Many students fear discussing visa matters in a job interview, thinking that they might not get the job if the employer knows they are on a non-immigrant visa. Some employers specify that they will only interview U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Theoretically, these would be employers involved with national security issues (defense contractors or U.S. government jobs). If an employer is not involved with this type of work, or does not specify who is eligible to apply, a non-immigrant can assume that h/she is eligible not only to apply but, indeed, to be hired if found qualified for the job.

While non-immigrants may not have a legal right to work in the U.S., they do have several options to do so. F-1 and J-1 students, for example, can work legally under Practical Training provisions. Many non-immigrants are eligible to obtain H-1B status, which permits temporary professional employment for up to six years. Brown's Career Services office and the Office of Foreign Student, Faculty and Staff Services (http://www.brown.edu/Administration/Foreign_Student_Office/index.html) offer workshops to explain these legal employment options and how to pursue them.

The important thing to remember in an interview is that the employer wants to hire the best person for the job. If you are a non-immigrant with superior qualifications, the employer will want to hire you. If you are tense in the interview when the question of visa comes up, your tension will come across to the employer through your body language and the employer might develop reservations about hiring you. If, however, you focus on your special skills and qualifications in the interview, and handle the visa question calmly and matter-of-factly, it is more likely that the employer will evaluate you on the basis of your talents and consider the visa issue to be minor.

On visa-related questions in an interview, follow these guidelines:

1. Go to your interview with some knowledge of your legal options. Don't interview for a job that you know your visa will not allow you to take. (For example, J-1 students who are subject to the two year home requirement should not interview for jobs that would allow them to work beyond the 18 months maximum allowed for J-1 practical training). If you know your eligibility and exactly what's involved in getting H-1B status or practical training authorization, you'll be able to say confidently in the interview that the visa matters can be worked out.
   
   
2. If your interviewer asks about your visa, answer directly and honestly, but don't feel you have to go into great detail about it. The more nervous you seem about it, the more suspicious and worried the interviewer will be about it.
   
   
3. If your interview is coming to a close and the visa issue has not been mentioned yet, it is a good idea for you to bring it up casually. You can say, for example, "By the way, I'm on a student visa and will need to discuss that with you briefly if I'm hired. My foreign student adviser has explained all my legal options, and while some are less difficult than others, procedures do exist for legal employment." By bringing up the topic yourself, you are showing the employer that you have nothing to hide. Remember: an F-1 or J-1 visa is not a disease!
   
   
4. Focus on your special skills and qualifications for the job. This is the main thing your employer wants to know. How will the organization benefit if you are hired?
   
   
5. If you still feel worried about your non-immigrant visa, or if your interviewer seems to hesitate when you mention that you are on a non-immigrant visa, emember that as a foreign student you actually have certain advantages over U.S. students. While most foreign students don't think of it in this way, it's true. Consider the following:

• You have spent several years living and studying in a totally foreign culture. This means that you have already demonstrated how adaptable you are to new environments. An employer wants to hire someone who will adapt well in a new job environment.
  
  
• You are statistically one of very few people from your country who uprooted themselves to come to the U.S. for an education. This means you know how to take initiative. U.S. employers like employees who take initiative.
  
  
• If your native language is not English, you have successfully pursued an educational program in a foreign language. This means at least two things: 1) if the organization has branches or offices overseas, you may be useful because you have demonstrated your ability to perform successfully in a foreign language; and 2) you had to work harder than native speakers of English to be successful in your academic program. Therefore, you have demonstrated that you can work under adverse conditions and that you are persistent in working towards the goals you have set for yourself.

All of these characteristics are highly regarded in the culture of the American work place. They are characteristics you should be proud of and should emphasize in your interviews.

Adapted from Marcy Cohen, International Faculty & Student Advisor, Rutgers University.

Additional Web Resources for U.S. Employment:
http://www.jobweb.com/Resources/Library/Interviews__Resumes/US_Employment_81_01.htm (Be sure to check out all six pages for outstanding tips.)
http://www.CampusCareerCenter.com/students/visa.cfm
http://www.foreignborn.com/
http://usavisanow.com/
http://h1visajobs.com/
http://intlcareers.org/non-us.html (article with advice for non-US students seeking employment)

LG 6/01

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