For international students, the job-hunting process is never easy. Even once you’ve figured outthe U.S. application standards well enough to land an internship, it does not mean a full-time job is guaranteed – you have to find a company willing to sponsor your work visa (H-1B). A lot of Americans find their full-time jobs as a result of their internships, but for international students it’s much more complicated.

International students who want to stay in the US after completing their education have to find a job – or at least an internship – within three months after their graduation in order to obtain Optional Practical Training (OPT) status, which allows them to stay for another year legally (or up to 29 months for certain science and technology students). By the day that OPT expires, if they are still not able to find an employer to sponsor their working visa, they have to leave the United States.

Wanqing Luo, a senior student at Syracuse University from China, is moving to New York City in May 2012 for a post-graduation internship. Even though Wanqing is still uncertain if her summer internship could help her to land a job, she is excited about moving to NYC, and says she will keep trying and never give up. In the video below, Wanqing shares her internship-hunting story with us.