OPT Financial Counselor Jobs
Financial Counselor roles qualify for OPT when your degree is in finance, economics, social work, or a related field. Many positions are at nonprofits, credit unions, and hospitals, which tend to be straightforward OPT sponsors. Your 12-month standard OPT window is enough to prove value and convert to H-1B visa sponsorship.
Find OPT Financial Counselor JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 27+ Financial Counselor jobs
See all Financial Counselor Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Financial Counselor roles.
Get Access To All JobsCompany Description
Henry Ford Health partners with millions of people on their health journey, across Michigan and around the world. We offer a full continuum of services from primary and preventative care to complex and specialty care, health insurance, a full suite of home health offerings, virtual care, pharmacy, eye care and other health care retail. With former Ascension southeast Michigan and Flint region locations now part of our team, Henry Ford's care is available in 13 hospitals and hundreds of ambulatory care locations. Based in Detroit, Henry Ford is one of the nation's most respected academic medical centers and is leading the Future of Health: Detroit, a $3 billion investment anchored by a reimagined Henry Ford academic healthcare campus.
Job Description
Job Title
Financial Counselor
About the Department
Join one of Michigan's largest physician organizations, delivering coordinated care across primary and specialty practices throughout the region. Henry Ford Medical Group offers collaborative teamwork, access to leading clinical resources, and opportunities to build lasting relationships with patients and communities. As part of this team, you'll play a vital role in ensuring patients receive comprehensive, compassionate care while navigating the complexities of healthcare finances.
Job Description
Navigating the finances of healthcare is an overwhelming endeavor. Financial Counselors (FCs) will help patients navigate and understand this arena, in so doing, will reduce stress around the financial responsibility of their episode of care. This role is also critical for maintaining the financial health of the organization, by managing front-end insurance and revenue cycle processes.
GENERAL SUMMARY:
Under minimal supervision, Financial Counselors:
- Review patient's financial state, counsel patients on their out-of-pocket cost for their treatment plan, advise on insurance optimization options, and connect patient to financial assistance programs available to them.
- Perform any medical necessity reviews for treatment, prior to treatment, and work closely with the central authorization team to ensure the coordination of the medical necessity and authorization process.
- For off-label usages, FCs will be the point person for the appeal process and work towards a solution with the clinical team and payer.
- Be the point person for the clinical team regarding financial implications of their patient's care.
- Must be critical thinkers, who are skilled at problem solving and thinking through complex situations.
Qualifications
EDUCATION REQUIRED:
Bachelor's degree or five plus (5+) years of experience in related field required.
EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Experience in healthcare billing or related field required.
In-depth knowledge of health insurance required.
Pharmacy Tech Experience preferred.
Proficiency in EPIC applications such as:
- Appointment Scheduling (all versions),
- Registrations,
- Work Queues
- Referrals, preferred.
Skills
- Customer service-oriented including the ability to interact professionally and handle sensitive information/issues in a confidential, respectful, assertive, and empathetic manner in difficult interpersonal situations.
- Acts in a manner that establishes positive rapport with patients, families, and public/private financial assistance programs.
- Ability to quickly assess and respond appropriately to emergency situations.
- Ability to comprehend medical terms.
- Analytical skills to resolve complex problems requiring the use of scientific, mathematical, or technical principles, and in-depth experience in multi-tasking.
- Ability to deliver consistent results and possess the drive to continually improve processes to benefit the patient and the hospital system.
- Ability to visually proofread typed work for errors.
- Ability to communicate via telephone to a variety of groups (patients, patients' families, insurance companies, other departments, etc.).
Company Description
Henry Ford Health partners with millions of people on their health journey, across Michigan and around the world. We offer a full continuum of services from primary and preventative care to complex and specialty care, health insurance, a full suite of home health offerings, virtual care, pharmacy, eye care and other health care retail. With former Ascension southeast Michigan and Flint region locations now part of our team, Henry Ford's care is available in 13 hospitals and hundreds of ambulatory care locations. Based in Detroit, Henry Ford is one of the nation's most respected academic medical centers and is leading the Future of Health: Detroit, a $3 billion investment anchored by a reimagined Henry Ford academic healthcare campus.
Job Description
Job Title
Financial Counselor
About the Department
Join one of Michigan's largest physician organizations, delivering coordinated care across primary and specialty practices throughout the region. Henry Ford Medical Group offers collaborative teamwork, access to leading clinical resources, and opportunities to build lasting relationships with patients and communities. As part of this team, you'll play a vital role in ensuring patients receive comprehensive, compassionate care while navigating the complexities of healthcare finances.
Job Description
Navigating the finances of healthcare is an overwhelming endeavor. Financial Counselors (FCs) will help patients navigate and understand this arena, in so doing, will reduce stress around the financial responsibility of their episode of care. This role is also critical for maintaining the financial health of the organization, by managing front-end insurance and revenue cycle processes.
GENERAL SUMMARY:
Under minimal supervision, Financial Counselors:
- Review patient's financial state, counsel patients on their out-of-pocket cost for their treatment plan, advise on insurance optimization options, and connect patient to financial assistance programs available to them.
- Perform any medical necessity reviews for treatment, prior to treatment, and work closely with the central authorization team to ensure the coordination of the medical necessity and authorization process.
- For off-label usages, FCs will be the point person for the appeal process and work towards a solution with the clinical team and payer.
- Be the point person for the clinical team regarding financial implications of their patient's care.
- Must be critical thinkers, who are skilled at problem solving and thinking through complex situations.
Qualifications
EDUCATION REQUIRED:
Bachelor's degree or five plus (5+) years of experience in related field required.
EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Experience in healthcare billing or related field required.
In-depth knowledge of health insurance required.
Pharmacy Tech Experience preferred.
Proficiency in EPIC applications such as:
- Appointment Scheduling (all versions),
- Registrations,
- Work Queues
- Referrals, preferred.
Skills
- Customer service-oriented including the ability to interact professionally and handle sensitive information/issues in a confidential, respectful, assertive, and empathetic manner in difficult interpersonal situations.
- Acts in a manner that establishes positive rapport with patients, families, and public/private financial assistance programs.
- Ability to quickly assess and respond appropriately to emergency situations.
- Ability to comprehend medical terms.
- Analytical skills to resolve complex problems requiring the use of scientific, mathematical, or technical principles, and in-depth experience in multi-tasking.
- Ability to deliver consistent results and possess the drive to continually improve processes to benefit the patient and the hospital system.
- Ability to visually proofread typed work for errors.
- Ability to communicate via telephone to a variety of groups (patients, patients' families, insurance companies, other departments, etc.).
See all OPT Financial Counselor Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Financial Counselor Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Financial Counselor
Target mission-driven employers first
Nonprofits, credit unions, and hospital systems hire Financial Counselors regularly and tend to have established OPT sponsorship processes. These organizations often value candidates who stay long-term, making them more willing to sponsor H-1B visa status after OPT ends.
Align your degree to the role explicitly
Employers and USCIS both need to see that your degree field connects to Financial Counselor work. On your resume and in interviews, explicitly connect your coursework in finance, economics, or behavioral sciences to the counseling and planning tasks the role requires.
Raise sponsorship early in the process
Ask about H-1B sponsorship willingness before accepting an offer, not after. Frame it professionally: explain your OPT timeline, when you'd need sponsorship, and that you're planning ahead. Employers respect candidates who are transparent and organized about their authorization situation.
Obtain relevant certifications before you apply
Credentials like the AFC (Accredited Financial Counselor) or NFCC certification signal professional commitment and reduce employer hesitation around sponsoring a foreign national. Certifications also strengthen the specialty occupation argument USCIS reviews during H-1B adjudication.
Document your client-facing and advisory experience
Financial Counselor roles require demonstrated counseling skills, not just financial knowledge. Internship experience advising clients on budgeting, debt, or benefits strengthens both your application and the specialty occupation case your employer will need to build for H-1B.
Track your OPT end date and plan H-1B timing carefully
H-1B cap-subject petitions must be filed by April 1 for an October 1 start. If your OPT expires before October, ask your employer about cap-gap coverage. STEM OPT extension is not available for most Financial Counselor roles unless your degree qualifies.
Financial Counselor OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Financial Counselor role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
It can, but it requires careful documentation. USCIS looks for a direct relationship between the degree field and the job duties. A Financial Counselor position supported by a finance, economics, or social work degree, with job duties requiring that specific knowledge, generally meets the specialty occupation standard. Generic counselor titles at employers where any bachelor's degree suffices are harder to support.
Which types of employers are most likely to sponsor OPT students for Financial Counselor positions?
Hospital systems, nonprofit credit counseling agencies, and large credit unions are the most reliable sponsors because they hire Financial Counselors at scale and often have existing immigration infrastructure. Government employers and large financial institutions also hire for this role, though government positions typically require U.S. citizenship. You can browse OPT-friendly Financial Counselor openings directly on Migrate Mate.
Is a STEM OPT extension available for Financial Counselor jobs?
Rarely. STEM OPT requires a degree in a qualifying STEM field, and most Financial Counselor roles are supported by degrees in finance, economics, or social work, which do not appear on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List. If your degree is in a STEM-adjacent area like financial mathematics or data analytics, check your specific CIP code with your DSO before assuming you qualify.
What should I say to an employer who has never sponsored an OPT student before?
Explain clearly that OPT is a federal work authorization already granted to you, requiring no employer petition or cost upfront. The employer's only obligation initially is to verify your EAD and complete the I-9. Sponsorship only becomes relevant if they want to hire you long-term on H-1B. Framing OPT and H-1B as two separate, sequential steps tends to reduce employer anxiety significantly.
How does the 60-day grace period affect my job search as a Financial Counselor on OPT?
If your OPT employment ends, you have a 60-day grace period to find a new authorized position, transfer to another visa status, or depart the U.S. You cannot work during this period. Because Financial Counselor hiring timelines at nonprofits and hospitals can run four to eight weeks, start your search before your current role ends to avoid running out of time.