International Students

Welcome to the international student affinity community page!

This web page will provide resources, opportunities and programs to assist you as you explore career interests and prepare for your future. This web page also aims to provide assistance in connecting to other international students, navigating the job search process in your home country, abroad or in the United States and including information and techniques helpful to adapting your job search to the location’s laws, culture and societal norms.

This web page is designed to be open to all Binghamton University students, faculty and staff regardless of race, color, national origin, or sex, and is consistent with all current governing federal and state nondiscrimination law.

International Student Career Guidance

International students at Binghamton University may have unique concerns and questions about how to successfully prepare for job searching in the United States. This affinity group will provide you with some helpful resources as well as connect you to offices that can help you navigate ways to stand out as a competitive candidate for U.S. jobs and internships.

Also check out our Undergraduate Student and Graduate Student pages for additional career development resources, including the job search timeline.

For questions related to immigration, employment authroization, health insurance, taxes, and other on-campus resources for international students visit the International Student and Scholar Services.

Career and Professional Development Timeline for International Students

Get to know the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) and the many resources they provide.
Understand your work authorization options. F-1 and J-1 students can work on-campus
Understand the process of applying for work authorization (CPT) for off-campus employment in the U.S. during your studies and how to apply for social security. F-1 and J-1 students are allowed to work on campus up to 20 hours per week during the academic year and full time during breaks. However, any off-campus work, including for internships, requires authorization in advance. In addition, the work must be directly related to your major, and you must register for at least one credit during each semester of the CPT authorization. Please contact ISSS before beginning employment.
Learn about resumes, interviewing, and other aspects of the U.S. job search. Check out our Career Guide.
Utilize our on-demand video workshops on topics such as job and internship search, networking, writing successful cover letters and resumes, and interviewing.

Make an appointment with a career consultant at Fleishman Center to begin discussing your interests and career goals.
Experience U.S. networking, including building a LinkedIn profile or conducting informational interviews with alumni. Check out the guide to “Successful Networking Strategies for International Students“. Also check out Fleishman Center’s Networking Guide.
Master’s students can start looking for on-campus employment or research opportunities, during the first year of their academic program. You can find these opportunities on Handshake as well as through the Graduate School’s website. International students on F-1 visas need to have enrolled for at least one full academic year (two semesters) in their current degree program before the start date of their CPT. Any off-campus employment during an international students’ academic program requires a work authorization.
Start researching companies in areas of interest and understand recruiting timelines for your industry of interest.
Prepare an elevator pitch to introduce yourself to employers (tips can be found in our Career Guide) and practice for your upcoming interviews on Big Interview. This is a free resource for all registered Binghamton University students.

Understand the process of applying for post-graduation work authorization (OPT) by visiting the International Student and Scholar Services.
Explore networking opportunities and connect with alumni through Mentor Match and LinkedIn, both international alumni as well as those from your field of interest, to familiarize yourself with the job search process in the United States.

Attend recruiting events, such as Fleishman’s Job and Internship Fair, to learn about companies and to gain experience speaking with U.S. employers.
Gain practice with mock interviews and talking about your skills and experiences. Check out the “Ultimate Guide to US Interviews”.
Continue participating in networking, including company or alumni events, and conduct informational interviews. Check out Fleishman’s NYC Connect Employer Trek’s during the winter break. This event is a week long opportunity to expand your professional network while learning about the industry trends and organizational culture.
Continue applying for internships or pre-graduation experiences. You can utilize job resources such as Interstride, MyVisaJobs, and Handshake. Make sure to filter for employers who accept CPT or OPT. You can use FrogHire.ai’s extension, which integrates with LinkedIn, Indeed, Handshake, Glassdoor, and Google Jobs to filter H-1B friendly and E-verify employers.

Speak with the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) for more information about the OPT processing times and strategies to applying. F-1 students may be eligible for 12 months Optional Practical Training (OPT) authorization, which allows international students to gain professional experience in the U.S. that is directly related to their field of study. Employment under OPT can be paid or unpaid.
Visit the Fleishman Center and make an appointment with us on Handshake for job search strategies and to polish up on your resume, CV, cover letter, and interviewing techniques.
Apply for full-time employment opportunities with employers that hire students on OPT, have sponsored H1-B visas in the past, and have opted for E-Verify (which ensures employers are hiring legally authorized workers in the United States). Students on STEM OPT during their two year extension must find employers who are participating in E-Verify.
Have a back up plan if you find out there are limited job opportunities in the United States. Look for job opportunities back home or in other countries that are open to international hires. Check out Interstride’s job search tool for jobs outside of the United States. Interstride now features sponsored jobs in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the UAE. Interstride also hosts webinars on immigration pathways to other countries.

Follow up with previously established connections, including career fair contacts, networking contacts, or former internship supervisors to learn about potential opportunities and to request referrals. Check out Fleishman’s Networking Guide on how to reach out and follow up with professional connections.
Apply for post-graduate work experiences in your areas of interest. Check out the recruiting timelines for your industry of interest and start your job search at least a year in advance. You can utilize job resources such as Interstride, MyVisaJobs, and Handshake and filter for employers who accept CPT or OPT and who are E-verify employers. You can use FrogHire.ai’s extension, which integrates with LinkedIn, Indeed, Handshake, Glassdoor, and Google Jobs to filter H-1B friendly and E-verify employers.
Apply for OPT 90 days prior to the date you intent to start working in the U.S. due to the processing time.

Helpful General Resources

Interstride is an interactive career platform designed especially to support international students and combines job search tools, visa and immigration guidance, networking, and career resources into one easy-to-use hub. Interstride offers live webinars, courses, and resources on U.S. immigration as well as immigration to other countries.

Higher Education Immigration Portal-Legal Pathways That Work comprehensive resource hub, a project of the Legal Pathways that Work initiative, offers a suite of resources, trainings, and other tools to support access to employment-based visas and careers in the U.S. post graduation for non-citizen students and graduates, including Dreamers with and without DACA.

Path2 Papers is Cornell Law School’s resources for Dreamers. This webpage also includes resources on different immigration pathways in the United States, including a resource that provides a breakdown of the recent H1B Proclamation that international students can review.

Exploring International Careers and Studies is a Fleishman Center opportunity resource for creating international resumes and CVs as well as finding international opportunities and insights.

International Education Financial Aid (IEFA) is a premier online database providing comprehensive listings of scholarships, grants, and loan programs for international students.

Building Financial Literacy Program is Fleishman Center’s initiative to empower students with the clarity, confidence, and sense of community needed to navigate their financial journey with success. You can schedule an appointment with our financial educator, or join a financial education workshop or campus event.

International Student Taxes, the International Student and Scholar Service’s provides information on how international students can file their taxes in the United States.

Froghire.ai and Interstride’s H1B Sponsorship Finder both provide data tools and web extension to support OPT/H1B job seekers. Both extensions integrate with LinkedIn, Indeed, Handshake, Glassdoor, and Google Jobs to filter H-1B friendly and E-verify employers.

OPT for Humanity, United OPT, and OPT Nation are OPT job and volunteer search sites for international students to continue their optional practical training after they graduate and search for employers that have hired international students in the past.

H-1B Employer Data Hub maintained by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services can guide students to look for employers that have petitioned to hire international workers.

Myvisajobs.com similarly is a database to search for employers who have verified H1-Bs but also provides a list of top employers who have hired international workers in the past and top employment trends.

Upcoming Interstride Webinars

Move to Australia: Independent Immigration Pathways for Recent Graduates (July 6, 2026 06:30 PM EDT)

This session explores the independent migration options available to recent graduates who are looking to move to Australia without employer sponsorship.

Monthly Q&A on US Immigration (July 24th, 2026 1:00 PM EDT)

Join Fragomen’s monthly open forum to ask questions related to international students and employment-based immigration categories.

New Interstride Features

H-1B Wage & Lottery Insights:

Explore official salary benchmarks tailored to your role and location. Use data-backed insights to evaluate your job offer and better prepare for the H-1B lottery.

If you’re applying for an H-1B job, it’s important to ensure that its wage level supports your case for an H-1B visa. One of the most common reasons for H-1B visas to get denied is when a job you apply for offers too low of an H-1B wage level for the position. With Interstride’s Prevailing Wage Map students and alumni can now explore H-1B wage levels (I–IV) by role and location, and estimate lottery insights directly in the portal.

Interstride’s International Network

Network with other international students and alumni both in your institution as well as across institutions to get insights from their career journeys.

Explore Sponsored Jobs:

Interstride now features sponsored jobs in Australia, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the UAE. You can explore these opportunities in the Find Jobs tab.

Explore CPT and OPT Eligible Roles:

You can now explore OPT and CPT eligible roles on Interside’s Find Jobs tab.