OpenSphere

If you are an international student who just graduated without a job offer & are nearing your EAD start date, don't panic. Here's what you can do to stop your 90-day clock. If you're an international student, you know that you are on a 90-day strict clock to find a legitimate employer post your graduation, and it can be stressful if you don't already have a job offer in hand. Fortunately, you can volunteer as an international student for opportunities which can be paid/non-paid, and utilise that to stop your clock. Here are some places to reach out to non-profit organizations for a volunteering opportunity: 1. https://lnkd.in/gYaFKVtr  2. https://lnkd.in/gXmxmpGs  3. https://lnkd.in/gJujkCdA Once you have a volunteering role, get an offer letter from the non-profit (it should be a 501(c)(3) organization) with the following details which must be on the offer: 1. Employer name and address  2. Role description  3. Work start date  4. Number of hours stating full time or part time (Minimum 20 hours/week required)  5. Paid or unpaid  6. Employer FEIN (Federal Employer Identification Number)  7. Supervisor name, telephone number, and email address When you choose to volunteer with a non-profit without pay, you’ll have to show funds to show you can support yourself until you find a job. The amount should be equal to the “estimated average cost of living” as per your latest i20. Please note that the above information is based on the presentation from one particular U.S. school’s website called “F1 and J1 work Authorization Presentation” . Please verify the above information with your own respective school’s Visa services to understand what is applicable for you. Note: When getting a sponsorship letter from your parents/friends/anyone who’s showing funds for you, mention you are on F-1 OPT, and your EAD start date in the sponsorship letter. You can use these volunteering opportunities to stop your 90 day clock for finding a job. You’ll have 10 days from the day you begin volunteering to report this information officially to your school. Reach out to your visa officer in case of any queries with a high priority (always) email. Remember to always verify any information related to your Visa with your school's visa services to understand what is and isn't applicable for you or your program. I am confident this information (graciously put together by my batchmate Kritika Sharma will help many international students who have just graduated or are in their last semester of grad school, so please do share it with anyone who may benefit from it in your network. P.S. I am Shreya Mishra, an international student at Duke University, turned TPM at Visa, & I share about my academic & corporate life experiences in the U.S. Follow along to keep learning with me! #internationalstudents #gradschool #jobhunting #studyabroad