Internship Opportunities for Indian Students In The USA

Before deciding on a particular country to pursue higher studies in, an Indian student would want to know its ‘post-degree landscape.’ The post-degree landscape of a country refers to the kind of professional opportunities a country offers its domestic and international students after they secure a degree from a university.

No other country boasts of an international student community as big as the United States. With more than one million students enrolled in a variety of courses and programs, the US is one country that attracts a large number of international students every year. Several Indian students, after completing their course or program from a US-based university, get lucrative jobs and settle down in the country.

If an Indian student wishes to live and work in the US after completing their course, they have a few options. Before choosing a particular option, they should weigh its pros and cons and determine whether it would work for them in the long run. By engaging in Curricular Practical Training or CPT for 12 months, an Indian student can get F-1 student visa work rights. It forms an integral part of a student’s academic program and strengthens their position regarding living and working in the US.

An Indian student can get their F-1 student visa extended by 12 months by undergoing Options Practical Training or OPT. By doing this, they can work in the country and a field related to their studies for a certain time.

While discussing internships in the USA for Indian students, one cannot miss out on checking the option of procuring an H1B employer-sponsored visa. To get this type of visa, the Indian student needs to get an offer of employment, and a sponsoring employer should endorse it. Every year, 85,000 visas are granted by the US government.

For getting a non-immigrant H-1B visa, an Indian student would need a sponsor employer. It can only be applied by those who have a bachelor’s degree. The work or employment the student wishes to engage in should be related to their studies.

The non-immigrant E-1 or E-2 visa can be applied by international students from specific countries with an understanding or treaty with the US. To procure an E-1 visa, the student would have to be employed by a company that carries out 51% or more of its trade between the US and the student’s home country. For getting an E-1 visa, the student would have to invest a good amount of money.

There is also the non-immigrant L-1 visa that caters primarily to managers and executives. While it is offeredto Iran nationals for just three months, students who hail from India, Germany, and Japan can get it for 5 years.

A successful post-degree internship paves the way for a bright professional career for any student. After completing their course or program from a US-based university, an Indian student could intern and continue working in the US or return to their country to work in a company there. Either way, doing an internship helps them tremendously.

Building Skillset

Doing a post-degree internship leads Indian students or career aspirants towards building skills that help them tremendously in their professional careers. Apart from helping them build a strong skillset, it also enables them to gain a great amount of knowledge that brings efficiency and effectiveness in their work in the future.

Meeting Industry Professionals

The opportunity to meet and interact with industry professionals with several years of experience adds a lot to a student or career aspirant’s professional skills. Apart from learning important things from them about the job they are supposed to do, students also get valuable tips on the moves they need to make to propel their career growth forward.

Sometimes, professionals change their career paths while continuing to work in the same industry. Before embarking upon a professional journey, many Indian students studying in the US could be confused about the roles or responsibilities they would want to explore in a particular industry. Doing an internship helps them get a lot of clarity on the same.

Top Industries and Companies in the US Offering Internships for Indian Students

While most industries in the United States offer good internship opportunities to Indian students, some industries are more welcoming. Certain industries are also known for paying interns well and offering them full-time job opportunities after completing their course.

Hospitality

Many Indian students go to the USA to do a hospitality-based program. While some opt for a culinary course, some learn about the nuances of hotel management. After graduating from college, Indian students get a lot of good internship opportunities in the hospitality industry.

Hospitality in the United States has grown gradually over the past few decades. People who work in the hospitality industry in the US get paid much more than those who work in the same industry in another country. During their internship, Indian students learn about how hotels function, how customers are served, and the kind of conduct one needs to follow while on the job.

Business

After doing a Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) or a Master in Business Administration (MBA) course from a US-based university, an Indian student gets different types of opportunities. In most cases, the university provides them with the right internship opportunity.

Different industries in the US, like marketing, finance, and management, value candidates with some work experience. An Indian student, therefore, should try to learn as much as they can during their internship stint. Many companies, which deal with Indian clients or businesses, keep looking for Indian management graduates to hire.

Journalism

Indian students pursuing a journalism program in the United States should not worry about getting good internship opportunities. Whether somebody is interested in working in print media or wants to operate in the broadcast media space, they can reach out to different media houses or publications to secure an internship.

If journalism student gives a good account of themselves while doing their internship, they can expect to get a job offer from the same company. Most colleges and universities offering media and journalism courses help students get internships. The digital media space in the US is growing at a good pace, so students could explore it as well.