Getting an OPT job with Right Employer

Every year many international students come to the US with many aspirations of having a dream career after their studies. F-1 visa students are lucky enough to have an option to work right after their studies on OPT for one complete year. And, if they come under the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) category, they even have the opportunity to extend their OPT for another 17 months. Though there are some limitations on OPT, it continues to be extremely popular option among students on F-1 visa.

Getting OPT jobs for international students is not that simple. There are hurdles, which the international students have to overcome in order to get successfully placed in an OPT job. Most of the US employers don’t prefer non- US citizens and there are umpteen reasons. First, the US employers don’t want to invest their money and time in hiring an OPT student and provide them with the required OPT training. The reason being, OPT students are just out of the college and they lack the required skills and experience, the employer is looking for; Second, OPT students will have to buy the OPT insurance, since some of the insurance providers don’t permit OPT students on their policy. So, it becomes essential to get hold of the right employer, who can offer OPT employment to international students and later sponsor their H-1B, once their OPT expires.

However, students can search out for OPT jobs through online sources. This way, they can find some employers, who provide OPT jobs and sponsor their H-1B visas at a later stage. It’s important to target the right employers and know if they’ve sponsored H-1B visas to their employees earlier. The Department of Labor (DOL) has published a foreign labor certification website, which has information for many H-1B aspirants and offers foreign nationals with many employment programs. This gives the job seekers in the US an insight on right H-1B employers. Now that you know how to target the right employers, get started with your OPT job search.