How to Hire a Foreign Student

Authors: Christopher L. Thomas, Anna Angel, Phillip W. Pemberton and Steven Williams, Ogletree Deakins

US employers benefit from hiring foreign students. These students bring varied backgrounds and cultures, which can help an employer fulfill its diversity and inclusion initiatives and, thereby, benefiting its reputation. This may better position the employer to attract diverse talent and retain high performers, which will likely help create a positive workplace environment throughout its organization.

Foreign students also provide the employer with a global perspective, which can place it an advantageous position in a competitive market. This is particularly the case if the student speaks the language of a country in which an employer is seeking to expand its operations and establish a global presence. Further, unlike US workers who can more easily change jobs, foreign students on a work visa may be inclined to stay longer with an employer, which reduces the cost of job recruitment efforts.

Hiring international students is often viewed by employers as more challenging than it actually is. However, by following the steps below, employers can overcome these perceived challenges.