File Photo: People attend TechFair LA, a technology job fair, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., Jan. 26, 2017. (Xinhua/REUTERS)

by Julia Pierrepont III

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of international students lined up Thursday at Radisson hotel at the University of Southern California (USC), eagerly awaiting the opening of the 4th Diversity in Action International Career Fair (ICF).

Some students even arrived as early as two hours before the event. "Students know that the employers at this fair are all hiring international students, and that's rare," said one of the event's student volunteers.

Nowadays, foreign students have been caught in the crosshairs of immigration policy debate during the Trump administration and an increasing number of employers are unwilling to consider candidates who need visa sponsorship.

"It's extremely hard for international students to find a job, regardless of their fluency level in English and degree of familiarity with American culture," a USC Marshall MSBA student said.

"For international students, navigating the path to employment authorization in the United States has become more difficult recently," said Michael Harris, an immigration lawyer with Stone Grzegorek & Gonzalez LLP, a Los Angeles-based full-service U.S. Immigration law firm.

Students can usually obtain authorization to work for one year after graduation through Optional Practical Training (OPT). However, in order to maintain a permanent position in the United States, an international graduate need to be sponsored by the employers for an H-1B work visa.

"Unfortunately, there are more petitioners than there are visas available in this category," Harris continued. Therefore, these visas are selected by lottery.

"Almost all companies ask about working status, and whether I need visa sponsorship," Xuan Liu, a recent graduate from Pepperdine University told Xinhua, adding that a candidate is likely to be moved out of the final interview once the employers know the candidate is on a student visa with OPT status.

Despite the hassle at ICF, 45 companies were recruiting international students for opportunities in the United States and overseas, including some Fortune 500 companies.

The event is organized by HG Plus, a Los Angeles based career platform with the mission to help international college students in the United States find jobs and internships which benefit local businesses.

"These bright, hardworking students come from around the world, and study at the best universities in the United States. They have so much to offer to the employers," Angela Efros, vice president of HG Plus told Xinhua.

She added that the United States is a country of immigrants, and talented immigrants have been shown to improve our communities as well as benefit our economy.

According to a 2016 research by the National Foundation for American Policy, almost one quarter of all the U.S. startup companies valued at 1 billion U.S. dollars or more have a founder who came to the United States as an international student.

Mark Brostoff, assistant dean and director of the USC Marshall Graduate Career Services, said that international students bring a wealth of knowledge of global markets outside the United States, which "is extremely helpful for a firm that seeks to enter a new market overseas."

The idea is echoed by executive director of the USC Career Center, Carl Martellino, who noted that leading American businesses recognize the benefits that international hires offer.

"International students hold strengths in language skills ... a spirit and willingness to understand and work with diverse clients and colleagues," he said, adding that U.S. employers hire international students to fill a gap in the domestic workforce, which is seen as an essential component to a thriving U.S. economy.