With the academic year dwindling away, Dartmouth students have started looking for summer internships.
But for an international student at the College, getting that acceptance letter from the company of choice does not provide an end to uncertainty.
A growing number of international students have turned down offers due to government delays in employment authorization. The causes for such delays vary, according to Robin Catmur, who works at the International Students Office.
"One reason is that students wait too long to apply," Catmur said. The processing of employment authorization applications can take up to 90 days.
Still, some students contacted by The Dartmouth say they have applied as early as possible.
"I applied four months in advance, which is the earliest we are allowed to apply," said Indian citizen Achint Ahuja '05, who was still waiting for a response a week into Spring term, and more than 10 days after the intended starting date of his internship. He was uncertain whether to sign up for classes or to continue waiting.
In other cases, planning ahead can be hindered by circumstances that students are often unable to foresee. It can be difficult for international students to secure jobs and internships far enough in advance to allow them to apply for employment authorization.
Instead of interning for Citigroup Spring term, as she had originally planned, Chinese citizen Min Zhang '05 had to remain on campus.
"Citigroup has late recruitment, which left me with no time to apply for my authorization card," Zhang said.
Another reason for possible delays is missing paperwork, Catmur added.
"When officers get a case, they might have a question about the paper work. For example, they might request a transcript," Catmur said. Students are required to file several forms along with two recent photos and an application fee of $120 every time they apply.
While failing to enclose necessary documentation is possible, the mistake does not always lay with the student.
"Officers also make mistakes. They might claim that a form was not enclosed, when, in reality, the student did submit it. This might considerably delay the application," Catmur added.
Ahuja said the reason for the delay of his application was because the regional immigration office in Vermont mailed his paperwork to an address he never gave them in the first place.
Zhang said that while it is illegal to start without authorization, companies are often willing to wait until the student gets the necessary paperwork.
Yet, "you can't keep them waiting forever. Companies are serious about their work. They offer structured internships. It's not just about you," she added.
Prior to starting an internship, an international student would have to apply for optional training paperwork, called OPT for short, which grants legal permission for employment in the United States.
"We had seven optional practical training application for the Fall term, eight for Winter term, nine for Spring term and 48 scheduled so far to start for Summer term," Catmur said.
She added that the International Students Office does not keep track of whether international students do not complete internships due to delays with their OPT cards.
Only students who have been enrolled full-time for an entire academic year are eligible to apply for OPT, and the internship they apply for must be directly related to their field of study.
The maximum OPT time allowed is 12 months.
One student interviewed by The Dartmouth, who requested to remain anonymous, said that he lost eight months of his OPT time.
"I have only four months left. I wasted two terms waiting," the student said. "I never heard from them. I wasted time, terms and money,"
Due to the influx of phone calls, the Regional Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, located in St. Albans, Vt., has recently disconnected its direct phone line and was therefore unavailable for comment.
