Hiring International Students

When you make the decision to recruit a Rice Business MBA for an internship or full-time position you’re expecting to engage students with broad business experience, strong analytical skills and unique perspectives. Beyond that, our international students bring even more to the table as they typically tout a wider breadth of education and training experience along with the fact that their presence helps incorporate greater diversity and cultural awareness in an organization.

How to Hire International Students

INTERNSHIPSFULL-TIME ROLES
No cost for employersNo cost for employers (during CPT, OPT and STEM OPT extension)
No special action needed from employersMust be enrolled with E-verify (for STEM OPT extension only)
Rice MBAs are eligible to work up to 12 months for an internship (full-time work schedules are only allowed during school breaks)Rice MBAs are eligible for up to 3 years of full-time employment before requiring sponsorship (1 year OPT + 2 years OPT STEM extension)
Issue a letter to confirm the internship offerPrepare, implement and submit a formal training program in line with student’s academic learning (for STEM OPT extension only)

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is CPT?
    • CPT (Curricular Practical Training) is work authorization that allows F-1 students to accept practical training after one year of full-time study, in form of an internship, without requiring sponsorship.
  2. What is the employer’s role in CPT?
    • The employer issues a letter to confirm the internship offer, all application requirements are the responsibility of the student.
  3. How long does it take to process and approve a request for CPT?
    • While this is purely the student’s responsibility, processing and approval time for CPT is typically within 5-10 business days.
    • Employers should issue offer letters about one month prior to anticipated start date.
  4. How long can a student work under CPT?
    • Up to 12 months, but 12 months of full-time CPT eliminates eligibility for OPT.
    • Full-time work schedules are permitted during school breaks, but during school semesters employment must be part-time only.
  5. What is OPT?
    • OPT (Optional Practical Training) is work authorization that allows F-1 status students who have graduated to gain practical work experience related to their major field of study.
  6. What is the employer’s role in OPT?
    • Employers must be enrolled and in good standing with E-Verify (for STEM OPT extension only)
    • Employers are also required to prepare, implement and submit a formal training program in line with student’s academic learning.
    • Employers are expected to provide an opportunity comparable to U.S. workers in duties, hours and compensation.
  7. How long does it take to process and approve a request for OPT?
    • While this is purely the student’s responsibility, Rice University’s Office of International Student Services will process a student’s OPT request within 1-2 weeks. Then, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services takes an average of 2-3 months, with some cases lasting 5-6 months, to process.
  8. How long can a student work under OPT?
    • With Rice Business’s STEM designation, a student can work for up to 3 years without requiring sponsorship.
  9. Can an employer hire international students as contractors (self-employed)?
    • If a student is using CPT to accept an internship position, they CANNOT be considered contractors/self-employed.
    • If a student is using OPT to accept a full-time position, they CAN do so as a contractor/self-employed status.

Additional Resources

Still have questions? Browse this list of helpful resources as you consider the benefits of onboarding a Rice Business international student.