Most domestic students have never heard of Optional Practical Training

Some think of international students as adventurous kids getting out of their comfort zone to be exposed to a new worldview and world-class education. Some think of us as focused, ambitious kids trying to live our own American dream. And some bitter souls think of us as unwanted people of different-than-mine race, faith and culture trying to take over their country.

Anyway, if you ask me, most of the international students like me at IU are a combination of the first two. We come here for an experience that makes us global citizens. In the process of learning, we also start aspiring to achieve substantial professional success that validates the hard work we put in just like anybody else desires.

Most of us, after completion of our degree, wish to gain some practical work experience to put our academic knowledge to test in the real world.

The mandatory sample gates picture that every Hoosier takes pride in — international or domestic

But is the process easy? Nope. This is where all the heavy duty paperwork and legal permissions like Optional Practical Training comes in.

Starting from day one of the application process, international students are immersed in a sea of paperwork. Every student — domestic or international — is anxious when they move to college. Imagine that stress and anxiety topped with a dose of legal complications and restrictions. Don’t get me wrong. The experience and education we get in return is worth every form we filled out and every interview we gave. Even the not-so-sweet talk with US customs officials at airports is worth it. Having said that, it’s definitely an added complication in our lives.

Sometimes we call in reinforcements and seek help from the seniors

And the complication peaks when graduation time approaches. Apart from the usual troubles of finding a good job and the what-am-I-doing-with-my-life-does-this-mean-I-have-to-grow-up crisis, international students have to apply for Optional Practical Training. International students come here on a student visa and in order to work for a year once they complete their studies, they need special permission from Uncle Sam. OPT is basically just a fancy term for work permission after graduation for almost a year.

OIS emails that constantly remind us of our duties .. mostly helpful but at occasions ..alarming.

The application process is as twisted as our lives. First, we are overwhelmed with emails from OIS which are scary as hell. They basically say, “Fill this form by this date or else!” To be honest, they are doing their job and they are doing the right thing by making it sound urgent because otherwise college students high on job hunt and coursework and low on bank balance rarely have time for anything — except Netflix and parties of course.

As if OIS is not enough, the department starts ganging up on us too. In all seriousness, the OIS and the department people are really helpful and do their best to uncomplicate things for us, including the application process.But it’s still nerve racking to deal with so much work.

After filling up series of forms requested by the department with redundant info, we gear up for the actual struggle. Preparing the actual paperwork required by the government. The torture includes shelling out around $400 fee (there goes my rent money), getting clicked for passport size photos in the most awkward manner at Fedex and filling up a thousand other forms.

Filling out the form feels like a task. One spelling mistake in your name and it could be the reason you could be kicked out of the country. No, I am not being dramatic. There have been many instances where international students have been denied entry into the States due to incorrect documentation. And these instances scare the hell out of anybody in the process of applying.

Too many checklists and added expenses

It’s tough from the very beginning. There are regulations on how many and what type of internships and jobs you could do. Yeah, forget about doing multiple jobs to earn some more money for supporting yourself or doing an internship in an unrelated field for the sake of experience or to follow your passion. You are kind of stuck with jobs related to only your major. And it gets frustrating to see your peers interning at both Facebook and Vogue — a dream situation for an international student in an “unrelated” field.

All these legal issues haunt us at all times. The life we live and love here is at the mercy of so many legalities. It starts from the day you decide to move, and it feels like it continues forever. But that’s how things are.

Whenever I feel the stress, I just remind myself of how bad ass it actually is to move to a different country, miles away from my family and create the life of my dreams. I am thankful for every moment I spend here and hope for many more such moments. The experience, the friends we make along the way and the lessons we learn make it all worth it.

In Spite of all the OPT drama, we continue to live our american dream.

Proud Hoosiers representing a global presence