Please guys, I need your advice!

I just completed my grad. program in May (from a school in Florida). I have an F1 visa so obviously I am a green kpali holder and Naija citizen.I'm job hunting aggressively, looking for positions all across the US because I don't feel like returning to Naija right now.I'm using all avenues available to me - online job boards, alumni networks and the few connections that I have over here but nothing dey happen as of yet. On job applications, I am facing a huge dilemna with regards to the "sponsorship" question. It is usually phrased as "will you now or in the future require H1 visa sponsorship?" but other variants are: "are you legally authorized to work in the US without restriction/for an indeterminate amount of time?" I honestly do not know how to get around this on job applications or during the initial stages of interview. I want to be honest but in this case, honesty is tantamount to shooting myself in the foot...how I go take reach finish line when I get wound for leg?

Here are my arguments for and against honest disclosure:

AGAINST: Lie and say that I do not need sponsorship. Why?
- If I tell a company that I do require H1 visa sponsorship, chances are that the company's online application system will detect that answer and trash my resume/application before any human being even gets to see it.
- Even if a human being gets to review my resume, if they see that I require sponsorship, they will not even give me a chance in spite of my work experience and qualifications.

FOR: Tell the companies upfront that I require sponsorship. Why?
- When the time comes for me to receive a job offer, I might be asked to show proof of work authorization. When the employer sees that I am on OPT, they will put two and two together. They might wonder why I was deceptive in the first place when asked if I would require sponsorship.
- Because of the H1B cap-gap and visa application timing, I would have to inform whatever company that I am hired at about the need to put in my visa application very soon after taking up the job.
- I've heard that many companies have the ability to screen applicants' SEVIS records. If I am deceptive they might catch it early on by doing a background check, trash my application and flag me as a deceptive applicant.
- If I am hired despite my need for sponsorship, it will save me headache when the time comes for me to ask if the company is willing to put in an H1 petition so that I can continue to work at the company (because they would have known about that from the get go).

I had a situation recently where I turned in an application to GEICO (I met every single requirement for the position and was a great fit) and within one hour, my application was rejected. I received an email stating that it was rejected because "I require sponsorship". In other words, it didn't even get to a hiring manager's inbox. Since then, I've been lying on every application that I do not require any form of sponsorship but I'm not sure if that is the right way to go about things. If you are going through this US job-hunt ordeal or have gone through it and somehow managed to get a job, please weigh in with advice and share your experiences!IF YOU HAVE NO CONSTRUCTIVE INPUT TO OFFER, PLEASE KEEP IT MOVING. I DO NOT NEED ANYBODY QUIZZING ME ABOUT MY DEGREE, QUESTIONING MY QUALIFICATIONS OR MY EDUCATIONAL/LIFE CHOICES OR OTHERWISE DERAILING THIS THREAD. PLEASE STAY ON TOPIC AND ADDRESS THE QUESTION AT HAND.

JUSTWISE, and other moderators. I take God beg you - PLEASE, PLEASE and PLEASE do not trash this thread, move it elsewhere, shut it down or what have you. Other Nigerian job applicants in the US can attest on my behalf that this is a very, very important/crucial question. This thread will be of great help to all the other frustrated and bewildered applicants out there. Justwise, the last time I created this thread, you moved it to some random thread and my post got lost in the noise and mayhem. No one, not even one person, addressed my question! If rubbish threads like "I don't like my body","what is your favorite nail polish" or "what is your favorite food" can survive without being disturbed and even make it to the front page, my thread deserves a chance.

Thank you all!

I get your point.

To your question, it's a shot in the dark. The downside is if you get an offer and you end up disclosing your status, be prepared to lose the offer. On the other hand, you may have impressed your potential employers that they'd end up giving you a shot. On the other hand, an employer that may be ready to sponsor you may retract their offer because you did not disclose this in your application. The point is, be aware of the risks and consequences of your actions and decisions that give you the best shot. It's a shot in the dark and there's no guarantee that the electronic filters will push your application to the top even if this sponsorship issue is taken away. Hence, while doing this, you should continue to search aggressively and expand your search parameters.

A couple of ideas:
- Try using agents (head hunters, etc) as well, if you have not done so. Since they get paid by the organizations if they fill a spot, they basically work for you.
- Include your search across the border (into Canada). Canada is not much different from the US and the immigration programs are not as tight as the US.

Goodluck!

Great feedback Delta! Thanks...I'll definitely consider the whole head-hunter angle and Canada too.

Any more ideas folks?