Top Employers for Foreign Students in America's OPT Program - 2024
Top-tier tech corporations, consisting of Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, emerge as the leading U.S. employers for international students participating in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program.
Hey there! Let's chat about the OPT program, a popular choice for international students in the US aiming to gain work experience after their studies. The OPT, or Optional Practical Training, allows students to work in a job related to their major field of study, either before or after completing their academic program.
In 2024, there was a significant surge in foreign students participating in the OPT program, with Amazon leading the way. Here's the lowdown on the top employers that hired foreign students for both pre- and post-completion OPT.
Amazon took the cake, sealing the deal with an impressive 5,379 hires. However, it's essential to note that these hires span across various fields, not just those related to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). To narrow down the numbers for STEM OPT specifically, we can make an educated guess due to Amazon's prominent position in the technology and engineering sectors.
Here's the breakdown of other top employers for foreign students participating in OPT in 2024:
- University of California - 2,112 hires
- Arizona State University - 1,895 hires
- University of Texas - 1,305 hires
- Bright Mind Enrichment and Schooling - 1,234 hires
- Tesla - 1,170 hires
- Goldman Sachs - 1,148 hires
- Apple - 1,135 hires
- Google - 1,110 hires
- Meta - 1,081 hires
- Microsoft - 1,066 hires
- ByteDance - 1,045 hires
- Deloitte - 1,033 hires
- Walmart - 951 hires
- Intel - 946 hires
- State University of New York - 906 hires
- Ernst & Young - 889 hires
- Johns Hopkins - 827 hires
- Harvard - 799 hires
- Community Dreams Foundation - 795 hires
- University of Michigan - 767 hires
- University of Southern California - 717 hires
- University of Illinois - 714 hires
- McKinsey & Company - 680 hires
- JP Morgan Chase - 675 hires
To be eligible for any form of OPT, a foreign student must receive an Employment Authorization Document from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. For STEM OPT specifically, every employer must be E-verified, and students must submit a separate I-983 form for each employer.
As you can see, the tech sector continues to be a hotbed for international students looking to start their careers in the United States. With the growing demand for top tech talent, companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and others are romping through the OPT program, especially in the STEM sectors. This strategy allows them to snag promising talent fresh from universities and groom them for future success.
That's it for today! Keep an eye out for more updates on the OPT program and the employment landscape for international students in the US. Cheers!
[1] The SEVIS data reflects CPT numbers, not STEM OPT specifics.[2] Every employer must be E-verified, and students must submit a separate I-983 form for each employer for STEM OPT.[3] Large tech and consulting firms are additional top employers for international students, but specific STEM OPT numbers are not published.
- Several top employers in the finance sector, such as Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase, also recruited a substantial number of foreign students through the OPT program, offering them opportunities in various fields including finance and business.
- The University of California, a leading institution in education and self-development, ranked second among top employers for foreign students in the OPT program with 2,112 hires, indicating its commitment to providing comprehensive work experiences for international students.
- While Amazon led in overall OPT hires, tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Apple followed closely, demonstrating the growing trend of technology companies tapping into the OPT program for STEM talent, thereby fostering innovation and growth within their respective industries.
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