International Students

These resources are meant to serve as a starting point to explore the intersection of your identity and career as an international student and professional. In this resource guide, we will cover the following topics:

• visa requirements, terms, and resources
• interviewing and professional etiquette
• rights in the workplace

Getting Started with Interstride

As you start planning where you want to work after you graduate or intern while you’re in college, Interstride is our favorite resource for international students to help you get started with employment in the U.S. 

• Explore Interstride

Here's a quick video from Interstride to Introduce you to their favorite free resources: 

Student Visa Requirements

As an F-1 student, you are eligible to work in the United States under specific circumstances. Schedule an appointment with an International Student Advisor at Texas Global if you have any questions about documents, employment dates or any other questions about work eligibility/authorization requirements.

• Make an Appointment with Texas Global

This Interstride video gives you a brief overview of what your career path as an international student to a Green Card or citizenship may look like in the U.S. This includes information about the type of student employment visa options.

Common Employment Types and Terms

Here are some common employment terms that you should know as an international student:

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) 

CPT is a temporary employment authorization directly related to a student’s major field of study. In order to be eligible for CPT, a student must receive course credit for the employment or employment must be a required component of the degree program. CPT is work that is temporary in nature. It may not be used as a bridge to full-time, regular employment. You can find more information about CPT from Texas Global.

Internship course options include:

• NSC 120E & NSC 322: Two internship courses offered by CNS Career Services for students in the College of Natural Sciences. There is a 1-credit or 3-credit course to choose from based on your preference and/or degree plan.
• EXP 000/080: Free, zero-credit course, available to all undergraduate and graduate students participating in internships and other career experiences.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) 

Pre-Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) is temporary employment authorization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that can be used while you are a current student at UT. Employment must relate directly to your major field of study. Pre-Completion OPT may be an option for students who are not eligible to use Curricular Practical Training, or CPT, while they are enrolled as a student at UT.

STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) 

STEM OPT is a 24-month extension of Optional Practical Training (OPT) authorization available to F-1 students who graduated with U.S. degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) and will be working for an employer who is part of the E-Verify program. The STEM OPT application is reviewed by ISSS and submitted to U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) for processing. You can find more information through Texas Global. 

On-Campus Employment

On-campus employment takes place on the school’s premises, and the paycheck is issued by The University of Texas at Austin. If you are applying for a job on campus and you learn that an entity other than The University of Texas at Austin is going to pay you, please check with an Immigration Advisor before accepting the job. Additionally, please note that the University of Texas System at large is not considered a University of Texas at Austin employer.

All students must maintain a full course of study and have valid documentation in order to work on campus. Texas Global has information about the guidelines to work on campus.

Networking, Etiquette and Professional Growth

Professional norms vary a lot throughout the world. This section will help you understand more about professionalism and hiring in the U.S. 

Your Strengths

As an international student, you bring a unique and diverse experience, along with a strong set of skills to your workplace. It’s important that you highlight those strengths in your job application.  Some strengths you may think about leveraging are your bilingual or multilingual skills and your adaptability.

Interviews & Professional Etiquette

Interviews come with a lot of cultural norms and expected etiquette. From handshakes to eye contact to small talk, there can be many differences throughout your interviewing process. Interstride has a dedicated resource section on how to navigate interviews. You can also read our CNS Career Services Guides to Interviews and Professional Etiquette: 

• Interstride: The Interview
• Interview Preparation
• Professional Etiquette

During the Interview

During the interview, make sure to focus mainly on your qualifications and goals for the job. Remember that you’re not required to list your immigration status on the resume, but you may be asked if you are legally authorized to work in the U.S. during an interview or in the application process. If you have OPT or CPT, you are authorized to work in the U.S. and the employer wouldn’t need to sponsor your visa until after your OPT expires. These conversations with employers can be tricky, so be prepared to answer questions regarding your work authorization.

An effective way to learn the nuances of interview norms in the U.S. is to schedule a mock interview with Career Services. Schedule a mock interview via Handshake: 

Make a mock interview appointment

Networking

Networking is a great way to build connections with people in the field/industry that you’re interested in. See the following resources for information on how to build your network and have meaningful conversations with professionals in your field:

• Networking
• Career Conversations

Rights in the Workplace

As an international employee, you are entitled to three basic workplace rights under the Occupational Health and Safety Act as well as certain protected rights under the H1B and H2B work visa program. The Occupational Health and Safety Act asserts that all employees have three fundamental rights; the right to know about health and safety matters; the right to participate in decisions that could affect their health and safety; and the right to refuse work that could affect their health and safety and that of others. Further, the H1B and H2B work visa programs have outlined certain rights that are given to H1B and H2B workers which can be found below in the links.

• Legal Protections for H-1B Workers (PDF)
• H-1B Employee Rights
• Employees Rights Under the H-2B Program

Gauging Company Values for International Professionals

In addition to the general considerations, as an international professional, you may look for some additional company practices including:

• Executive and leadership teams with international employee representation
• Providing adequate language accessibility for international employees who are getting accustomed to communicating in English on a daily basis*
• Having a team committed to ensuring the workplace fosters a safe space for both domestic and international employees

Considerations

As you are exploring different opportunities with a company/organization, it is important to reflect on what is most important to you from your next employer. We all have different values in what we want in our workplaces, here are some example reflection questions that can help you with navigating this process:

• Will this company be able to sponsor a work visa? How does the sponsoring process work for them?
• How does this company demonstrate its values?
• Does the company have a history of retaining international employees?
• How does the staff treat you during the interview? Do they question your professional ability?

Getting a Job as an International Professional

There are many considerations and nuances to job searching as an international student, from cultural differences to what is considered “professional” in different countries, navigating the job market to finding jobs that will sponsor visas. The following resources are links to job search tools for international students and professionals:

Questions?

Book an appointment with a CNS Career Coach