Frequently asked questions on OPT, STEM OPT and H-2B’s I am an international student on an F-1 visa and I am about to graduate from my University in May. How can I stay in the US and work? The most important piece of advice I give to all of my clients and potential clients is to “maintain your immigration status”. Your F-1 visa is only valid while you are enrolled in school or in an approved job training program. Once you graduate you have a 60-day grace period to 1) depart the United States, 2) enroll in another academic institution, 3) get a different visa, OR 4) start a postcompletion job training program. Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a job training program that authorizes you to work for up to 12 months while you are still on your F-1 visa. This one-year OPT applies to all undergraduate and graduate fields of study. Remember, if you used up all or part of your 12 months of job training while in school, you may not be eligible for any post-completion
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OPT. Additionally, your OPT must be sufficiently related to your field of study. For example, a student who studied performing arts should be able to work for a theater company. However, the same student would likely not be able to work for a real estate agency while on OPT. I run a U.S. based computer software company and I would like to hire an international student to work at my firm. Can I hire him? I would make sure the student is studying a computer related field and that the job training program is designed to fit the curriculum they studied or are studying. As long as the F-1 Optional Practical Training requirements are met they should be eligible to work for your business for up to 12 months of OPT. It is important to know that OPT can be used during school (pre-completion) or after graduation (post-completion). Can I hire an engineering graduate who will have already used up her 12 months of OPT?
Let’s briefly discuss STEM and why the STEM fields are so desirable for both students and employers. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Here is some more exciting news. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently expanded the STEM OPT program to include 22 new fields of study such as data science and financial analytics. If your potential F-1 OPT employee graduated from a U.S. college/university with a STEM degree, they can apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension while still on their original F-1 visa. STEM graduates can essentially get up to 3 years of OPT. I am a U.S. business owner and I need to hire some foreign workers in the short term, what can I do? The H2B visa is a type of nonimmigrant visa that allows a U.S. employer to hire foreign employees only for temporary/seasonal jobs. Unlike H-2As, the H-2B is a nonagricultural visa. Many hotels, restaurants, construction companies, and other businesses hire workers on H-2B visas. Just like the H-1B visa, the H-2B requires a U.S. employer to petition for the visa on behalf of their candidate (employee) and obtain a labor certification. To qualify for H2B visa a U.S. employer must:1) show there is a shortage of available qualified U.S. workers. 2) prove that hiring the H-2B employee will not negatively affect the wages or working conditions of similarly situated U.S. workers. 3) demonstrate the need for foreign workers is “temporary”. Any of the following could be classified as “temporary”: 1. A one-time event or occurrence creates the need (e.g. a construction project or the opening/re-modeling of a new business).
MAY 2022 - WWW.DESHVIDESH.COM
