Hiring International Students: Employer Information
We would like to help the recruiters to connect with our amazing CSBSJU international students. Many employers have concerns or misunderstandings about hiring international students in the United States. This page addressed some of the concerns US employers might have when hiring international students.
Getting a work permit is not as difficult as some employers think. Most of CSBSJU international students are non-immigrant visa F1 students, and these students are eligible to work in the US when they meet certain criteria.
Benefits of Hiring an International Student for an Internship
Hiring a CSBSJU international student is beneficial to your business:
- New perspectives and problem-solving skills.
- Global/Intercultural Fluency- the ability to value, respect and learn from diversity.
- Proficient in different languages and have knowledge of the markets, business practices, and cultures of other countries.
- Courage to tackle the unknown and adapt to new environments.
Internships / Curricular Practical Training
You may offer an internship to your potential international student intern for summer or during the Fall or Spring semesters. International students do not require visa sponsorship to participate U.S. internships. International students are able to get paid as the domestic students.
The student would enroll for a credit-bearing course (internship course, experiential learning program, certain scholarships, or course/curriculum required internship), which is supervised by a faculty member during these terms. During the Fall or Spring semester, the student must be enrolled full-time; therefore, most internships during Fall or Spring semesters are maximum of 20 hrs/week. They are allowed to work maximum of 40 hrs/week during the summer or winter break.
Employer’s Role
The short answer is very little! If you’re hiring an international student for an internship opportunity, you will simply be required to complete your portion of the CSB/SJU Internship Learning Contract, which would also be signed by the student’s faculty member and a staff from Experience & Professional Development (XPD). No further paperwork would be required of your organization.
Student’s Role
The international student will submit necessary paperwork to XPD, faculty member, and ISS to complete the CPT authorization once they receive an internship offer. The international student advisor will print out a SEVIS I-20 that meets the I-9 employment eligibility with the work authorization on page 3.
The student will complete the online Internship Learning Contract with approvals collected via email from their faculty moderator, you as site supervisor, and the CSB/SJU Associate Director of Experience & Professional Development (Laura Hammond).
Ideally, the student will complete all our required paperwork in advance of the start of their internship (e.g., the Internship Learning Contract and the Curricular Practical Training Application), and meet with Qiwei Zhang, Assistant Director of International Student Services, to receive their I-20 for proper work authorization.
Hiring International Students for Full-time Employment or Internship after Graduation
F1 Optional Practical Training (OPT)
Optional Practical Training is one type of work authorization available for eligible F1 visa international students. It allows international students to get real-world work experience related to their field of study in the US.
Duration/Timing of Employment
OPT is up to 12 months after the student graduates. They are allowed to work part-time (at least 20 hrs/week) or full-time. If the student is in a certain STEM major. They may have additional 24-month extension if the employer is enrolled in E-Verify.
Employer’s Role
No action required. Employer can choose to have no involvement with the OPT application process.
Student’s Role
Student has the responsibility to apply to the ISS and file their application to United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). Students have the responsibility to maintain their F1-OPT status. A job offer is not required for the application.
More questions?
Please contact the ISS office at 320-363-5904