I was beginning to feel that I was alone in this situation until I came across all your stories. They are very sad but do not give lets keep praying, I know that God will make away for us even where there seems to be no way. My story is not different from many of yours. I got layed off from my job in March just before the company I was working for could file my H1-B petition. To make it worse, I was working in a bank and most of the banks took the economic stimulus package and the new law is that they cannot hire foreign workers to replace Americans if they took this package. Needless to say, I have been sitting home since May 2009, all jobs that I have interviewed with have directly told me they do not hire international students and most of them are not sponsoring H1-B. I am 26 years old, have an MBA and almost 5 years experience working in the financial industry and alot of companies in Minnesota are not willing to hire me even if I tell them that I do not need an H1-B and that I have a CPT. Does anyone have any advice on how we can get jobs in this current economic situation which has greatly led to an increase in discrimination against international students?

“Do not give up, keep trying and keep looking for opportunities, if you seek it, you will find it.”

I study in alabama at UAB . i am doing masters in electrical engg . I came to know that alabama power and the southern company don’t hire international students .

Don’t forget to put everything on your side. Being an international student means you probably have no local attachments and you will probably not be able to practice solo. So the notion that a JD is a JD does not apply to you-. Meaning: go for the best ranked school you can afford (USNEWS rankings have acquired a life of their own, no point in fighting); do extremely well in your first year, and GET A SUMMER INTERNSHIP.

In any event, if you love the law, go for it. Just accept that you might have have to settle for a job in “law-related” fields. And if that’s the case, one should wonder, then why spend all that money on a legal education, when one could get a good “law-related” master’s degree for less.

were you able to find a nursing job now? im still looking for one but i know no one is sponsoring..=(

like most of you, i also have the same dilemma. I am an international student with a BS nursing degree in northern california. during my four years in college, i was jobless because no one would hire an international student. Most hospitals or other healthcare field are asking for your ssn before they can process your application. we are all aware that we need their acceptance first before we can have ssn. but they never understand it. i have gone through a total of 4 rejections in seeking for a job. with this economy right now, my number will still go up.

good luck to all of us…..

Thanks!

ps: I placed better that 95% of my class. Had senior leadership roles in 3 organizations, worked 2 internships (how did I get em? oh that is another story altogether) and I still have trouble finding a full time job as a college grad.

This is a short story of my life. I might just write a book about it (finger crossed).

I am also one of many international student out there, who is currently struggling to find a job. I just graduated this May, and currently on OPT Status (it is a 1 year work permit which costs $340). I have been moving from Kansas to California in an attempt to find a better opportunity, and It turns out to be worth the long journey. Each week I will have at least 1 or 2 interviews in CA, better than only 1 interview per-month in KS. But until now, my interviews have been producing the same outcome, a rejection.

Several companies were offering me a free training, free accomodation, and a free sponsorship, and so on. But I know that these companies are crooks, scammers. They always ask the victim to sign a ‘Contract’. This contract lists nothing that favors its employee. It is funny that all of these companies have employers with Indian accent.

Like everyone else, I have my bad day, and my car just got stolen. I went to the police station to report this incident, and I was surprised when they ask me whether I want to prosecute or not.

I come to this country in a hope of finding a more peaceful and non-discriminate place to stay. But all hopes are lost when it discriminates me just like my own country did to me (I am a chinese born in another country with a majority of muslim citizen). I paid 3 times the tuition of a citizen to study here. I feel frustrated of seeing the “ONLY US CITIZEN OR GREEN CARD NEED APPLY” words in major job postings.

I’m sorry to hear that you’re having the same frustrations as other international students. I wish that there was more that I could do to help, but it seems as though employers just aren’t willing to make the effort to go through the sponsorship process.

I think that the best way to attack this mentality is for international students to start working together to bring awareness to this issue. Have you talked to your Career Services Office about this?

1. enter either 000-00-0000 or 123-45-6789
2. If that doesnt work for us Canadians enter your SIN
3. Call the recruiters and try and work with them. I warn you not all of them understand the intricaticies of immigration and Visa’s and many really a ready to close the door when they here that you need one 9even if your English is perfect)
4. be patient and friendly. The more you can educate them the better, make it feel like it’s no big deal. If you have an immigration lawyer even better, assure them that all they have to do is fill out the paper work and your lawyer will handle it

Basically it’s a long raod and hard, even in the US which has a massive need for nurses I have found at lot of road blocks and many hospitals have a standing no sponsorship policy! It’s rough and it stinks but I do know many people on Visa’s so keep plugging!

I would like to suggest a publication on dos and don’ts when travelling abroad, which could help immensely international students, or anyone working / dealing with individual from different backgrounds. It’s called Zucchini or Cougette?, and it’s available from lulu.com
http://www.lulu.com/content/2393717
It really helped me when I travelled to Poland, and I felt I knew the culture before getting there!
Very well recommended, and well priced.
HTH!

thanks so much for putting up this post! schools (especially ivy league ones) also usually offer company presentations, which is usually attended by at least one hr personnel. if there’s one in an industry you’re interested in, definitely drop by and ask them about international hiring in their field.

good luck!!
-bx-