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Advice for Foreign / International Students in US

post #1 of 11
7/27/09 at 12:28am
Thread Starter 
Hi. Just wanted to hear tips or advices for international (I-20) students
in the US. Specifically, how hard it is to get a job in this climate and etc.

Also, are there many foreign students in SF? If not, I'd love it if someone
could point me to a large online community (not unlike SF) for foreign students.
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post #2 of 11
7/27/09 at 12:55am
where are you from originally? what school are you in? also, how old are you? the best advice is probably to mix, at least a little, with americans. don't think you're here for the education alone, because - while the education is decent - the american way of life is also has a lot to offer. since you're coming into it with an outsider's view, you can absorb the good parts of the american way while avoiding the traditional pitfalls and traps that most homegrown americans fall into (silly consumerism, proclivity for huge debt, closed-mindedness, etc)
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post #3 of 11
7/27/09 at 6:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by oman View Post

most homegrown americans fall into (silly consumerism, proclivity for huge debt, closed-mindedness, etc)


Whilst people from your part of the world are renowned for their open-mindedness
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post #4 of 11
7/27/09 at 6:25am
You can't rightly say that I'm from any one single part of the world.
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post #5 of 11
7/27/09 at 6:31am
I don't think Flamboyant's post really warrants a response, since he's obviously retarded.
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post #6 of 11
7/27/09 at 6:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eason View Post
I don't think Flamboyant's post really warrants a response, since he's obviously retarded.

I don't even know what the fuck is going on.
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post #7 of 11
7/27/09 at 9:28am
Hard to get a job in this market for int'l students, considering many companies cannot or will not sponsor. H1-B Visa is not hard to get however, compared to a couple of years ago.
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post #8 of 11
7/27/09 at 4:12pm
Currently, with an F-1 visa, you are not even allowed to work off-campus. And obviously, on-campus jobs are extremely hard to get due to other competitive international students such as yourself. If you're at a public university, add a further spanner to the works - public universities, being government-operated, can actually pay their employees less than minimum wage. You might want to look into CPT (Curricular Practical Training) which lets you do paid internships outside of campus, as long as you have a J-1 visa (or an F-1 visa and a minimum of one year) and the job aligns with your field of study.
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post #9 of 11
7/27/09 at 4:32pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the replies. I'm 21 going on 22 by the end of the year. I'm from Korea but I've traveled back and forth and I've lived in the States for about 10 years cumulatively. Been going to UCLA since freshman year. I just wish I at least had a green card. oman, I've been looking into CPT and OPT. My school's international center is pretty helpful with the process so that makes it easier for me. The problem right now is just finding out what I wanna do for the rest of my life and what is best for me to continue to live here in the US.
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post #10 of 11
7/27/09 at 4:47pm
As long as you are legally able to work in the US and don't need an employer-sponsored visa (OPT based on your student visa should cover this), employers shouldn't be discriminating against you. A lot of companies in the financial world at least have been pretty proactive about helping non-US citizens with visa issues after the most recent restrictions have been in place. Sometimes that means a posting in London or Hong Kong, but that's not a bad thing IMHO.

I'd definitely suggest working for a bit after school if you're not quite sure what you want to do long-term, which is completely normal in your early 20s.

Also, be careful of what you wish for vis-a-vis green cards. Once you have a green card or US passport, you are taxed based on global income. If you end up in a high-paying role, you could end up paying through your nose in taxes, even if living in countries that otherwise have low tax rates.
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post #11 of 11
7/27/09 at 5:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by oman View Post
public universities, being government-operated, can actually pay their employees less than minimum wage.

I didn't know that.
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