My next career steps after Iโm done with my TCS Masters are primarily bottlenecked by โwhat allows me to remain in the UKโ and then โkeeps me on track to contribute to technical AI safety researchโ.
What I would like to do for the next 1 โ 2 years (โindependent researchโ/โ โfurther upskilling to get into a top ML PhD programโ) is not all that viable a path given my visa constraints.
Above all, I want to avoid wasting N more years by taking a detour through software engineering again so I can get Visa sponsorship.
[Iโm not conscientious enough to pursue AI safety research/โML upskilling while managing a full time job.]
Might just try and see if I can pursue a TCS PhD at my current university and do TCS research that I think would be valuable for theoretical AI safety research.
The main detriment of that is Iโd have to spend N more years in <city> and I was really hoping to come down to London.
I donโt have any advice, but I wanted to offer my sympathy.
Iโve been constrained by visa regulations previously, and it felt like such a burden. Not being able to leave a job until I had a new job already lined up, only being allowed to work in certain fields/โareas, watching local citizen friends take a X-month sabbatical while I would have to leave the country within 2 weeks of leaving a jobโฆ I was pretty worn down by the general feeling of precarity combined with all all the options that were unavailable to me.
My main hesitancy about this is that I probably want to go for a PhD, but can only get the graduate visa once, and I may want to use it after completing the PhD.
But Iโve come around to maybe it being better to use it up now, pursue a PhD afterwards, and try to secure employment before completing my program so I can transfer to the skilled workers visa.
Immigration is such a tight constraint for me.
My next career steps after Iโm done with my TCS Masters are primarily bottlenecked by โwhat allows me to remain in the UKโ and then โkeeps me on track to contribute to technical AI safety researchโ.
What I would like to do for the next 1 โ 2 years (โindependent researchโ/โ โfurther upskilling to get into a top ML PhD programโ) is not all that viable a path given my visa constraints.
Above all, I want to avoid wasting N more years by taking a detour through software engineering again so I can get Visa sponsorship.
[Iโm not conscientious enough to pursue AI safety research/โML upskilling while managing a full time job.]
Might just try and see if I can pursue a TCS PhD at my current university and do TCS research that I think would be valuable for theoretical AI safety research.
The main detriment of that is Iโd have to spend N more years in <city> and I was really hoping to come down to London.
Advice very, very welcome.
[Not sure who to tag.]
I donโt have any advice, but I wanted to offer my sympathy.
Iโve been constrained by visa regulations previously, and it felt like such a burden. Not being able to leave a job until I had a new job already lined up, only being allowed to work in certain fields/โareas, watching local citizen friends take a X-month sabbatical while I would have to leave the country within 2 weeks of leaving a jobโฆ I was pretty worn down by the general feeling of precarity combined with all all the options that were unavailable to me.
Regarding the TCS PhD, is it possible to work on it remotely from London?
Would you be eligible for the graduate visa? https://โโwww.gov.uk/โโgraduate-visa
If so, would that meet your needs?
Thanks, yeah.
My main hesitancy about this is that I probably want to go for a PhD, but can only get the graduate visa once, and I may want to use it after completing the PhD.
But Iโve come around to maybe it being better to use it up now, pursue a PhD afterwards, and try to secure employment before completing my program so I can transfer to the skilled workers visa.
https://โโwww.gov.uk/โโtemporary-worker-charity-worker-visa
^ If you can upskill in the form of doing a project for some UK org, then this might be worth considering