Whether you ultimately want to immigrate to the United States or return to your home country, earning a degree at a university in America has the potential to expand the future career opportunities available to you. Even if your goal is not to immigrate to the US, having the experience of studying and working in the U.S. could potentially make you a more desirable job candidate when returning to your home country, especially if you’re going to be working for a global company. During their schooling, international students can take advantage of experiential learning, co-ops, and internships, in order to gain hands-on, real-world experience in their field of interest. Not only does this provide valuable learning opportunities, but it can help to build strong relationships with future employers, and could even convince an employer to sponsor you for a visa. There are a number of degrees that are ‘STEM eligible’ that give international students the opportunity to stay in the U.S. for an additional two years post-graduation, beyond the standard allowance of one year, while working for a U.S.-based employer. F-1 students with eligible science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees from Student and Exchange Visitor Program certified universities have the ability to apply for optional practical training (OPT). This STEM OPT extension allows these students to stay in the United States for an additional 24 months (for a total of 36 months) to receive practical training. This training is often paid and is related to their program of study. During their schooling, international students can take advantage of experiential learning, co-ops, and internships, in order to gain hands-on, real-world experience in their field of interest. Not only does this provide valuable learning opportunities, but it can help to build strong relationships with future employers, and could even convince an employer to sponsor you for a visa. During their schooling, international students can take advantage of experiential learning, co-ops, and internships, in order to gain hands-on, real-world experience in their field of interest. Not only does this provide valuable learning opportunities, but it can help to build strong relationships with future employers, and could even convince an employer to sponsor you for a visa.