ISSS Advises International Students’ Careers

On Monday, March 4, the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) hosted a post-graduation immigration workshop led by immigration lawyer Dyann DelVecchio ’78 of Seyfarth Shaw Attorneys in Boston. The workshop, “Where do I go from here?: US Immigration Options for Graduating Seniors” was one of several ISSS meetings for international students hoping to pursue job opportunities in the United States.

The March 4 workshop focused on questions that arise when applying for jobs, such as whether the applicant is authorized to work in the United States or if the applicant requires employer sponsorship. Arthur Serratelli of Vandeventer Black LLP led a second workshop session held on March 11 and 12, focusing on post-graduate options for student work visas. He held one-on-one meetings with students to allow for further personalized assistance.

Associate Dean and Director of ISSS Kathy Foley explained the role that ISSS plays in the lives of international students.

“ISSS is a place where [international students] can discuss their plans, and other situations and experiences they encounter here, so that we can best support them and advocate for international student needs on campus,” she said.

The employment preparation required for international students exceeds the capacity of the Education In Action (EIA) office, which helps students, regardless of citizenship, to discover job opportunities and compose resumes and cover letters. Though ISSS works with EIA to ensure that necessary immigration authorization and paperwork is completed for international students applying for jobs and internships, the large international student population demands a separate resource to work through government-required procedures for work authorization and delineate a timeline for paperwork submission.

“We help [international students] think of strategies so they can answer those questions [about work sponsorship] and not cut themselves off from moving forward in the process, but we also help them to recognize that just because a company is asking that question doesn’t mean they won’t sponsor them — it just means they have to know up front,” said International Student and Scholar Advisor Ben Bruno ’06.

The March 11 post-graduation immigration workshop was preceded by a discussion on February 21 about Optional Practical Training (OPT), which is the first step toward acquiring authorization to work in the US. Students with F1 immigration status, which is required for all international students studying at the College, are eligible for OPT. OPT permits international students to work off-campus for up to 12 months while gaining practical experience. Though the student is allowed to work for any employer in the United States, the job must be applicable to the academic experience or major with which the student is familiar.

Mugo Mutothori ’12.5 of Kenya utilized ISSS during his time at the College and appreciated the personalized support he received.

“The ISSS has been like family to me. The people in that office help international students in every step after their graduation and that is why it is great, as an international student, to attend a small school like Middlebury,” said Mutothori, who is currently completing a fellowship with Save the Children in Washington, D.C. “[The] transition to my fellowship was easy, as I had already done all my paperwork prior to starting my job.”

Not all international students plan to work in the United States, however. Even those who choose to pursue practical experience during or after their college experience have plans to return home. “I will be going back to Kenya shortly after [receiving a master’s degree in public policy and development] to pursue a career in politics,” Mutothori said.

International students who choose to pursue employment opportunities beyond the 12-month OPT must typically secure employee sponsorship to continue working in the United States and change their visa status from an F1 student visa to H1B, or a work permit.

“The issue with the H1Bs is that they’re limited in number,” said Bruno. 65,000 H1B visas are available every fiscal year, with an additional 20,000 available to people who have a Masters degree from an American educational institution.

The recent job market instability is a “double edged sword” for international students, according to Bruno. More people apply for H1Bs when the economy is doing well, making the visas more difficult to obtain. In contrast, when the economy is doing poorly, there is less of a demand for H1Bs, but jobs are more difficult to find.

“For international students, finding a job after Middlebury tends to take on greater importance than it may for a U.S. student because their future ability to remain in the U.S. depends on it,” said Foley.