I help you secure talent visas | O-1 Visa Recipient | 2x Author of "Unshackled" & "Admitted" | Founder & CEO at Unshackled | Emergent Ventures Scholar | Ex-PM @ Salesforce
One set of people disproportionately affected by the layoffs are international students who just graduated. If you’re one, here are 3 things to keep in mind! Context: International students have a 90-day clock once they graduate, before which they need to find a job to stay in America. If not, they have to leave. I had an $80,000 loan to pay back when I graduated in 2019 from Columbia University. I suspect you too have a hefty loan hanging over your neck now. This makes it not-so-simple to just leave and return to your home country. If you’re from India, this is especially true given the USD to INR conversion now. Here are 3 things to keep in mind as you navigate the next few months: 1/ Volunteer to avoid accruing unemployment days The great thing about the OPT is how flexible it is. You can work full-time, part-time, as a contractor, through an agency, or VOLUNTEER. That’s right. The OPT allows you to participate in volunteering or unpaid work as long as you work at least 20 hours a week and the work is related to your degree. This gives you a legal way to avoid accruing unemployment days. BUT, here’s a caveat: not all work qualifies. You cannot be doing unpaid work for something that is otherwise paid for. Ideally, it’s best to volunteer at a non-profit where it’s part of an educational program. Talk to your university’s DSO for more info. 2/ Be self-employed on your OPT Yes! You can be self-employed on your OPT. USCIS has mentioned this clearly on their website. If you’re the entrepreneurial kind with an idea, then you don’t need a job offer. What you need is to, - Set up your business with proper licenses - Ensure it’s directly related to your degree - Start working for it! Unlike H-1B, there’s no “minimum” wage requirement for OPT. Please read about this! Note: The above applies only to OPT, and not STEM OPT, which has some restrictions. 3/ Beware of scams Having 90 days to find a job can be a vulnerable time. Sadly, some companies prey on this vulnerability to offer scam roles. Typically, someone will reach out and promise to hire you (without pay) on OPT and train you to find a job. But, if you don’t find a job in a few months, they’ll turn around and ask you to pay them to market your resume. Stay away from such players; better yet, call them out by making a public post. You might be helping a ton of other students too! …. Hope that helped! Please reshare this post or tag a friend who could benefit from reading this below. :) Btw, if you're an immigrant in America, I send out a free weekly newsletter compiling top stories & resources (like this!) on immigration. Join 6500+ immigrants: www.readunshackled.com. P.S. This isn't legal advice, just insights based on my research. #unshackled #immigration #visas #o1 #eb1a #h1b #layoffs #america #f1 #students
Thanks for sharing this information. Really helpful Henil Chopada
Thanks for sharing these tips, Soundarya (Pooja) Balasubramani! May I ask where to look up restrictions on starting a venture on STEM-OPT?
Thank you Soundarya. You saved us. the 90 day period was giving nightmare to us.
Thanks for sharing !! 👍🏼
agree!!!
Reach++
Aparna Sridhar Some helpful tips here!
Teaching Assistant at Portland State University
10moDear Soundarya (Pooja) Balasubramani, thanks for sharing this information 🙏. It is very helpful to help international students how to navigate the US immigration system. Best regards 😃