Tanya Said:

Banking Jobs in the USA?

We Answered:

US employers usually do not have the motivation to employ foreigners. Since you are not allowed to work in the US without permission, i.e. US citizenship or an adequate work visa, you need to be sponsored by a US employer in order to get a job in the US. That means a lot of paperwork for a US employer, as well as showing proof that the position you would be filling could not be filled from the existing US work force. As I was saying, most US employers do not have the will to enter such procedures, meaning you have to give them reason to sponsor you, usually through your exceptional skills, education, and/or experience.
Numerous work offers in the US expressedly state that the company involved will not sponsor applicants for employment in the US, and those applicants have to be eligible to work in the US without sponsorship -- in other words, they must be US citizens or permanent residents.

Therefore I wouldn't say it would be a waste of time if you sent banks in the US your resume, but your chances of scoring a job are slim. You are welcome to try if you feel your credentials might convince a US employer to consider you for a job.

A better way to go about it might be to seek employment with a UK branch of a US bank, and later on, seek to be transferred to America within the same company. The employer still has to go through the same process in order to sponsor you to come to America, but the company already knows you and will therefore be less reluctant to do the necessary paperwork for you.
I know for a fact that numerous financial organizations in the US, for example Goldman Sachs, often hire foreigners, so like I said, do give it a try! You've got nothing to lose but the time spent on preparing an application.