International students struggle for U.S. employment

[bart95]

Currently, an international student must obtain a H1B visa to work in the United States Once an international has secured a job offer, his employer must apply to the government for the visa on the student’s behalf.

Without a work visa, international students only have 12 months throughout their college careers — called “Optional Practical Training” — to take paid work off campus before their student visas expire. Many students will have already used part of this time for internships.



http://thedp.com/index.php/article/2012/03/international_students_struggle_for_u.s._employment

[liberalhistorian]

1. Sorry, but I really can't work up too much sympathy here.

I know plenty of American students, and Americans in general, including my own son, who are having trouble securing work. I don't see why work should go to international students first.

[atreides1]

2. Not much sympathy from me either.

[EnviroBat]

3. Oh my, the poor dears...

Can't say I give a rats ass...

[bart95]

4. note the 12 month Optional Training Program claim is false

it's 29 months

but the truth makes their claims weaker

[Lizzie Poppet]

5. How tragic.

[bart95]

6. such an article in a deep recession expresses a value among many factions, that foreign

nationals have a right to US employment, even when it will surely displace an American citizen from a field, even for life (which is the case for recent grads)

this value is deep in many factions in this country

[bart95]

7. universities have a conflict of interest in employment markets

universities actually have more interest in inflating the requirments, increasing the competition to get employment, (making it actually harder for young people to get jobs) than they do in actually preparing young people for employment, because when the requirments get inflated, students get more and more degrees. this serious conflict of interest is generally overlooked, even though it means soaking young people for money they dont even have, before they've even started out in life. universities get a pass on this issue, even as they flaunt 7 figure coach salaries, in institutions with more sacred cows than India

and if many students end up with little more than a pile of debt, so what?

the university already has THEIR money

there is no question that there have been diminishing returns for educational investment in this country, and the above is part of it

it is a sad and trouble fact, that many individuals (not all) in universities view students as revenue to serve and feed the university, with little reciprocal obligation to the student in actually being prepared for life

for many students, algebraically, the increase in preparation is offset by the increase in competition and requirements (that the university directly contributed to) for the student, with little more than debt for the student, that has to be worked off to pay the university (should they ever get a job)

in other words, an employment protection racket