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The 29-year-old, who holds a chemical engineering degree from Texas Tech University, initially found only part-time work as a lab assistant and theater technician at his university. He eventually secured a full-time job in 2021 at a manufacturing start-up, managing internal supply chains with an annual salary of $54,000.
However, this job lasted only two years because the company was unwilling to sponsor his work visa, Tri told VnExpress International.
He expresses his disappointment: "I considered the U.S. my second home. After too many failed attempts, I felt very disappointed and frustrated that the country I had lived in for so many years did not accept me."
Tri is one of many international students struggling to secure jobs in the U.S. market due to the massive layoffs by big tech companies in recent years, visa restrictions and language barrier.
Most international students in the U.S. say they want to remain, and U.S. employers need workers like them to fill jobs in areas of shortage. But only 11% of foreign-born U.S. university bachelor’s degree recipients and 23% who get master’s degrees manage to stay and work in the country, according to researchers at the University of California at Davis, and elsewhere, according to the Washington Post.
According to Techopedia, over 100,000 tech jobs were cut in 2024 following 240,000 cuts in 2023. Crunchbase reported that last year 16,080 people were sacked by Amazon, 12,000 by Alphabet, 11,158 by Microsoft, and 10,000 by Meta.
Employers often prefer domestic candidates due to the legal and financial burdens of sponsoring visas. Pari Pradhan, an international student from India, told The Daily Northwestern: "There have been instances where I’ve submitted an application and gotten an immediate rejection within the minute, almost as though the second you click ‘Yeah, I would need sponsorship in the future,’ you’re kind of counted out."
Despite support from friends and their university, international students find the process isolating and stressful due to its unpredictability, she adds.
Dimitar Chakarov, 24, a math major from Bulgaria, says companies' reluctance to sponsor students sometimes leads them to "reject your application the moment you submit it." "It’s a difficult problem because there’s a lot of constraints that you need to be thinking about. And it just makes it not unmanageable, but stressful."
The cost of H-1B visas, which can reach US$20,000 according to The Times, further deters employers.
Eraj Uzoqov, a Weinberg senior, says during an interview with a LinkedIn recruiter that seemed to be going well, the recruiter abruptly stopped upon discovering he was an international student from Tajikistan, saying "I apologise, I didn’t know."
"The big challenge is knowing how to present (citizenship status) to recruiters and how to not scare them off."
Another challenge international students face is the slowdown in the job market, which has resulted in significant job cuts, particularly in the tech sector.
Joseph, a student at Princeton, shared that while using Handshake, a job and internship platform for university students, he noticed a significant drop in available listings when filtering for positions that sponsor international students.
"And they are heavily concentrated in certain industries like consulting, finance and tech. So the options for international students are quite limited in that regard."
International students have several options for work authorization after graduation, with the H-1B visa lottery being a popular choice for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher. This visa allows temporary full-time employment but requires sponsorship from an employer.
Before entering the H1-B lottery, students can gain work experience on their student visa by applying for optional practical training (OPT) or curricular practical training (CPT).
The H-1B lottery is highly competitive, with applications vastly exceeding available visas.
In 2022 there were 85,000 H-1B visas available while the number of applicants was over five times higher, according to The New York Times.
Cultural and linguistic barriers also pose challenges for international students.
A study by the National Conference of State Legislatures finds that 6% of immigrant graduates in the U.S. rated their English proficiency as low, while 18% reported medium proficiency.
U.S. Census data indicates that individuals who speak a language other than English at home are less likely to be employed or find full-time work.
Cultural barriers, such as unfamiliar work environments and expectations, further complicate the job search process.
Pradhan, initially determined to work in the U.S., has broadened her search to global job markets.
Uzoqov remains optimistic, supported by strong networks. He finds networking helpful for career mentorship and company referrals, especially from international alumni who understand his situation. "Whether it’s family, a friend or anybody that you can actually talk to and share your struggles (with) is helpful in ensuring stability and peace of mind in those challenging times."
Now back in Vietnam, Tri works as a financial analyst intern in Hanoi. Reflecting on his journey, he shared, "I want to transition to the financial sector, which I’m passionate about, despite it not being related to my field of study. I plan to develop my skills in this area and hope to return to the U.S. when the timing is right."
