International MBAs
International students generally comprise more than 30% of the student body in full-time MBA programs at our partner business schools. These students bring outstanding work experience, academic accomplishment, multilingual abilities, cross-cultural insight, and keen business acumen that allow them to adapt effectively to a variety of organizational cultures. Your candidate pool and work force will have much more depth by including these talented students in your recruiting process, and hiring them is a straight-forward process.
Summer internships
The vast majority of our international MBA students study while on an F-1 (student) or J-1 (exchange visitor) visa. These students can accept summer internships regardless of citizenship through their campus’ Curricular Practical Training (CPT) program. Work permission is handled by the student and school campus officials, so companies and organizations can offer summer internships to international students without limitation.
Full-time employment
Upon graduation, F-1 visa holders can work in the US for up to 12 months and J-1 visa holders may work for up to 18 months through their MBA schools’ Optional Practical Training Program (OPT). During this time the employer must file an H1-B visa application, and pay minimal legal and application fees. H1-B visas last for three years and can be renewed up to a maximum of six years. And, since April 2008, new hires with an approved H1-B application may remain employed during the transition between the end of OPT (usually in June) and the start of the H1-B visa (usually Oct 1), effectively eliminating any gaps in employment.
Employers should submit an H1-B visa petition at least four months before the practical training expires.
Applying for H1-B status is a two-step process:
1. The employer must file a Labor Condition Application (LCA) with the Department of Labor to certify that the rate of pay is equivalent to the prevailing wage rate for the specific occupation and job title. Approval of an LCA takes about seven working days.
2. The employer must file a petition for H-1B status with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The processing time for H-1B petition is three to five months (typically three months).
Most of our partner schools provide exceptional support to help their international MBAs navigate the work authorization process. For more information regarding the H1-B application process, please refer to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services website at www.uscis.gov.