#TikTok (260k) vs. Stripe (230k) vs. Microsoft (L60 Seattle)

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stoic cedar
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Offer 1: TikTok - Data Arch Search (San Jose)

TC: ~$260k ($155k Base + 25% Bonus + $28k RSU + $35k Sign-on)

Team: Data Arch / Search (Core Infra).

Pros: Absolute max TC (+$60k-90k vs others); core infra experience at massive scale; legendary free food.

Cons: Slower PERM process; potential for higher "996" style pressure.

Offer 2: Stripe - SWE (SF)

TC: ~$230k+ ($144k Base + 10% Bonus + $40k RSU + $45k Sign-on)

Team: General Hire (Unallocated).

Pros: Day 1 PERM (Gold standard for status); great title?

Cons: Much lower TC; team placement is a lottery; SF cost of living is high. I don't like sf, prefer sanjose more

Offer 3: Microsoft - SWE L60 (Seattle/Redmond)

TC: ~$210k ($137k Base + 10% Bonus + $28k RSU + $35k Sign-on)

Team: MAI bing (sucks)

Pros: One level higher (L60); Day 1 PERM(may freeze due to layoff); Seattle has no state income tax.

Cons: Low growth potential in a "bad" team; lower engineering prestige compared to Stripe/TikTok Core. Weather sucks

The Dilemma: Primary goals: Growth > money > green card >>> anything else

1.Is the $30k/year TikTok premium worth the H1B lottery stress and slower GC?

2.In 2026, is the Day 1 PERM at Stripe/MSFT too good to pass up given the current immigration climate?

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TikTok (260k) vs. Stripe (230k) vs. Microsoft (L60 Seattle)

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yes

tribal elm
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nobody can really answer ur two questions, it really depends how much u personally care ab getting GC

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sounds like you don't

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so tt prolly better for u

stoic cedar
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I don't really care about the green card long-term. My plan is to FIRE and move back to China. The GC is just a way to make sure I can stay here long enough to stack my cash.

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yes

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Another con for TikTok is that if I strike out on the H1B lottery, I'm out. They don't do US relocations (L1), so I'm forced to either go back for a Master’s or jump ship after a year

soft nimbus
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Damn what’s the fire target

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Stripe scales tc better than tt

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Unless u hop after couple promos

tribal elm
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^^ this is true

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google has a lot of ex-tt ppl

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they prob go there after burning out lol

stoic cedar
soft nimbus
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Both have secondaries

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Once a year offering

tribal elm
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can you full liquidate either?

atomic heron
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Is 150k base L1 in San Jose for TikTok?

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And does TikTok not do day 1 perm? I thought they did

stoic cedar
atomic heron
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Or does that depend on ur nationality as well

stoic cedar
atomic heron
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Ohh so tiktok doesn’t do green card ig?

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Wait no H1b perm is day 1 gc perm right?

stoic cedar
stoic cedar
atomic heron
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Ohhh makes sense

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Then TikTok is def not the choice here

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@stoic cedar U mind if I dm u btw?

stoic cedar
desert barn
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Stripe

waxen egret
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yo can i dm u rly quick im on the same tt team lol

soft nimbus
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Anyone bearish on TikTok usa’s future?

sleek siren
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does TikTok do L1 visa?

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like if you run out of opt can you work at China for 1 year and go back here

summer basin
outer hedge
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i thought stripe bumped ng salary to match market

verbal flint
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how'd you neogitaite msft? are you a return intern? need tips, they seem to not be budging on my low ball offer

stoic cedar
stoic cedar
outer hedge
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i just talked to someone who started last week

stoic cedar
outer hedge
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i’d disagree

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it all matters unless you’re trying to be at stripe for the next 10 years

leaden dirge
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hey @stoic cedar

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how did you get l60?

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I thought new grads start at 59

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is 210k standard comp for l60?

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just some questions im a junior atm, pretty impressed by your offers, i have to decide between apple, aws, and msft

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so thats why im asking

stoic cedar
leaden dirge
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At ok

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Ah

stoic cedar
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stripe

misty lodge
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Just my 0.02: Microsoft won’t actually start the PERM process until we’re 61. If your goal is FIRE, it probably makes more sense to choose whichever option pays the most cash.

In general, even with “day-1 GC” PERM, passing the Labor Market Test isn’t easy. And even if we did pass, we likely wouldn’t have enough time for the green card to be processed with only three years of OPT. We’d need H1B to bridge the gap, but with L1-level wages, that route is basically out of reach.

The most realistic path might be to use up the three years of STEM OPT and then move back home, or relocate to Canada and potentially return later on an L1A visa.

leaden dirge
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what is perm

misty lodge
slate furnace
idle rover
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Like applying gc day 1?

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is that possible without h1b?

slate furnace
atomic heron
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Following up on this, what firms are known to be the safest / best for international students then, whether that’s through H1b, or day 1 perm?

slate furnace
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no big tech does day 1 perm

summer basin
slate furnace
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also they do L61

summer basin
scenic thistle
misty lodge
scenic thistle
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h1b might not be that hard if any of these companies lets you work from a smaller office

misty lodge
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Nuh uh it's hard LOL

scenic thistle
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like i was thinking google ng at philly is pretty much guaranteed h1b

misty lodge
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They won't do that trick, it's been announced internally

scenic thistle
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damn

misty lodge
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so if you work at philly, Google needs to pay you at least in base $131,602.00 to get to LV3

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would they do that?

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since Philly is not HCOL

scenic thistle
misty lodge
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damn so that's great

scenic thistle
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134 in pittsburgh is enough for l4

misty lodge
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Probably guarantee much higher chance, L4 require 153.3 btw

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but at Lv3 it's pretty much guaranteed

scenic thistle
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yeah i was looking at the wrong role

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wait for swe its 140k

misty lodge
scenic thistle
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oh the levels i sent is for pittsburgh

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i saw only 2 for philly

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@misty lodge are u going to ente the lottery next month?

misty lodge
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I'm at the bottom of the curve lmao

misty lodge
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gonna takes 2 years or so to get to L4-google, and L4 wage

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damn I love Google

scenic thistle
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yeah

scenic thistle
misty lodge
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I mean I gave up alr

scenic thistle
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im hoping many wont file this time because its the first time with the new rule

misty lodge
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welp it's still 1vs3

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85k cap vs 300k applicants

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idk lets see haha

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hopefully it's down to 1vs2

scenic thistle
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im hoping it comes down to like 200k

misty lodge
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yeahh

scenic thistle
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unrealistic ik

misty lodge
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since no company will sponsor 100k

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you must pre present in the US at the filing time

scenic thistle
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yep

misty lodge
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but I mean, these consultants will find a way to get around that

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so I expect down to 300k from400k

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if it gets to 200k then it would be so much better lmao

scenic thistle
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i thought you had to pay 100k just for entering the lottery but looks like thats not the case

misty lodge
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yeah Amen to that

scenic thistle
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no i mean for people outside the us, i thought they had to pay 100k when entering the lottery

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but they only have to pay if they get selected in the lottery

misty lodge
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oh wait for real?

scenic thistle
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yeah

misty lodge
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but eh what's the point of doing that anyway

scenic thistle
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so some bigger companies might still do it anyways

misty lodge
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it costs company money

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not Microsoft or Meta

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like what's the point doing that if we already know the result

scenic thistle
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it will still reduce the # of applicants to an extent

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but i mainly think its because the president cannot make those changes with an eo

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the way it is right now, cbp will check if you paid 100k fees when entering with h1b for the first time

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cuz eo can change rules related to cbp enforcement

misty lodge
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I think we're good since we're working and present in the US

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and we must be present if got selected

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lets say if we travel outside and need H1B stamp for reentry

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then cbp will check if we paid 100k fees or not

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that's why my company stated "if you're selected for H1B in March, then no travel until october 1st"

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very sensitive time

scenic thistle
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yeah

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well good luck

misty lodge
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luck isn't on my side haha

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but best of luck to you aswell

slate furnace
scenic thistle
slate furnace
scenic thistle
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l2

slate furnace
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oh nice