土木人

To Joe :
既然只想平靜的生活和專注自己的工作，去美還須慎重評估！
沒有Green Card去唸書不是問題，只要語言没有問題，口袋夠深，對唸書真有興趣， 遲早學位都是你的。
沒有Green Card找工作很困難，不管在任何level，因為雇主會坐牢，除非你能直接申請工作移民。

Coming to US to get your master degree within one year usually is workable. If you like to take a rest from the job at HK and go back to graduate school at US, I think taking the master degree is worthy, depending on how you look at it. Since nowadays it is hard to get the scholarship, that means you have to prepare a fortune for it. Usually within a year you can get your master degree by just taking courses. Do not take any program requiring writing these. That will delay your time for graduation. Within this one year of graduate study, if you decide to go, you should use this time to travel, have fun, and knowing new people as well so that you will have your money spent with good value. Just thinking about coming from HK to US for touring, how much will you spend? After your graduation, you are legible to apply for one year of practical training. If you can find someone and/or company that will hire you and give you H1 visa, then you can apply for green card. After you get the green card, then your caree will become much much better. If verything going smooth, about 3 years(maybe longer) you should get the green card (on bright side). Many engineers in my department come from Taiwan or Mainland going through this route. Now their salary is about 100K to 130K. So it really depends on your determination and what you like to do. No matter how hard the situation is, still many people I know going through this path get the status and a job. You should not be afraid of something not happened yet and should be encouraged to take the challenge if you like to go for it. Of course, nothing is easy. Yet if you really try your best, god shall always give you a chance. When I first came to us twenty years ago, I have nothing. Even my marriage is only me and my wife standing on the county court room. Yet today when I look back, I still think my choice for quiting the job at Taipei and coming to US is not a bad choice.
Here I like to encourage you. No matter what kind of choice you will make, you should always try your best and the one above will give you a chance. Yet do not make a chocie just because you pre-assume something that is not happened yet.
Suggest you apply school that is easy to graduate, if you decide to go. California is the best choice since there are many Chinese consultant companies that might be willing to give you a chance if you try best. Good luck on your decision.

If you are really interested in coming to US and happen to study at California, you are welcome to reach me and forward me your resume and I shall see what I can help. Yet as I mentioned nothing is easy and guaranteed and you will have to do your part as well. Note that Road is created by people who step on it. Good luck.

謝謝各位前輩的意見！
我今年二月剛考到EIT，想問說就算念MS也是要等四年才能考取PE嗎？？
我沒畢業之前有快一年的實習經驗，主要工作是用AutoCad畫圖的Survey Engineer還有暑期實習的field Engineer，這樣的工作經驗有幫助於找結構或建築設計方面的工作嗎？？
非常感謝！

一般state licensing board都同意，MS可折算一年經驗， PhD可折算2年經驗。
實習經驗很難說，經驗必須under the supervision of a PE。可以填入申請表中，no harm to try！必須記住負責人的姓名，職位，連絡電話等等。
任何經驗都有某種程度的幫助。

就我碰到跟朋友的經驗
如果大學不是美國念的
只可以抵兩年
再念書時期的工作都不能算
在台灣有相關工作經驗的話
有機會可以算進去

感謝大家的回應

後來後跑去NCEES相關網站後確認
最新的申請資格是就算大學讀的學校不是美國認證的，只要研究所(MS or PHD)是認可教程即可折抵五年（大學四年研究所算一年）可是要注意剩下一年所得的工作經驗必須符合在application deadline 之前
希望有幫到其他也有興趣想要考PE的朋友：）

To Jackiestar:

Good to see your sharing experience in working in LA. I have been working in Hong Kong for almost 20 years and now I am a Resident Engineer on site of Mott MacDonald HK Limited. My daughter and my wife moved to Monterey Park, LA last year and my daughter is studying high school. I am thinking of moving to LA to stay with them within 2017.

I graduated from Virginia Tech with Master degree in 90s. I have Green Card and I also have PE Civil License in California but I do not have working experience in civil engineering field in US. Do you know what kind of job can I get in LA? Is the job market better in LA? About how much salary can I get? Someone said I can take examination to get a contractor license in LA so I can bid some renovation work from City (government) and cooperate with a contractor, is it workable?