International students enrolled in the Kelley School of Business generally hold an F-1 visa or J-1 visa.
Students with an F-1 status are eligible for Curricular Practical Training work authorization.
Students should work with the IU Office of International Services prior to employment.
As of March 1, 2003, the functions of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) were officially transferred to the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
- F-1 Visa Holders are eligible for Curricular Practical Training, which is usually used for summer internships. After completion of studies, students are eligible for employment in a status called Optional Practical Training. 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 or months 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 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The most common of these is an H-1B visa. The Immigration Bridge Program® can help employers with the full-time international hiring process.
The Immigration Bridge Program® will help you navigate the complex H-1B visa process—so you can make excellent international hires and our international students can excel in great jobs.
Immigration Bridge is a proactive partnership between the Kelley School of Business, the IU Office of International Services, and a top immigration law firm, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy LLP, to assist international students and recruiters with immigration matters related to employer sponsorship. Students—not the recruiting companies—initiate the Immigration Bridge Program® application. While this program does not guarantee a visa sponsorship, visa, or employment, it does improve the situation for international students being recruited both on and off campus.
For more information on the Immigration Bridge Program®, please contact Nina Camfield, Associate Director of Corporate Relations for Graduate Career Services, at ecamfiel@indiana.edu, or view the Corporate Fact Sheet.
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