International students who move abroad, get this opportunity to work in their academic fields. In USA the International students who arrive in the USA on an F1 visa can work at Optional Practical Training. Along with theoretical knowledge, OPT students can learn the various aspects related to the academic field. It is an amazing opportunity for international students, it gives them the chance to prove their excellence and sharpen their skills. It is a way of financial support for international students. Let’s have a look at various key points before applying for the OPT jobs. Have a closer look at what is OPT? And how the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services affect the career and academics of an international student.
So for international students, it will be interesting to know that each year approximately 1 million international students arrive in the USA. the competition for OPT students is tough but it is not impossible to sail through it. If they have the right guidance and effective strategies they can excel in their duration of stay in the USA. F1 visa-holding students are privileged to work at Optional Practical Training OPT.
8 Things to Know about OPT
Before beginning with the OPT international students must conduct good research about the US job market. The recent trends in the industries and the changing patterns in the corporate world might concern the international students who arrive on an F1 visa. The OPT jobs in USA are available in every sector be it finance, banking, engineering, automation, IT, tech, and non-tech fields. Other popular jobs are in staffing, housing, and consulting.
1- F1 visa holders – International students who migrate to the USA, to pursue their academic programs or degrees are on an F1 visa. The students are privileged to get employment based on their academic qualifications. The OPT permit for international students is approved by the USCIS. The students get an EAD after that only they can find work in the USA. Recruiters also look for potential and qualified OPT students this will improve the work environment and OPT students are a source of new energy and potential. They get trained by working in the academic fields, practical knowledge gives them an upper hand over the other candidates.
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2- Role of the DSO – The DSO is the Designated School Officer of a school, they are responsible for the OPT, and CPT students. They are the representatives who work for the students. The OPT students file their applications for approval from the USCIS to work as an OPT. As the OPT students abided by the guidelines framed by the USCIS, and DSO forwards the application to the USCIS. Then authorities will approve the application and grant the permit to work to the OPT students. Sometimes OPT students also get recommendations for OPT jobs in USA.
3- OPT jobs in USA in their academic field – OPT students are allowed to work in their academic field, this will contribute to the US job market and also help the students learn the practical aspects. Students gain experience in their field of work and later get good jobs in the same field. This will help the students to excel in their professional careers. For instance, an accounting student is eligible to get a job as an accountant as an entry-level employee or as an intern or an apprenticeship. These opportunities let the OPT candidates grow personally and professionally. The sooner they understand the hiring patterns and industrial changes the more easily they can get in.
4- Track OPTs – OPT students are required to track OPT status after they have filed their application. The students must track their status because it is not always possible for their OPT to get approved. The OPT students can track the approval status from the official website of the USCIS. The students are required to track the OPT status after they e-file their application and create an account on the official website of the USCIS. A period of 60 days is granted to OPT candidates who are looking for relevant jobs.
5- Types of OPT jobs for International Students – There are two types of OPT available, Pre-completion and Post-completion OPT. During pre-completion OPT the students have to work for 20 hours per week. The students can work while the school is in session. During the post-completion, the students can work full-time after completing their academic program. Recruiters can offer different terms of employment such as part-time, full-time, and contractual work. Companies hire OPT students with relevant academic backgrounds and it also helps the students to get potential experience. The compensation packages depend upon the qualifications, experience, and skills of the students. Although the pay scale may vary depending on the location and company.
6- Sectors that offer OPT jobs to international students – Almost all the sectors offer OPT jobs to international students, who move to the USA on an F1 visa. Top-notch companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and other big companies tech and non-tech hire candidates for their companies. Consultancies hire OPT students for various roles associated with tech and non-tech domains. Candidates are required for IT jobs even in consultancies. Also, OPT candidates are hired on a part-time basis, if they are working at pre-completion OPT. They are offered full-time jobs once their academic degree is completed.
7- Take professional assistance – The OPT candidates can take assistance from the team of professionals who are there to guide the international students. OPTnation is an authentic platform for international students in the US job market. The team at OPTnation assists the candidates in getting jobs. They have a massive database of resumes, in which the OPT resumes are dropped. Recruiters offer jobs to OPT candidates as they are given access to the database by the team. They can search the relevant resumes as per their job descriptions. The team will make the OPT students aware of the OPT job requirements posted by the recruiters.
The team matches the most relevant resumes with the job descriptions posted by the recruiters. The official websites of the companies are a potential source of information about the vacancies but it is impossible to keep track of all the job postings. So the team of professionals at OPTnation will make the OPT student aware of the precisely matching job according to their qualifications. All the resumes in the database are genuine and all the recruiters registered with OPTnation are e-verified. All the leads provided by the team are genuine and verified. So every profile and every recruiter recommended is authentic.
8- STEM and NON-STEM OPT – There is a major difference in perks offered for STEM OPT students. The STEM students are eligible for getting an extension of 24 months after working for 12 months. On the other hand, non-STEM OPT students get 12 months in which they can work either at pre-completion or post-completion. After completing 12 months of OPT STEM students are eligible to get an extension if they apply. Hence they get 36 months to work in the US job market, meanwhile, they can look for recruiters who are ready to sponsor them for their jobs in the USA. The non-STEM students get 12 months to work. They can work for 20 hours per week while the school is in session. They can work full-time while the school is not in session.
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