International Students

Community Powers

International students face a competitive landscape and need to work harder to find experience in a different culture due to limited job visas, governmental hoops, cultural and language barriers, and unfamiliarity with the job search process, such as networking in a business or social setting. International students bring great value to their institution and workplace by contributing to the economy, driving research, diversifying campus life, and facilitating global understanding. Berkeley Career Engagement cares about your career aspirations and we provide tailored services and resources to help you along your career journey at Cal. Engage with us early! Meet with a career counselor to take advantage of all the resources Berkeley Career Engagement offers.

Campus Community Resources

Berkeley International Office

• Employment Authorization: learn the policies and application processes for work authorizations for international students
• Student Services: find BIO’s student appointments, drop-ins, and email information
• Programs & Events
• Legal Assistance: include the Immigration Attorney Referral List
• Other common topics: Social Security Number, Tax, Financial Aid

On-campus Job Opportunities

• Handshake on-campus job search
• Campus Opportunities
• Berkeley Discovery
• Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP)

Student Organizations

• International Student Organizations

English Language Resources

• Student Learning Center (SLC) Writing Program: supports undergraduate students with writing through appointments, events, workshops, and other resources
• Berkeley International Office: English Language Resources
• LinkedIn Learning courses on communication across cultures

Career Planning Resources

U.S. Job Search

Learn about the job search process and essential skills

• Berkeley Career Engagement Prepare for Success page: resources to help you explore career fields, start your resume and cover letter development, prepare for interviews, and master the art of networking
• 30-minute one-on-one career advising appointment with the BCE International Student Career Counselor (sign up via Handshake only – if you do not see an appointment, check back! Additional appointments are released each week)
• Fall 2025 International Student Career Events
• International Student CareerMail
  • Sign in to Handshake
  • Locate “My career interests” under your name in the top right corner
  • In response to the sixth question, check the box for “International Students” in the list of CareerMail categories
  • Click “Save My Career Interests” and you’re done!

Understand the work authorization and visa regulations

Work Authorizations

• Berkeley International Office Employment Authorization page
• Employer Guide for Hiring UCB International Students
• Independent U.S. Summer Internship Credit Option

Work Visa

• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services – Temporary Nonimmigrant Workers: learn about work visas for temporary workers
• Post-Graduation Employment Options for International Students by Ware Immigration: the slide deck and video recording of the H1B job visa information session conducted by Ware Immigration in Fall 2024. Use this resource to learn about the basics of H1b, H alternatives, and permanent residence. 

Find the international-friendly hiring employers

• Handshake: Use the “Work Authorization” filters of the Job and Career Fair pages in Handshake to identify employers who are willing to provide job visa sponsorship or accept international students using work authorizations
• 2017-2022 UCB OPT employer lists
• H1b job visa databases:
  • GoinGlobal>H1b/OPT
  • www.myvisajobs.com
  • www.immihelp.com
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: H-1B Employer Data Hub

Overseas Job Search (including home country)

• GoinGlobal: Employment guides to 40+ countries along with job/internship listings
• Uniworld Online (locate it on the Business Library Company Information database): a dictionary of multinational companies operating around the world. Screen for foreign firms with offices in the U.S. and vice versa
• UC Berkeley Office of International Relations: find the contact information of alumni in your targeted country/region in the International Alumni Network
• UC Berkeley Alumni Tool in LinkedIn: search for alumni by where they live, where they work, what they do, and what they studied
• Immigration Programs and Job Search Resources for Canada

Graduate and Professional School Application

• Berkeley Career Engagement: Get Into Grad School 
• Alumni Career Chat: Law school application for international students (link to YouTube video)