This is a permit that allows foreign students to work legally outside the school, and the work field must be related to their major. In defining CPT, USCIS mentioned that this kind of employment must be part of students' courses, including internships, paid internship programs, or other internships, but these employers must have cooperation agreements with schools. The department providing CPT must list job opportunities in the course information. These internships are paid and unpaid, depending on the arrangement of the school. If the internship is not part of the curriculum, some schools can also apply, but the academic system will be extended.
Because there are many homework assignments in the United States, no one strongly encourages students to consider using CPT in class again. Note: the time of CPT cannot exceed 12 months. Once it exceeds 12 months, OPT can no longer be considered!
OPT (optional practical training)
There are 65,438+2 months for international students with American degrees, and the majors under STEM (abbreviation of STEM for science, technology, engineering and mathematics) can now be postponed to 36 months. The premise is that your company must be under the E-Verify system, you must be off-duty for at least 9 months before you can apply, and your reading experience meets the requirements.
OPT can choose to apply 3 months before graduation or 1 month after graduation. It depends on your own needs. There is no essential difference between the two, but you must ensure that USCIS (American Citizenship and Immigration Center) receives your application within 30 days after the I-20 updated by the international office of the school. After successful application, you have a work permit and can work for any company. But it is required that your work content must be related to your major. This period of time is basically unrestricted and you can stay in the United States.
OPT is an effective way for us to transition from a student visa to a work visa. However, there is still one thing to pay attention to. If you have applied, but have not found a job within three months, OPT will be cancelled automatically. At this time, there is no choice but to pack up and go back to China. After all, the internship time is limited. If students want to stay in the United States after the internship expires, it involves the handling of work visas.
After the efforts of CPT and OPT, we will continue to draw the lottery of H 1B, and H 1B basically tests the fate. This year alone, more than 230,000 international students shared 85,000 visas by lottery, of which 65,000 visas were given to applicants with bachelor degree or above, and the other 20,000 visas will be reserved for applicants with master degree or above.
H 1B visa
The H 1B visa is what we call a work visa, provided that only your employer can handle it for employees. Therefore, if students want to apply for a work visa, they must first find a job and then get the consent of their own enterprises. Secondly, the application must be submitted before April 1, and the official effective time is June 65438+1 October1of the same year. Before the entry into force of H 1B, if OPT expires but there is still a job, you can still work legally. Relatively speaking, people with high academic qualifications are more likely to get it; STEM majors often draw lots, and the probability of getting them will increase relatively, so the work visa is related to the major and education.
Congratulations to the winners. With the H 1B visa, the applicant can apply for a green card while working. H 1B visa is valid for 6 years, and the new version of H 1B visa is initially valid for 3 years and can be renewed. The initial renewal can last for 2 years, and the final renewal 1 year shall not exceed 6 years. Six years is enough time for applicants to apply for H 1B green card conversion within the validity period of H 1B visa. Holders can also get green cards by marrying citizens or green cards, but more people do not have this condition, so they have to choose employers to apply for green cards for them. H 1B, after applying for a green card, it can be extended for one or three years after six years, and it can be extended indefinitely. There is no requirement to leave the country after six years.
However, students should note that if they rely on their former employers to apply for a green card, they will have to start the whole green card application process again after changing employers. So you want to get a green card through a work visa. You are bound by your employer from the moment you start working. Therefore, students are advised to be cautious in finding jobs, especially those aiming at green cards. Compared with previous OPT and CPT, it is much more difficult to apply for a work visa and a green card. Not only is the procedure complicated, but it is also a lottery system, so there is still some luck in it.
Having a green card means having permanent residency in the United States, but it is still one step away from American residents. You must have a plan to live permanently in the United States, for example, at least half a year. If you plan to return to China for permanent residence, it will be fine for the first 2-3 years (you can apply for special permission), but if you don't live in the United States for a long time, your green card will be gone. Therefore, if you want to get an American green card before returning to China for long-term development, you should first consider this issue. Do you really need a green card?