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Soundarya Balasubramani Soundarya Balasubramani is an Influencer

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

Angel Contreras Cruz

Teaching Assistant at Portland State University

10mo

Dear 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 😃

Jargi Desai

Data Analyst | Product Analyst | Dashboard | Market Research | Trend Analysis | Tableau | Power BI | SQL ~ I translate complex data into meaningful stories to elevate product performance & to drive business decisions

10mo

Thanks for sharing this information. Really helpful Henil Chopada

Aarushi Sharma, PhD, MBA

Life Sciences and Healthcare Strategy | Empathetic Leader | Proponent of Health Equity and Cleantech | Anime Enthusiast

10mo

Thanks for sharing these tips, Soundarya (Pooja) Balasubramani! May I ask where to look up restrictions on starting a venture on STEM-OPT?

Surendran N.

Experienced Communication Network Professional & Project Leader | Expertise in IP, IoT, Optical & Microwave Networks | Committed to Innovation and Sustainability in Project Delivery

10mo

Thank you Soundarya. You saved us. the 90 day period was giving nightmare to us.

Hasika Mahtta

Product Manager | Product Leadership | Product Operations

10mo

Thanks for sharing !! 👍🏼

Himanshu Joshi, CMIT

Actively Seeking Full-Time Opportunities in the Construction Industry | Results-Driven Assistant Project Manager | Project Management | Construction Management | Civil Engineer | CMIT | OSHA 30

10mo

agree!!!

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Anagha Shevade

Data at T-Mobile || Actively Seeking Full Time Roles in Business & Data Analytics/ Science/ Strategy/ Supply Chain Analytics/ Operations starting May'24

10mo

Reach++

Ahana Dutta

Research Scientist | Molecular Biology & Assay Development Specialist | Problem Solver | Dedicated to Driving Impactful Innovation 🌱

10mo

Aparna Sridhar Some helpful tips here!

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