Is Your School a Partner?

Before proceeding with any internship, make sure you talk to your designated school official (DSO) or international student advisor to discuss which authorization is right for your internship, and make sure you are aware of all the paperwork you must complete because this is essential for maintaining legal status in the United States. To search for your internship, download the FrogHire.ai extension as a way to make your job search easier and more efficient--this extension will not only help you filter jobs across all five major job sites, but can also point you towards employers who will employ nondomestic workers with CPT or OPT needs.

Things that you should always remember to take care of as an international student and beyond: stay on top of all your immigration paperwork, attend school (and work) orientations, buy health insurance, make sure you learn how to budget, and set up a local phone/U.S. bank account!

As an international student, make sure you know your school’s rules/expectations, campus resources, and take advantage of out of class experiences (which can include making new friends who are different from you, internships/work, research). 

There are three ways F-1 international students can find practical learning opportunities outside of the classroom via employment (such as internships or externships): On campus work, CPT or OPT.  All three require students to independently search for a position and work with their school international student services office to complete the appropriate paperwork. An ideal position is always with an employer who has already undertaken steps to hire non-domestic employees in the past and the quickest way to find such companies is to download the FrogHire.ai extension, which will help you filter the companies across the U.S. who actively seek international talent, participate in E-Verify (if you are looking for CPT work) and will offer sponsorship opportunities after your OPT expires.