General Advice for International, DACA, and Undocumented Students

If you are an international student, DACA recipient, or undocument students, you likely have specific questions about interning and working in the United States. The career coaches are prepared to meet with you and discuss your career interests. In addition, the Office of International Student Life helps students navigate the internship and employment regulations associated with their immigration status in the United States. We strongly recommend that students speak with Liz Cody in ISL to become familiar with these regulations before committing to any internship or employment offers.

Next, international students can read this blog post to get started: 10 Job Search Tips for International Students This Summer.

Career Center Suggestions

  1. Start Early: Due to your immigration status within the U.S., you may face additional challenges when it comes to job searching. Some challenges may be connected to U.S. cultural understandings related to job searching. Or, due to specific visa regulations regarding unpaid and paid work. It is best to start early, explore your interests, and have a good idea of what type of opportunities you want to pursue. Throughout the process, work with a career coach and staff within the ISL Office for support.
  2. Use the Career Center: The Career Center offers a number of resources specific to international students, DACA recipients, and undocumented students. We encourage you to set up an appointment to meet with a career coach to assess your skills/interests, review your application documents, identify resources, connect with alumni, practice interviewing skills, find opportunities available to you, and become knowledgeable about upcoming programs including CarlsChat, Scholars, Job/Internship Fairs, etc.
  3. Gain experiences: Participate in internships, externships, volunteering opportunities, and student organizations to learn more about what you’re interested in and to build the skills necessary for your job search.
  4. Build a network: Utilize your existing network and develop connections. This network can include friends, relatives, faculty, staff and especially Carleton alumni. Use the Alumni Directory to connect with alumni in your interested field to learn more about opportunities in those areas. Also connect with international alumni to learn more about their experiences and to get advice on the U.S. job search process.
  5. Understand your visa regulations: We highly recommend that you talk with staff in the Office of International Student Life to become familiar with the specific rules around your visa or immigration status. Generally students on the F-1 student visa are able to participate in internships through the Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and are eligible for 12-month of Optional Practical Training (OPT) after graduation (extendable by 17-months for STEM majors).
  6. Use GoinGlobal to research companies: If you are interested in working in the U.S. full-time after graduation, you can use the GoinGlobal ‘H-1B Plus’ tool to research employers and find out whether or not they have sponsored a H-1B visa in the past. 
  7. Conduct a multiple country search: Explore opportunities available in your home country, as well as other countries, in addition to looking for opportunities in the United States. This will allow you to have a greater variety of options and pick the best post-graduate opportunity for you.