Hiring International Students for Work-Integrated Learning

International Students are Valuable Assets to Your Workplace Excluding international students from your recruitment pipeline means you are missing out on a lot of talent.

International students can bring a wide range of skills and abilities to your organization, including:

  • Greater self-reliance and self-confidence
  • Ability to cope with ambiguous situations
  • Multicultural sensitivity and awareness
  • Adaptation & flexibility
  • Ability to learn quickly
  • International perspective
  • Tolerance for other opinions
  • Ability to see more than one perspective
  • Foreign language skills

But, isn't it overly-complicated to hire an international student?

Hiring an international student is not as difficult as employers think. Most WilmU international students are on an F-1 visa, which allows them to accept employment under certain conditions.

International students on F-1 visas are eligible to participate in internships through Curricular Practical Training (CPT). CPT is a work authorization that allows students complete internships related to their field of study. International Affairs at 黑洞社区 process the CPT application once a student receives an internship offer and requires no additional paperwork or fees for the employer. Just an offer letter that must:

  1. Be printed on company letterhead and include the full address of the employer, EIN number, job title, supervisors full name, and contact information (this includes both phone and email)
  2. Include the exact beginning and ending dates of the internship
  3. Include the number of hours per week the student will work
  4. Provide a detailed description of the duties and requirements

What about hiring international students for a longer period of employment?

International students on F-1 visas who have completed their studies are eligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows them to work for 12 months without requiring visa sponsorship. Students apply for OPT through USCIS approximately 3 months before they plan to start working, meaning they are already authorized to work by the time they receive a job offer.