10/11/2014
International student jobs: Australia vs USA
Australia
The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) lets you live, study and work in Australia temporarily after you have finished your studies.
This visa has two streams:
Graduate Work stream – for international students with an eligible qualification who graduate with skills and qualifications that relate to an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL). A visa in this stream is granted for 18 months from the date of grant.
Post-Study Work stream – for international students who graduate with a higher education degree from an Australian education provider, regardless of their field of study. This stream is only available to students who applied for, and were granted, their first student visa to Australia on or after 5 November 2011. A visa in this stream can be granted for up to four years from the date the visa is granted, depending on the visa applicant’s qualification.
If you are applying as the main applicant, you and anybody else covered by the application must be in Australia when you apply for this visa and when your visa is decided.
Recent media stories have reported that international students are finding it very difficult to find employment after graduation.
US
Optional practical training program helps graduates move into work.
International students may apply for the 12 months of OPT as well as a 17 month extension for those studying in the STEM fields.
International graduates undertaking OPT may look for an employer to sponser a H-1B visa.
The H-1B visa, which enables US employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations, often leads to permanent residence.
Poor economic conditions in the US have made it harder for international students to find employment after graduating.
