Jobs in the USA

As an overseas student, pursuing your studies in the US, a wise thought is to start a part-time job as soon as you can. However, before commencement, you should be aware of all the rules and restrictions that come along with your visa. The major one is that you can work up to 20 hours a week during the term and while on vacation, you are allowed to work full-time. A strict rule is that your employment should not displace any U.S. resident’s job.

On a student’s visa, you are allowed to work for a time period of 12 months as optional practical training. An extension of additional 17 months is also available for students who have completed their graduation in one of the STEM majors (Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics).

Finding a job must be tough, you may think. There are 5 types of employment paths with the help of which you can get a good start for your career. Out of these, one is on campus, while the rest four are in the off-campus category.
      1. On-Campus Employment: this allows the student to work part-time, and they can start from the very first semester.
      2. Optional Practical Training (OPT): authorized by USCIS, this program allows you to work during and after the completion of your course.
      3. Curricular Practical Training (CPT): these are the paid internships and training authorized for the international students to work, both full-time and part-time.
      4. Economic Hardship: this program promises jobs (full-time and part-time) to those students who come under the severe hardship category as defined by the USCIS.
      5. International Institutions: this type of employment allows you to work apart from your 12-month post-completion OPT. However, the organization that you are working for should be listed under “recognized international organizations”.

The USA, being the powerful economy in the world, has the highest paying sectors in white-collar professions. These are managers, physicians, mathematics, financial managers, software publishers, speech-language pathologist, computer engineers, and nurse practitioners.

To help you with your job search during your period of stay, there are many recruiting platforms and other resources present online. Nonetheless, you can get jobs via a direct approach and through your network.