Many U.S. employers now use software to collect, sort and rank job applications before a recruiter reads them, and some also use AI tools to schedule or score interviews. For international students looking for internships, OPT jobs or H-1B sponsorship, that means two filters: the employer’s automated screening and the immigration rules that decide whether the employer can hire you at all. This guide covers both, as of November 2026.
How AI is used in hiring
Kimberly DeGross, assistant dean of the Office of Career Services at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, explained the basics in a May 2025 interview (Maryland Today, May 14, 2025):
- Many employers still review first-round resumes by hand, but AI platforms increasingly do the first pass, screening for keywords, skills, years of experience and graduation date.
- Applicants whose graduation timing does not match the role can be removed automatically.
- Some companies ask candidates to certify that they did not use AI to write their resume or cover letter.
- AI does not replace the recruiter: body language, tone, interaction and cultural fit are still judged by people in interviews.
The Smith School also launched a free, self-paced online AI certificate series on May 1, 2025 — ten modules built by 12 faculty and staff members — and DeGross’s module is called “Job Searching in the Age of AI.” It is open to any job seeker, not only Maryland students.
Writing a resume that gets through automated screening
- Tailor every application. Read the job posting closely and use its own words for the skills, tools and qualifications you actually have. DeGross’s advice is to customize the resume for each role so that AI screening is less likely to reject it.
- Show outcomes, not just participation. Describe what changed because of your work — a process you sped up, a result you delivered, users or revenue affected — rather than only listing projects you took part in.
- Keep dates and titles consistent. Because screening tools check graduation dates and experience, make sure your expected graduation month, degree name and job dates are the same on your resume, application form and LinkedIn profile.
- Use a simple layout. Standard headings (“Education,” “Experience,” “Skills”), plain fonts and a single column are easier for parsing software to read than tables, text boxes or graphics.
- Translate international experience. Give the full name of foreign universities and employers, explain what the organization does in a few words, and convert grades or titles only if a U.S. reader would otherwise misunderstand them.
Using AI tools yourself — carefully
- Cover letters should be yours. AI grammar checks are fine, but “your cover letter needs to originate from you,” DeGross says; your own story and your research on the company’s goals are what set you apart.
- Practice interviews with AI. Paste the job description into a chatbot and ask what questions are likely, then rehearse your answers. You can also ask it to draft questions for you to ask the interviewer, then edit them.
- Always edit AI output. DeGross has seen applications sent with placeholders such as “Dear (insert name here).” Check every fact, name and number — AI tools can invent things.
- Follow the employer’s rules. If an application asks you to certify that you wrote your materials without AI, answer truthfully.
Your online presence
Recruiters who move you past the first screen often look you up. Keep your LinkedIn profile complete and consistent with your resume (education, dates, skills, a short summary of the work you want), and review what your public social media accounts show. Projects on GitHub, a portfolio site or published research give a reviewer something concrete to check.
Bias in AI hiring tools and the rules that now apply
The best-known warning about AI screening came from Amazon: in 2018 Reuters reported that the company had scrapped an experimental recruiting engine after finding that it penalized resumes containing the word “women’s,” because it had been trained on a decade of mostly male applicants’ resumes. Amazon said the tool was never used by its recruiters to evaluate candidates (Reuters via Euronews, October 10, 2018).
Several U.S. jurisdictions now regulate these tools:
| Jurisdiction | Rule | What it means for applicants |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | Local Law 144 (enforced since July 5, 2023) | Employers may use an automated employment decision tool only if it has had a bias audit within the past year, the audit results are public, and candidates get notice at least 10 business days before the tool is used (NYC DCWP). |
| California | Civil Rights Council regulations on automated-decision systems (in effect since October 1, 2025) | Employers may not use automated systems that discriminate on protected characteristics under state law, and must keep the related data for four years (California Civil Rights Department). |
| Illinois | HB 3773 amendments to the Illinois Human Rights Act (in effect since January 1, 2026) | Employers may not use AI in recruitment, hiring and other employment decisions in a way that discriminates, may not use zip codes as a proxy for protected classes, and must give notice when AI is used (Epstein Becker Green summary). |
If you are applying in New York City and receive an AI-tool notice, you can look up the employer’s published bias audit. If you believe a tool treated you unfairly, the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection accepts complaints through 311 and its website.
The filter AI can’t fix: work authorization
Many application forms ask whether you are authorized to work in the U.S. and whether you will need visa sponsorship now or in the future. Answer accurately — an automated system may screen on these questions, but a wrong answer can cost you the offer later. Know your own timeline before you apply:
- OPT. F-1 students can receive up to 12 months of Optional Practical Training in work directly related to their major. For post-completion OPT you can file Form I-765 up to 90 days before you finish your degree and no later than 60 days after, and within 30 days of your DSO’s recommendation in SEVIS. You cannot start work until you receive your EAD (USCIS).
- STEM OPT. Graduates with a qualifying STEM degree can get a 24-month extension if the employer is enrolled in and uses E-Verify — worth checking before you accept an offer.
- Unemployment limits. You may be unemployed for up to 90 days during post-completion OPT, and 150 days in total if you also receive the STEM extension; going over the limit can lead to termination of your SEVIS record (Study in the States).
- H-1B selection now favors higher wage levels. A DHS final rule published in December 2025 replaced the random H-1B cap lottery with a weighted selection that gives higher-paid, higher-skilled positions a better chance, starting with the FY 2027 registration season (effective February 27, 2026). Employers can still register workers at every wage level (USCIS, December 23, 2025).
- The $100,000 H-1B payment. A September 19, 2025 proclamation required a $100,000 payment for certain new H-1B petitions for workers outside the U.S.; petitions for a change of status inside the U.S. — the usual F-1-to-H-1B route — were not covered. On June 8, 2026 a federal court in Massachusetts vacated the agency guidance implementing the payment, and on July 24, 2026 the First Circuit refused to stay that order; DHS says it is complying while it considers next steps, and would collect the payment if the order is later lifted. Check the USCIS H-1B page for the current status before relying on this.
Your school’s international student office and career center are the best places to check how these rules apply to you. The University of Maryland, for example, is profiled on our University of Maryland-College Park school page.
A short checklist
- Read each job posting and match your resume’s wording to the skills you really have.
- Lead each experience bullet with a result.
- Keep your graduation date, degree and job dates consistent everywhere.
- Write your own cover letter; use AI for interview practice and proofreading.
- Answer work-authorization and sponsorship questions accurately, and know your OPT dates and unemployment days.
- For STEM OPT, confirm the employer uses E-Verify.
References
- When Your Recruiter Is a Computer (Maryland Today, University of Maryland, May 14, 2025)
- Amazon scraps secret AI recruiting tool that showed bias against women (Reuters, via Euronews, October 10, 2018)
- Automated Employment Decision Tools (AEDT) (NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection)
- Civil Rights Council secures approval for regulations to protect against employment discrimination related to artificial intelligence (California Civil Rights Department, June 30, 2025)
- Illinois prohibits discriminatory artificial intelligence in employment decisions (Epstein Becker Green)
- Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 Students (USCIS)
- Unemployment Counter (Study in the States, DHS)
- DHS Changes Process for Awarding H-1B Work Visas (USCIS, December 23, 2025)
- H-1B Specialty Occupations (USCIS)
- University of Maryland-College Park (Forward Pathway school page)