I’m an international student and I’m considering attending UCLA this fall, but I’m concerned about my post-graduation career prospects. I plan to major in Economics. Among the people I know personally who went to college in the US, none of them are now working there. I’ve read a large number of articles online about how difficult it is to find a firm that’s willing to sponsor your work visa, and that there is a capped number of work visas that can be issued every year, making it even tougher for hopeful internationals.
Can anyone offer any insight into this? Or perhaps share any success stories that you know of, where an international student managed to secure a job in the US after graduation? Also, how difficult is it for international students to secure summer internships while still in university?
Summer internships are doable. Jobs after graduation, less so. Most international students who want to remain in the US go to graduate school after college. There’s additional work visas available to foreigners with a graduate degree from a US university, and the graduate training will also make you a more qualified job applicant.
CPT refers to permission to work while you are studying (during the school year and during vacation periods). OPT refers to permission to work after graduation. For most undergraduate majors, you are allowed to stay here for 12 months after graduation with the OPT visa extension. Some majors allow for more months.
After your OPT expires, if you have not found an employer who can arrange an H1B (work) visa, you will have to leave. The only people who I have ever heard were successful in getting an H1B with only an undergraduate degree, were people who had degrees in engineering or computer science. Even then it is extremely rare.
OPT is also commonly done during college. The real distinction is in purpose: CPT is authorized by the college, for internships that are “an integral component” of an “established curriculum” (e.g. for academic credit, required for the degree, or required for a license the student is pursuing). OPT is authorized by USCIS for optional internships pursued for general career development. CPT is tied to a specific position and employer; OPT is a general work permit.