For international students seeking U.S. jobs, the ‘American dream … is collapsing’

Sakshi Patel knew she wanted to study in the USA since she was little. He says he dreams of taking a job in New York, the financial capital of the world, and living his own version of the American dream away from home.

Patel, who received his master’s degree in financial management from Boston University in May 2025, says he has about two months left until his current work permit expires and he has started looking for a job with all his might. If he cannot find a job within this period, he will have to return to his hometown, India.

As difficult as it is to gain a foothold in one of the worst entry-level job markets in the world for recent college graduates last memoryInternational graduates also have to navigate an unpredictable immigration landscape to jump-start their U.S.-based careers and lives. Facing additional and increasing challenges, some international students are preparing backup plans.

After graduating last year, Patel, 23, started working as a business analyst for a nonprofit organization under an optional practical training program, or OPT, a work permit granted to international students after graduation. But after his one-year OPT ends this summer, he will need to find a suitable job related to his degree and then apply for one. Extension of STEM OPT for up to two years – available for some graduates with science, technology, engineering and mathematics degrees to stay in the US

Patel told CNBC Make It that he is “making every effort” to network and find work in the United States. He says the experience was challenging, but he remains optimistic: “I came to the United States with that dream, and I still hope to live that dream.”

According to the most recent data available, by 2025, approximately 306,000 international students were working toward a master’s degree and 153,000 were working toward a doctoral degree. Open DoorsAn information resource sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Tens of thousands of these students are expected to enter the U.S. job market after receiving their advanced degrees this spring.

Many new graduates will enter a weakening labor market for young workers.

Job postings on early career site Handshake were down 2% between July 2025 and March 2026 compared to the same period in the previous year, and were down 12% from 2019-2020 just before the Covid pandemic. Unemployment rate for recent college graduates ages 22 to 27 It was realized as 5.6%. New York Fed data For March 2026, the rate is 3.1% for all university graduates and 4.2% for all employees.

Erica Ford, an international career development coach at Cornell University, says job hunting has become more difficult for students in recent years, including the 300 international students she directly supports each year.

Ford says students in STEM fields, which were in high demand in previous years, are now happy to receive a single job offer. Doctoral candidates see decline in research work and they are turning to industry opportunities and those who enter this sector non-profit sector He adds that they are seeing potential employers making layoffs.

Ford says the low-recruitment job market negatively affects students as a whole, but international students must overcome additional hurdles such as temporary work permits.

“Some of the most common concerns include: Are employers still hiring international students right now?” he says. “Am I being eliminated because of my temporary work permit or because I said I would need sponsorship in the future?”

Whether due to changes in immigration policy, a tighter job market, or a combination of factors, data shows employers are reducing opportunities for international graduates: The share of full-time job postings offering visa sponsorship dropped from 10.9% in 2023 to just 2.6% in 2026, according to Handshake data provided to CNBC Make It; The sharpest decline was seen in the technology sector.

Beyond the job market, international graduates also face additional barriers in the difficult immigration environment under the second Trump administration.

For example, applications for some immigration benefits, including the OPT program, have been paused for people from countries that are part of President Donald Trump’s travel ban. Inside Higher Education reportsleaving many F-1 visa holders in limbo and unable to start working after graduation.

David Li, 29, a doctoral candidate in political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said he plans to start looking for postdoctoral programs and jobs in academia in September. given Federal funding cuts to US universitiesHe says he is also looking at opportunities in Europe, his native China and elsewhere in Asia.

Li says increasing pressure on immigration has “shattered the confidence” of his colleagues who want to study and work in the United States. Li says that two years ago, when someone received an offer to study at a US university, it was assumed that it was the best option for them, but that is no longer the case. He says many of his younger peers are now considering studying and pursuing careers in Hong Kong and Singapore.

“Before, there was a gold standard of coming to the USA and staying in the USA. [and] You’re achieving your American dream,” says Li. Now, “that dream is crumbling.”

According to the analysis, the United States issued 97,000 fewer F-1 visas to international students who will study full-time in the United States in the 2025-26 academic year than in the previous year; This means a decrease of 36%. US State Department data with Chronicle of Higher Education.

Ford says the increased barriers could have long-term effects on incoming academics: “There are students who are concerned about whether the United States is a place where they can build their careers.”

The loss of international graduates in the US may also have broader economic consequences.

Former international students at American universities founded a quarter of U.S. startup companies valued at $1 billion or more, according to one study. 2022 analysis From the nonprofit NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

The impact of loss can be significant, especially in STEM fields. Researchers say a one-third decrease in the number of international STEM graduates annual gross domestic product loss increased from 240 billion dollars to 481 billion dollars within the next decade, according to a working paper published in October 2025 by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

“The research literature provides strong and consistent evidence that high-skilled immigration supports U.S. productivity and economic growth, with the largest effects coming from STEM-educated immigrants… [arising from their] effects on new business formation, scientific discovery, and patenting of new economic ideas,” the authors wrote.

Trump has previously said that allowing international students, especially those from China, to study in the United States is good practice and that reducing their numbers could financially harm the university system. Fox News reported In November.

These comments contradict some of Trump’s administration’s policies; This includes moves. Cancel thousands of student visas, limit international student enrollmentand limit the length of time students can stay in the country.

Despite the tough job market, Cornell’s Ford reminds international students that employers are still hiring and encourages them to embrace networking through actions like attending conferences or messaging hiring managers rather than relying solely on online applications.

“In a market like we are in right now, taking the extra step to build relationships and make personal connections makes a big difference,” says Ford.

Ford says doing so can help international students “become more than just a paper candidate” and build professional relationships in the U.S., where they may have limited connections compared to their domestic peers. They may also benefit from a better understanding of how the U.S. hiring market and timeline works differently than in their home country.

Even graduates who find employment after university are not immune from the ongoing stress of migration. Xinran Xu, 24, from China, earned her master’s degree from the University of Michigan in 2025 and works as a statistician at a medical device company outside Minneapolis.

Xu’s OPT expires this month. He says his company supported him in hiring an immigration attorney, paid the appropriate fees, and helped him apply for an H-1B visa that would allow him to continue working in the United States; He says his petition is currently under review.

The Trump administration’s recent changes to the H-1B visa process have already caused a stir: In September, the White House made a statement. $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa recipients coming to the U.S. This change was not directly affected because Xu was already a U.S. resident, but the move did signal to him that the work permit process was becoming more restrictive.

There may be more uncertainty ahead: Ministry of Labor in March proposed a new rule This would increase minimum wages required for workers seeking H-1B visas 21% to 33%depending on established business levels. The proposed change could lead to: fewer opportunities For younger international workers who are earlier in their careers and less likely to earn higher salaries.

Staying in the US actually means preparing to face changing immigration policies. Xu says it’s harder for international graduates today to make a life in the U.S. than it used to be.

“I expect a bumpy road for the next five years,” he says.

Patel is in Boston and says, “If my destiny is in India, I will find a job in India.” But even if he does return home, he says he will still try to find a way to return to the United States.

Until his OPT leave expires in the summer, he says: “I want to use this time to make a fair effort to avoid any regrets.”

— CNBC’s Nathaniel Lee contributed to this report.