The following information is provided as a general guide for international students at University of New Orleans who are thinking about pursuing job opportunities in the United States. You should use this information as a a guide, but not the final word on requirements specific to your situation to work in the United States.

Working On Campus
In some cases, international students are eligible to apply for on-campus, part-time employment opportunities, such as graduate assistantships. However, there are only a limited number of these positions available each year and competition may be very intense. Therefore, students should not rely upon obtaining part-time employment to fund college expenses, but rather they should have sufficient funds prior to their arrival at the University of New Orleans to support their educational objectives.

INSCOPE - International Students Cooperative Employment Program
International students who wish to work off-campus may only do so if the position they are seeking is acceptable by the INSCOPE Program. This means that the position must be DIRECTLY related to their major course of study and cannot be related to a degree that they have already received.

Information for Students Applying to INSCOPE

Information for Employers wishing to hire students for INSCOPE

INSCOPE Brochure

Optional Practical Training
Typically three months prior to an international student's graduation, she or he may apply with the United State Office of Immigration and Naturalization for Optional Practical Training. This practical training lasts for a period of twelve months and starts when the international student receives permission from the Office of Immigration and Naturalization. Students do not need to have an employment offer upon receipt of this permission.

H-1B Visa
This visa allows international students to work in full-time positions for up to six years. In order to apply for this change in status, the employer of the international student must complete two applications on behalf of the student. This application usually takes up to three months to complete and process. According to the Office of International Students and Scholars, it is strongly recommended that employers utilize the services of a qualified immigration attorney, as this application process requires detailed information.

NEW SERVICE ANNOUNCED FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - (July 31, 2006)
The Office of Career Development has been offered a trial subscription to the online database for HI Visa Jobs. The database contains listings of employers who are familiar with and offer job opportunities to international students seeking employment in the United States. The database will be available using the information below until July 31, 2006. Depending on the 2006-2007 budget of the Office of Career Development will determine whether or not we will be able to continue the service. At the moment, we have access to the databases for Computer Science and Engineering.

To access the databases:
1. Go to: http://www.h1visajobs.com/full_version_list.htm
2. Select either the CS-H1B (Computer Science) or ENGR-H1B (Engineering) link on the left side of the page
3. Use: users@uno.edu0731 as the username and users as the password
4. These databases do not contain job postings but they do have contact information and company information for you to investigate job opportunities with the organization.

Disclaimer: The University of New Orleans and the Office of Career Development does not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided nor the success of contacting any of the organizations listed. Information provided has been compiled by Washington Information Services, Inc.

Permanent Residence (the Green Card):
This change in visa status allows the holder to reside and work permanently and lawfully in the United States. In most cases, employers must apply for a green card on behalf of a non-resident alien employee. This application completion and process may take up to two years and requires very detailed information. Therefore, employers are strongly encouraged to obtain the services of qualified legal counsel prior to starting this application process.

Resources, Documents and Links

International Students Job Search Package

Asia-Net Excellent job opportunities for professionals who speak both English and Japanese, Chinese or Korean

ASPIRE Asia-Pacific Student Job and Employment Network

Council on International Exchange - provides information on working abroad.

Eastern & Central European Job Bank

EUROGRADUATE LIVE -contains an up-to-date Career Database featuring thousands of graduate opportunities across Europe.

International Career Information, Inc. - Services for English/Asian bilingual job seekers

JobWeb Australia

Malaysia Online - recruitment agency offering jobs in Malaysia

NetJobs - largest UK job database

Overseas Jobs Express - comprehensive source of employment information and resources for international job-hunters

Naukri - job and career site of India

Wang & Li Asia Resources On-line - Postings in Greater China and the United States for Mandarin/Cantonese speaking candidates in the financial, consumer products/marketing, high tech, and service sector industries.

The U.S. State Department
provides useful descriptions of types of visas as well as information about whom to contact with questions.Specific visa application forms may be downloaded from this site.

Embassy.org
is a directory of foreign embassies in the D. C. area that includes e-mail and web addresses where available.

The Immigration and Naturalization Services
has up-to-date information about the agency, laws and regulations, services, fee schedules, and INS forms.