What Employers Should Know About Hiring International Students

Interstride supports students, employers, and campuses in helping international students gain employment opportunities. Their U.S. Employer’s Guide to Hiring International Students covers everything from internships to long-term employment.

In addition, the following information can help both employers and students understand what is involved when an employer wants to hire an international student.  It covers the following topics:

  • Internship Hiring (part-time or full-time, while a student is pursuing their degree)
  • Full Time Hiring (Post-Graduation Internship or Employment)
  • Hiring and Retention Beyond OPT Timeframes

The UW Career & Internship staff members are not experts in this area and are not able to provide detailed consultation to employers on this matter.

Overview

International students are a strong and talented candidate pool. In many cases, they can be hired similarly to domestic candidates. However, it’s important to understand the specific visa types involved.

At the University of Washington, the most common student visa is the F-1 visa. This overview focuses on hiring students with F-1 visas. Please note, though, that not all international students hold F-1 visas—some may have other visa types with different requirements.

The Career & Internship Center cannot provide detailed guidance on individual hiring situations or specific organizations. For questions about your particular case, we recommend consulting your internal HR department or legal counsel.

Additionally, each political administration impacts immigration policy in different ways. For the most current information, always refer to your internal legal resources or the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

If a potential hire has questions about their own authorization or eligibility, direct them to UW International Student Services Office (ISS).

Pre-graduation Hiring (CPT)

International students need work authorization for any activities that could be deemed complimentary to their academic studies, including internships (paid or unpaid), volunteering, research and more. However, it requires no more paperwork than onboarding a domestic student!

What is Curricular Practical Training (CPT)?

CPT is temporary authorization for practical training directly related to a student’s major (field of study). This can be for employment, internships, co-ops or volunteering. The University of Washington’s International Student Services (ISS) Office handles nearly all paperwork and determines final eligibility.

Student eligibility:

  • Completed one full academic year at a college or university in the US
  • Be making normal academic progress
  • Register for a course to receive academic credit for their experience

Employer responsibility:

  • Issue a letter or other documentation that confirms the internship offer
  • There is no cost to the employer – the UW processes all documentation & issues work authorization

Once a student has been offered an internship, they connect with their academic advisor to register for corresponding credits and initiate the CPT process with ISS. ISS approval takes an average of three (3) weeks – students cannot start working at their site until they have been issued a CPT I-20 document by ISS.

While it is the student’s responsibility to make sure their authorization is approved before they begin work, we recommend employers confirm their form is up-to-date before the student begins any training. The employer name and work authorization period should be listed on page 2 of the I-20. Note that I-20’s are tied to academic terms and are issued on a quarterly basis – internships that span multiple academic quarters will require the student to request work authorization each term.

Post-graduation Hiring (OPT)

Hiring an F-1 student upon graduation does not generally cost the employer and can provide you with a great candidate pipeline.

What is Post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT)?

OPT provides F-1 alumni with an opportunity for hands-on work experience (work authorization) related to their academic field of study (major). Initial authorization is for up to 12 months, while students in specific STEM fields are eligible for extended authorization for an additional 24 months (36 months total work authorization). The list of approved STEM fields is wide ranging! It includes fields like Livestock Management, Informatics, Bioengineering, Applied Mathematics, Social Psychology and Archeology.

Student responsibility:

  • If interested, apply for OPT the quarter before graduating
  • Pay processing and filing fees to US Customs & Immigration Services (USCIS)

Employer responsibility:

  • Be enrolled in E-verify (if interested in hiring STEM OPT students)

OPT is not sponsorship – the employer does not pay any fees and the alumni can quit or find other employment at any time (if employed in an at-will state). Once OPT has been granted, the alumni will be issued an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) by USCIS. The EAD is a physical card that grants foreign nationals the permission to work legally in the US and serves as a valid I-9 document for employers.

Hiring & Retention Beyond OPT Timeframes

After the 1-3 years of OPT, long-term work authorization is required. This is known as “sponsorship” and is the step at which employers encounter the work authorizations, fees, and employer responsibilities that most associate with the hiring of international candidates. As you can see, there are many opportunities prior to this point where you can hire international students without any additional burden being placed on your organizational processes.


Resources on navigating processes and options here can be found through a variety of resources –internal HR or legal counsel, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services website, or professional organizations like SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management).

Prefer a video format? Watch our Winter 2025 “Unlocking Global Talent – Hiring & Supporting International Students” Employer Education Webinar.