Job Search Resources for International Students

International graduate students may be eligible to work in the U.S. by using Curricular Practical Training (CPT), which is commonly for internships, or Optional Practical Training (OPT), which is commonly for full-time jobs. These are only short-term work authorizations.

Employer-based visa sponsorship such as the H-1B, TN, or O1 visa is required if you want to work long-term in the U.S. after graduation. Please contact Davis International Center to learn more about work authorization based on your particular visa status.

Finding employers that may hire international students

Handshake

All Princeton graduate students receive a free Handshake account which they can use to schedule appointments with career advisers, find upcoming programs and events, and search for jobs/internships across multiple industries.

You can find employers in Handshake sponsoring work authorization for international students by using the "Will sponsor or doesn't require US work visa" or "Accepts OPT/CPT" job search filters.

CareerShift

CareerShift is a job and internship search tool that aggregates opportunities from multiple sources and provides contact information for alumni and other professionals. International students can use the H1-B Visa Sponsorship filter under Advanced Search to view postings that indicate organizations’ willingness to sponsor visa holders.

International Graduate Student Employers

An interactive chart featuring information about employers that offered international graduate students OPT and CPT between 2018-2022.

Myvisajobs.com

This site provides information on H-1B Visa and Green Card sponsorship trends by employers, industry, job title and occupations in its top 100 sponsors reports.

H-1B Employer Data Hub

This site offers a database of employers petitioning for H-1B employees. It allows you to search for H-1B sponsors by year (back to 2009), employer name, location or NAICS code, as well as calculate approval and denial rates. Complete data for individual fiscal years is available to download.

Top 200 Employers for CPT and OPT Students

The information is managed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). SEVP provides a list of employers hiring international students for CPT or OPT. The latest published information includes the top 200 employers in 2019 for OPT and CPT students.