When it comes to blogs related to the IMMIGRANT SERIES, some of the most asked questions are regarding how to get your work visa or how to get a job in the US. So, with that in my mind, I decided to write a blog talking about my experience and all the steps I went through when it was time to start my internship during business school. But do not forget that I can only talk about my experience and, in this case, the experience of getting a job while on a Student Visa.
To be quite honest, it is not that complicated. All you need is, first of all, to know how to find a job. When I first moved to New York, I had no idea how to look for jobs, so it took me a while to figure that part out… Second of all, you have to be in school, obviously! And, third of all, you will have to fill out a ridiculous amount of paperwork as well as pay for the application. What? I told you, it is not that complicated, you just need to be good and organized when it comes to getting a job and filling out a bunch of documentation you probably have never seen in your life (lol, but for real).
I will say this, if it wasn't for all the school staff that helped me to put all my documents together, I would probably not have done it on my own. Not because it was that complicated, but because I had no experience in adulthood, so going through this type of situation and dealing with important documents is something that I have never done. But, at the end of the day, filling out your paperwork turns out to be the easiest part, once you already figured out the job part.
To be able to get a job in the US while you are on a student visa is not that simple. It is not like you can go get a job anywhere, you need to first find an internship related to your school major. Yup! If you are here studying business and it is time for you to start your internship class, you cannot decide that you will get a job as a bartender to make quick money. Your job needs to be related to one of your classes.
I have to admit, I got lucky! I came to the US to pursue a career in fashion, so I would accept nothing less than working in this industry. The good thing is that I always loved the business side of fashion, so getting an internship in production management and product development fitted perfectly within my business classes. But I understand that not everybody gets this lucky, nor is it that easy to find a job that you know will be the jump start of your career. The good part is that getting an internship, even if it is in something that you don’t like that much, will open doors for your future career and it will allow you to get the first documents needed to be able to legally work in the US.
Once you find an internship, your boss needs to write a job offering letter to your school. In that way, they will know that the job is legit and that you will be starting an internship in something related to your classes. Now that you have an internship and a job offer letter, all you need is to fill out the rest of the documents and submit them for what we call Optional Practical Training (OPT).
In my previous blog IMMIGRANT SERIES - Steps to Start College in NYC, I explained everything you need to know about the OPT program, but putting it in an easy way, applying for an OPT is when the government will decide on granting you the work authorization (or not! They can deny your case if your job offer is not related to your school major or if you have been causing trouble in the US, aka if you have violated your visa). If you are granted your work permit, then you are allowed to request a Social Security Number, which means that you can legally work while you are in the US.
I wish this was all, but it is not and the OPT program does not work as simply as it may sound. When you are on OPT status, you can work for a limited amount of time only. That is why the government grants OPT programs for students who are doing internships - it makes sense that your work authorization is valid for six months if internships never last longer than that. Even when you finish college you can still be on OPT status (which is called post-OPT), but you will only work in the US for one year. If you use your Social Security Number longer than the allowed period of time, it is considered a violation of your visa, and all your status can be revoked.
Moving to the US has its ups and downs, the work permit situation always seems to be one of the most complicated yet necessary steps to take toward your future in this country. Again, I can only speak from my own experience, so this is a delicate subject for me to talk about. I understand that being a student in the US and applying for an OPT only solves the problem for a certain amount of time, but moving to the US on a student visa was one of the best ideas I had and opened a lot of doors for me.
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