With the economy hurting now more than ever, American college students may be struggling with the job search. However, foreign students are faced with increased challenges in finding jobs in the United States.

“It is very hard for me to get the second interview,” said Feng Ye, an MBA candidate from China.

Ye, who attended the Fisher Financial Services Career Fair Tuesday, seemed to be disappointed most companies do not consider F-1, or international students, in hiring. Only one company out of 14 that participated in the job fair showed willingness to hire international students.

Other international students are coping with similar challenges. Taimur A. Khan, a senior in management information systems from Pakistan, said he had sent out about 30 resumes since December, but has not received a response from any of the companies.

Most career-services directors nodded heads about foreign students’ challenges in the American job market.

“International MBA students nationwide are challenged by both the internships and career search,” said Jamie M. Mead, director of graduate career development at the Fisher College of Business. “Our Fisher College international MBA students are faced with similar challenges in that many companies have policies that do not allow them to interview international students.”

Employers agreed with Mead.

“Due to our company’s policy, we are not able to sponsor any students,” said Stacy Held, a recruiter of BMW Financial Services.

The policies are not necessarily applied to international MBA students only, but restrict almost all international students regardless of major and rank. Some career-services professionals attributed the policies to the complexity of the visa process.

“Employers have that perception (of the complicated visa process),” said Amy Thaci, director of Arts and Sciences Career Services. “It has always been that way.”

Employers who wish to hire foreign students must sponsor them for an H1-B visa, which is a temporary working visa. The first step to hiring foreign workers is for the employer to file a Labor Condition Application with the Department of Labor. Then the employer is required to file the LCA approval notice with the I-129 petition, a required form for non-immigrants.

Employers have to convince the Immigration and Naturalization Services that no U.S. citizens or permanent residents can fulfill the job. Nevertheless, in light of the economy, it seems to be tougher for employers to prove that.

During the economic boom of the 1990s, jobs were in surplus, so employers turned to international employees. However, after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the economy began to decline, and employers produced far fewer jobs for foreign students to fill since have American students to choose from.

“At the moment, most companies seem reluctant to take on the trouble and expense of hiring someone whom they will need to sponsor, especially since the supply of American college graduates is sufficient to meet reduced need,” said Rosemary L.M. Hill, director of Engineering Career Services.

Section 214(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act sets an annual limit on the number of non-immigrants that can receive H-1B status in a fiscal year. For the fiscal year 2000 the limit was set at 115,000. After former President Bill Clinton signed the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, the federal government was allowed to issue as many as 195,000 H-1B visas annually for 2001, 2002 and 2003. However, it will be cut to 65,000 in 2004.

Because of the cut, career counselors have changed their direction in advising students.

“My advice for international students currently seeking employment in the United States is really different from the advice I have been giving for more than 10 years,” Hill said.

Most of them still encourage students that they can be H-1B visa holders.

“It’s possible,” said Ana C. Berrios, a career counselor of Career Connection at OSU. “Start networking, look for internships and join the career services.”

More than 53 percent of international students who received a job offer came from internships, Berrios said. Under the university’s sponsor, F-1 students can have practical work experience during a student’s academic program with Curricular Practical Training. After completing an academic program, they also can apply for Optional Practical Training, which authorizes students to work for one year.

To take advantage of practical training properly, students should be familiar with policies, deadlines and timelines that will impact them, said Pamela Park-Curry, director of Undergraduate Career Services at the Fisher College of Business.

“I know of international students who have gotten job offers and could not start working because their immigration paperwork was not complete or not processed in time, and so they lost the job,” she said.