The CCD is aware of the unique challenges and needs of International students. From navigating employment law to adjusting to different workplace cultures, our office is here to support Owls as they determine their next steps.
Career counselors are available by appointment to assist you with a wide array of career planning topics and any other professional questions you may have. For quick help, take advantage of our ‘no appointment needed’ policy with our same day drop-in service, available when class is in session. Our career counselors can help answer your questions with 10-15 minute long appointments from 12-1PM, Monday through Friday (first come, first served).
Below are some resources for International students, alumni, and professionals. The CCD is committed to personal and professional growth, and would love your help in adding to this list. If you have an additional career resource, please reach out to us at ccd@rice.edu. We would love to hear from you.
Career Resources
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OISS - The OISS aims to serve and support Rice’s international visitors during their stay in the United States. Review their website for information on visa compliance, employment authorization, immigration updates, cultural activities, and more!
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MY VISA JOBS - Review ANNUAL VISA REPORTS, search the EMPLOYER DATABASE, and search the VISA JOB DATABASE to find employers who have sponsored your skills or occupation before by industry, career, city, job title and review, and then contact them directly.
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Uniworld - Uniworld is a directory of American firms operating in foreign countries and foreign firms operating in the U.S. Available at RICE FONDREN
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INTERNATIONAL STUDENT JOB & INTERNSHIP SEARCH GUIDE – A guide to remind you of key steps to take prior to and throughout the process of conducting an internship and job search.
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CULTURAL BARRIERS TO INTERVIEWING – Review this overview of American work-related cultural values and expectations, which addresses some possible cultural barriers to an effective job search.
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EMPLOYERS WHO HIRE RICE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS FOR CPT & OPT – Review this overview of employers who hired your peers for jobs and internships during the 2018-2022 academic years.
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Cultural Vistas - Places engineering, science, and technical students into paid internships abroad and obtains work permits for all technical and some non-technical students who have identified their own internships abroad
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U.S. Department of Labor's Certification Data Disclosure - This site will help you find out which companies applied for H-1B visas for one or more new employees in the past few years. This will give you some ideas of employers open to having international employees working for them. Please note that you can search by year, employer and/or state.
Professional Associations
OwlNest- Browse different clubs and organizations on-campus for support and professional resources for International students
Additional Information
If you intend to work off campus as an international student, you must obtain authorization from the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) prior to starting your position. F-1 students may be eligible for CPT or OPT but should check with an OISS advisor and review the requirements on their website: http://oiss.rice.edu/studentwork/.
If authorized or seeking authorization for practical training, you may indicate on your application that you are legally allowed to work in the U.S. However, note that there are limitations to your authorization (temporary, curricular requirement for CPT, directly related to major for OPT, etc.) Additionally, your CPT or OPT request must be approved in order for you to engage in off-campus practical training.
In the US, employers cannot legally ask “are you a US citizen,” so instead they often ask:
- “Do you or will you ever need sponsorship to work in the US” - Your answer to this would be "yes", since you will need it after OPT
- "Are you legally authorized to work in the US?" - Your answer to this is also "yes" for those who are CPT/OPT eligible.
You can apply to positions that you do not fit the work elgibility criteria for, however you will likely not be considered for hiring because the hiring organization may only be looking to hire US candidates. The work status elgibility criteria set by organizations could be due to a number of reasons including, but not limited to, the nature of the work performed (ex. government work) or if security clearance is required for the role.
Need Help?
For help preparing for your job or internship search, schedule an appointment with one of our career counselors.
Quick Help Without an Appointment
Take advantage of our ‘no appointment needed’ policy with our same day Drop-In service. Our career counselors can help answer your questions with 10-15 minute long appointments from 12-1pm M-F while classes are in session, on a first come, first served basis.