, and everybody else's
Starting prices for the services we run for United States. Every package has a published price and an exclusions list, and the scope is agreed in writing before you pay anything.
Study abroad
Shortlisting with the reasoning written next to every university, applications, statement review and the full document set.
From₹24,000
What is includedWork abroad
Route selection, eligibility scoring and the full application file. Germany and Canada are where we go deepest, but we will work on United States with you either way.
From₹24,000
What is includedVisa and documentation
File preparation and two full review passes, with the weak points named in writing before you submit rather than after.
From₹14,000
What is includedProfile building
For people who are not eligible yet. A written plan for the twelve months that would make you eligible, and the work to get there.
From₹9,000
What is included
Already have a job offer?
We support work abroad for any country on this site, whether or not you already hold an offer. Where you have one, the work is the visa file. Where you do not, it is route selection, eligibility scoring and the search itself.
These are starting prices. Every package and every exclusion is on the pricing page, at the same figures quoted on a call.
Who is being hired
Occupations in demand in United States
- Software and data engineering
- Semiconductor and hardware engineering
- Physicians and specialist clinicians
- Research scientists, via academic routes
- Finance and quantitative analysis
Read this before you plan around it
Being in a shortage occupation is not eligibility. It usually changes a salary threshold, a points score or a processing queue, and it never removes the need to qualify. These lists are also revised often, so treat this as where demand has been concentrated rather than a promise about today.
Indicative, last reviewed 26 August 2026. The position that governs is on US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Routes
Ways into United States, and what each one needs
Route 01
F-1 student visa, master's or PhD
People applying to a graduate programme, particularly where funding is available.
Requirements
- An admission offer and a Form I-20 from a SEVP certified institution
- Payment of the SEVIS fee before the visa interview
- Evidence of funds for the first year and a credible plan for the rest
- A visa interview where you can explain the course, the funding and your intent
Realistic timeline
Twelve to eighteen months. Applications close in December and January for an August intake
Route 02
Optional Practical Training after the degree
Graduates who want to work in the United States after studying, especially in STEM fields.
Requirements
- Completion of the degree in valid F-1 status
- Employment related to the field of study
- A separate application, filed within the published window
Realistic timeline
Applied for near the end of the course, not before
The bigger picture
Costs that are not fees at all
| Tuition, before fundingPublic universities charge different rates to out of state and international students. Always find the actual cost of attendance page for your programme rather than the headline figure. | Published per programme, and often not what you pay |
|---|---|
| Assistantships and fellowshipsCommon in funded PhD programmes and in some master's programmes, rare in others. Whether your target department funds master's students is the question to ask before you apply, not after. | Can cover tuition plus a stipend |
| SEVIS fee and visa application feeNon refundable, including if the visa is refused. | Both published, both paid before the interview |
| Application feesThis is why a shortlist of twelve universities is an expensive way to apply. Fee waivers exist and are worth asking about. | Roughly ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 per university |
| Health insuranceFrequently missing from budgets people build from tuition alone. | Usually mandatory and billed by the university |
| Flights and initial settlementLong flights, a deposit on housing, and living costs that vary enormously between a college town and Boston or the Bay Area. | ₹200,000 upwards |
Refusals
Why applications get refused, and what helps
- 01
The interviewer does not believe the funding is real
What helps
Be able to explain, in one or two sentences, exactly who is paying for each year and where that money is now. Vague answers about family support are the most common reason a well qualified applicant is refused. - 02
The course does not follow from your background
What helps
If you are changing field, have a clear reason and be able to say it out loud. The interview is short and coherence matters more than length. - 03
Answers that sound rehearsed
What helps
Officers interview hundreds of people a day and recognise a script. Prepare the facts, not the phrasing. - 04
An undeclared previous visa refusal
What helps
Declare every refusal from every country. Concealment is treated far more seriously than the refusal itself.
Immigration rules change constantly, and a page like this is a starting point rather than an authority. Every figure here is approximate and every claim links to the government source that governs it. Before you commit money to any of it, check the current position, or ask us to check it against your profile.
Other countries
Comparing this against somewhere else
What happens next
Find out whether United States is realistic for you
Thirty minutes on video, then a written note within two working days scoring you against the published criteria. If the honest answer is a different country, or a different year, the note will say so.
- 01Free assessment
- Thirty minutes on video with the person who would actually handle your file. Education, work history, language levels, savings, timeline. We tell you which routes are open to you and which are not.
- 30 minutes, no cost
- 02Written plan with your realistic odds
- Your profile scored against the published criteria, the routes worth pursuing, the total cost including every fee that does not come to us, and our honest read on your chances. Some of these plans say the answer is no.
- Within 2 working days
No obligation to buy anything, and we will not call you repeatedly afterwards.