Visa when volunteering in a Lab

[Asimio]

I would like to apply to volunteer at a lab in the US; as an international what kind of Visa am I to apply for?

I am doing this in the hope of experience (I want to find my place in the field to some extent) and gaining an LOR. Is this a pragmatic approach? 

[TakeruK]

You need to secure the position first, then worry about visa after. You should first seek/apply for all the positions you qualify for. When you get one, the school's International Office will work with you and your supervisor to ensure you are on the right visa. Good luck!

[-hermes-]

Pretty sure you cannot get a visa just to volunteer, and that you cannot volunteer while on a tourist visa. You'd have to get accepted into a degree granting program, and then volunteer while on your student visa. Otherwise, you need some form of work visa sponsored by the lab, which is a very involved process. 

[Asimio]

So what do you suggest? How should I go about this?

I need experience in a lab, and volunteering seems like the only way.

[-hermes-]

Is there any way you can volunteer in a lab in Pakistan? That would be the easiest, or another Asian country where the visa barrier isn't so large. Otherwise, maybe do some networking -- email profs in your field in the US, ask about their research, and once you've gotten a conversation going, get their advice on how to get the experience you need to enter their program. Perhaps you could do some project for them long distance.

[TakeruK]

It's possible for international students to volunteer in labs in the US but you need to be part of some kind of academic program or an exchange program. This is what I meant by "secure a position first". For example, are you in a University in your home country now and does that University have exchange programs with schools in the US? Or could you find specific research programs for international students at US schools? This will be something you will have to do a lot of research and digging to find the positions.

 

In addition to finding programs yourself, you could try contacting some professors that might be able to take on volunteers. However, it's pretty tough to just contact professors out of the blue and expect them to take you on--you need to have some connection. Can a professor at your home university introduce you, for example? But if you do find a professor that is willing to help you, then perhaps they will know about exchange programs in their state or university that you can apply for.

 

But hermes is right--this is going to be really hard and if your goal is grad school in the US, there are other ways to gain research experience where the visa issue isn't such an issue. 

[Asimio]

Thank you for the help so far guys. The main aim is to gain experience, and I got some information about it. 

I'm aiming for Neuroscience, and there isn't really anything to be found in Pakistan. But I'll definitely look into some Asian universities if the Visa becomes such an issue. Unfortunately I'm coming from a clinical medicine background and do not have any good contacts which can help me out.

It seems pretty clear cut according to the universities I contacted (eg. http://oia.osu.edu/int-scholars/j-1-visiting-scholars/751-how-to-become-a-j-1-scholar.html) 
however I do not know if it's really that easy.