International Student Employment: Navigating Immigration Regulations, Career Services, and Employer Considerations

Abstract

This chapter introduces student services professionals to trends and issues regarding international student employment from career services and international student services advising perspectives.

A Phenomenological Exploration of Individual and University Supports Affecting U.S. International Students’ Job Searches

“…While themes from the present study are generally relevant and beneficial for all university students, we argue that they have unique implications for international students' career development since international students face several challenges that are distinct from those experienced by domestic students (Bertram et al, 2014;Carlson & McHenry, 2006;McFadden & Seedorff, 2017;Reynolds & Constantine, 2007;Rose et al, 2006;Sangganjanavanich et al, 2011). Therefore, we believe that the principles of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can be applied to the supports offered by high education institutions in order to make the job search process more accessible and inclusive for international students.…”

“…Based on data from 2022/23 academic year, the plurality of international students who study in the US originate from China (19.1%), India (15.7%), and South Korea (6.5%) (IIE, 2023a). International students searching for U.S. employment face challenges that domestic students do not necessarily face, including complex immigration policies and regulations (McFadden & Seedorff, 2017), language barriers (Carlson & McHenry, 2006; Sangganjanavanich et al, 2011), and cultural barriers (Bertram et al, 2014; Reynolds & Constantine, 2007). Despite these challenges, thousands of international students procure employment in the US each year.…”

We Want Them, but We Will Not Support Them: A Comparative Study of Settlement Services Provided to International Students in the USA and Canada

“…The restrictive employment policies laid out by the government for ISs make it increasingly difficult for them to attain employment or earn enough money to support themselves (Evive and Gbedu, 2009). For instance, ISs in the USA must attend school full time to retain status, and can only work part-time campus jobs (McFadden &Seedorff, 2017).…”

“…In order to work off-campus, students need to complete one academic year, and off-campus employment must be authorized by the ISs institution (McFadden &Seedorff, 2017).…”

“…ISs also pay high tuition fees, and the amount of financial aid from the federal government and private and international agencies is low. Further, nearly half of ISs who return to their home countries after graduation reported visa and work-related issues as the primary reasons for returning (McFadden and Seedorff (2017). Discrimination as a result of employer concerns about an ISs ability to communicate or culturally "fit in" were also reported as a deterrent for ISs ability enter the job market (McFadden and Seerdorff, 2017).…”