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Career resources for international students

For international students at Virginia Tech:

Career and Professional Development (CPD) can assist you with non-immigration topics in your career development, including: exploring majors and careers; seeking an internship or co-op; seeking a post-graduation position; and applying for further education through graduate or professional school.

Advising through CPD:

  • Career and Professional Development advisors are happy to help you with non-immigration career-related matters, such as resume writing, interviewing, networking, identifying employers, applying to jobs, applying to graduate school, and more.
  • Career and Professional Development cannot provide immigration advice.
  • Your work authorization is determined by your visa status. Depending on your visa status, such as F-1 or J-1, you may be eligible to work on-campus, off-campus, or both.
  • Before seeking any form of employment, whether paid or unpaid, you must determine whether you are able to legally work in the United States (also referred to as work authorization). To do so, you (both undergraduate and graduate students) must contact the immigration advisors in the Cranwell International Center at Virginia Tech who can advise you on requirements, eligibility, changes, and other information you must know. You may also wish to read the resources below about work authorization in the U.S.
  • Mini-appointments for undergraduate students are for resume reviews and quick questions are usually with a Peer Career Advisor (PCA).
  • Regular appointments are with a professional advisor who works with students in your college.
  • For more in-depth topics, please make a regular appointment. Job search documents, strategies, and etiquette vary by country in which you are searching. A regular appointment allows time to talk about cultural differences and learn the proper strategies to search for jobs and internships in the U.S. and to learn more about resources available to you.
  • Remember, as stated above, that CPD advisors cannot advise you on immigration matters.
  • See advising for how to schedule appointments with a CPD advisor.

Work authorization in the U.S.

Advising on your work authorization

  • It is your responsibility to be up-to-date with changes to work authorization in the United States and your individual eligibility.
  • Both undergraduate and graduate students should direct your individual questions on this topic to the Cranwell International Center.
  • Career and Professional Development is not authorized to provide immigration advice.

Official U.S. government information related to working in the U.S. as an international person

Career and Professional Development does not endorse or recommend any fee-based services or products on websites we list and link.

Job search resources

Employers who have sponsored H-1B visas

  • MyVisaJobs.com: Explains work visas. Under H-1B, resources, has lists of H-1B visa sponsors by job title, state, city, occupation, industry, and much more, including average salaries.

GoinGlobal multi-national resource

  • GoinGlobal is a service that universities can purchase for the benefit of their students. Career and Professional Development has purchased this service so that you, as a Virginia Tech student, have access
  • Contains resources for international students seeking H-1B sponsorship.
  • Includes an H-1B Visas tab; use to search for companies and job titles that have been sponsored through H-1B visas since 2009. Even if you are looking for experience through OPT/CPT/Academic Training, using this search feature can be helpful, because these employers have hired international individuals in the past and therefore might continue hiring international students in the future.
  • Also includes guides for the job search in over 100 countries and cities, with information on resume writing, job search engines, and financial / cultural considerations.

General resources

Articles and advice

Fee-based service for international students

  • ICAWay.com provides fee-based services. As stated above, Career and Professional Development does not endorse or recommend any fee-based services or products, so we are not directly linking to this site. We have listed this resource because it was provided by the Cranwell International Center at Virginia Tech, because it is endorsed by the National Career Development Association (NCDA.org). If you wish to explore the fee-based offerings, you can look for the website ICAWay.com.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about international student job search

Certain visas, such as F-1 and J-1, can provide the authorization to work on-campus and/or off-campus. To determine if you are eligible to work in the United States, contact the Cranwell International Center at Virginia Tech.

Each employing organization determines whether they will hire international students, and they must abide by U.S. regulations related to hiring of international workers. If an employer’s policy is that they will not hire international students, you must continue searching for employers that are able and willing to do so.

As an international student, you may be placed in the position to explain the employer responsibilities concerning OPT/CPT/H-1B to a potential employer. If you do not feel comfortable doing so, you can direct the employer to information about work authorization in the U.S.

There is no correct answer to this question. You are not required to list your visa or work authorization status on your resume or cover letter. However, you may be asked about work authorization on a job application, and you should answer honestly.

You may wish to share your international student status with an employer upon first contact. Doing so will reduce the likelihood that you will go through the hiring process with an employer that cannot hire you because of your work authorization. This can help save time for both the student and employer.

Some students wait until the interview stage, during which the student has had a chance to sell yourself to an employer. For employers that are unfamiliar with the process of hiring international students, this can give the student a chance to explain the process and potentially persuade the employer to hire international students.

Note: do not wait until the end of the process to inform an employer that you are an international student. Not only does this waste time if they are unwilling to hire international students, but they may view you as untrustworthy for hiding this throughout the entire process. You could risk having a job offer withdrawn due to not providing accurate information.

Internships and volunteer work are different, even if the internship is unpaid. Meet with an immigration advisor in Cranwell International Center to discuss the appropriate actions.

Your off-campus employment must be related to your field of study. If you are unsure whether your employment meets this criteria, please speak with your immigration advisor in Cranwell International Center.

The employer will petition for H-1B visa sponsorship on your behalf, so you must seek employers that are willing to do so. More information about H-1B visa sponsorship can be found through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The job search is competitive, and there is not a guarantee for anyone to secure a job in the U.S. after graduation, within your grace period. It is vital that you also job-search in other locations including your home country to increase the likelihood that you will find employment after graduation. You can search for jobs and internships in many countries using GoinGlobal which is described and linked above.

In the United States, some questions cannot be asked during an interview; the reasons are to avoid the appearance of discrimination, and to avoid actual discrimination. Therefore, interviewers cannot ask questions about a candidate’s age, race/ethnicity, gender/sex, country of origin or birthplace, religion, disability, or marital/family status. If you are unsure whether or not you have been asked an illegal question, contact Career and Professional Development.

Employers are legally able to ask two questions related to employment authorization (wording may vary):

  • Are you authorized to work lawfully in the United States for (employer organization name)?
  • Will you now or in the future require (employer organization name) to commence/sponsor an immigration case in order to employ you?