The United States visa process can be a confusing path to map out. From CPT vs. OPT to deadlines and conditions, the process sees upwards of 80% of international students returning home to their countries after graduation. The best way to land in the 20% that find successful employment is to fully understand the process from start to finish!
Transcript
Hi, I'm Nitin Agrawal. I grew up in Nepal and I'm the co-founder of Interstride. Historically, international students have often struggled to find employment in the US. Almost 80% of students have to either return home, or have a challenge at least finding employment here. (upbeat music) They don't realize how little time they have in order to do their research, understand which companies are sponsoring, what roles are being sponsored, how can one get a green card, which companies are sponsoring green card.
Narrator: The process starts with an F-1 Visa, a requirement for any international student to enroll in an academic program at a US college. Curricular Practical Training, or CPT, is a pre-graduation program that allows students to gain practical experience directly related to their major, through either employment or internships. Optional Practical Training, or OPT, is a similar program that allows students to work up to 12 months in relation to their field of study, either before or after graduation. Students have the opportunity to transfer their F-1 student visa to an H-1B visa with the help of a sponsoring US employer. The H-1B status allows the student to live and work in the US for up to six years after graduation. A green card is the key to permanent residency, allowing you to work and live anywhere in the US indefinitely.
Less than 60 to 90 days, that's pretty much what you have before you're sent back to your home country. At least at an undergraduate level, the freshman year is a good time to transition from your home country to the US, but starting sophomore year, the student should start thinking about an unpaid internship just to get your professional experience on your resume, some US experience. But by junior year, definitely, they should have some sort of paid internship. That summer internship during the junior year can eventually turn into a full-time opportunity. So that's a building process, to show that you have had past professional experiences. Diversity is key, I think, for most of these top companies. Their operations are global so there's no doubt they're looking for international talent. I would say, as an international, you should be willing to relocate, don't be very picky about your first job. If a candidate is trying to find employment in the US, they need to be familiar with the American professional work culture. There are different nuances with each and every culture but once you have a few months, or even short internships, where you've worked in an American setting, you learn these things very quickly. But the importance is to show on your resume that you've had some experiences and that you understand what kind of work you'll be doing and the employer's more confident in you before they take you on board.
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