Hiring International Students: Graduate Career Services : Kelley School of Business: Indiana University

Global Reputation

“We recruit at the top business schools. We have the luxury of recruiting wherever we want, and we’re going to get the top talent. Obviously Kelley is on that list."

Dan Raynak, marketing manager, general mills

Hiring International Students

STRENGTH THROUGH DIVERSITY

A Recruiter's Guide

The Indiana University Kelley School of Business hosts students from more than a dozen countries including Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and several others. In the MBA class of 2010 at Kelley, 26 percent of the students were international.

Our international students are an impressive group of individuals who have achieved excellence and created value in their academic careers. These students add such merit to the Kelley School that they have become an integral part of the cultural diversity of the school.

Hiring an International Student

International students enrolled in the Kelley School of Business generally hold an F-1 visa or J-1 visa.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) F-1 Off-Campus Employment

Benefits of International Students

International work experiences

Multicultural experience

Multilingual skills

Global perspective

Global network

High academic achievement

As of March 1, 2003, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was dissolved and its functions were officially transferred to the Department of Homeland Security and the USCIS.

F-1 Visa Holders are eligible for Curricular Practical Training (CPT), which they usually use for their summer internships. After completion of studies, they are eligible for employment in a status called Optional Practical Training (OPT). This OPT status is valid for 12 months following graduation.
J-1 Visa Holders are authorized for 18 months of Academic Training employment. Students may use any month(s) of this period for their summer internship, with the rest of the authorized employment period used during their full-time employment.
In many cases, an international student may continue to be employed after the conclusion of the Optional Practical Training or the Academic Training period provided that a change to another visa type is approved by the USCIS. The most common of these is an H-1B visa.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Don't international students need work authorization before I can hire them?
No. International students must have work authorization before they can begin actual employment, but not before they are offered employment. J-1 students must have a written job offer in order to apply for work authorization. Many F-1 students will be in the process of obtaining work authorizations while they are interviewing for employment. Students can give employers a reasonable estimate of when they expect to receive work authorization.

Q: What if I want to continue to employ students after their practical training authorization expires?
With a bit of planning, an employer can hire international students (F-1 visa holders) to continue to work for them in the H-1B visa category for a maximum of 6 years. The H-1B is a temporary working visa for workers in a "specialty occupation." The application procedure to the USCIS is straightforward. The job must meet two basic requirements: 1) the salary must meet the prevailing wage as defined by the Department of Labor, and 2) a bachelor's degree is a minimum normal requirement for the position.

Q: Doesn't an employer have to prove that international students are not taking jobs from a qualified candidate with permanent work authorization?
No. Employers are not required to document that a citizen of another country did not take a job from a qualified candidate with permanent work authorization if that person is working under F-1, J-1, or H-1B visas. Employers must document that they did not turn down a qualified applicant for the position only when they wish to hire foreign citizens on a permanent basis and sponsor them for a permanent resident status.

For more information, you may contact the Indiana University Office of International Services at (812) 855-9086, fax (812) 855-4418 or email intlserv@indiana.edu.