Guidance Counselor Jobs for OPT Students
Guidance Counselor roles qualify for OPT when your degree is in counseling, psychology, social work, or a related field. Most positions are in K-12 schools, colleges, and community agencies. State licensure requirements vary, so confirm your eligibility timeline before applying.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Marian High School seeks a qualified Guidance Counselor for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Start Date – August 2025 (With One Mandatory Meeting In Late July 2024)
Marian High School, a faithful and faith-filled secondary school of the Diocese of Fort Wayne South Bend, is seeking applicants for an opening in our Guidance Department. Specifically, we are seeking a qualified Guidance Counselor.
A normal full-time position includes responsibility for a school day that begins by 7:45 AM and ends by 3:45 PM.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Specific duties include but are not limited to:
- Is present in the building (minimally) from 7:45 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. on regular school days and at least fifteen (15) minutes before and after (45 minutes after school on days with a special schedule.
- Maintains accurate records for all assigned students and follows given procedures.
- Plans and conducts group activities and instructions promoting academic, career, and social/emotional development.
- Assists students in evaluating interests, abilities, skills, and achievement.
- Assist students in developing educational and career goals, including developing a four-year course selection plan.
- Encourages and assists students in utilizing Scoir tools and resources.
- Provides counseling in individual or small-group settings.
- Provide additional support and intervention for students.
- Monitors the grades, attendance, behavior, graduation/diploma progress, and social/emotional health of all students on their caseload.
- Provides timely intervention and support to students as needed.
- Shares strategies supporting student achievement with parents, teachers, and administration.
- Makes referrals for students and families to school or community resources for additional assistance and information when needed.
- Registers students for the regular academic year and facilitates registration for summer school.
- Makes necessary class schedule changes.
- Attends Student Intervention Team meetings to help identify students who are at risk.
- Fulfills all obligations as outlined in the Contract and Faculty Staff Handbook Agreement.
- Knows and observes the policies and procedures outlined in the Student Handbook and Faculty Handbook.
- Fulfills any co-curricular assignments.
- Completes other duties as assigned by the Principal.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants must have or be eligible for an Indiana teaching/counselor license.
Applicants must be willing to support and work to fulfill the mission of Marian High School, a Catholic, diocesan high school of the Diocese of Fort Wayne South Bend.
MISSION STATEMENT
Marian High School challenges students to spiritual and moral growth, academic and physical excellence, and social maturity. As a Catholic community, Marian values the sanctity and individuality of each student and strives to live the example set by Jesus Christ as teacher and servant.
If interested in the position, please apply at diocesefwsb.org/careers
INTRODUCTION
Marian High School seeks a qualified Guidance Counselor for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Start Date – August 2025 (With One Mandatory Meeting In Late July 2024)
Marian High School, a faithful and faith-filled secondary school of the Diocese of Fort Wayne South Bend, is seeking applicants for an opening in our Guidance Department. Specifically, we are seeking a qualified Guidance Counselor.
A normal full-time position includes responsibility for a school day that begins by 7:45 AM and ends by 3:45 PM.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Specific duties include but are not limited to:
- Is present in the building (minimally) from 7:45 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. on regular school days and at least fifteen (15) minutes before and after (45 minutes after school on days with a special schedule.
- Maintains accurate records for all assigned students and follows given procedures.
- Plans and conducts group activities and instructions promoting academic, career, and social/emotional development.
- Assists students in evaluating interests, abilities, skills, and achievement.
- Assist students in developing educational and career goals, including developing a four-year course selection plan.
- Encourages and assists students in utilizing Scoir tools and resources.
- Provides counseling in individual or small-group settings.
- Provide additional support and intervention for students.
- Monitors the grades, attendance, behavior, graduation/diploma progress, and social/emotional health of all students on their caseload.
- Provides timely intervention and support to students as needed.
- Shares strategies supporting student achievement with parents, teachers, and administration.
- Makes referrals for students and families to school or community resources for additional assistance and information when needed.
- Registers students for the regular academic year and facilitates registration for summer school.
- Makes necessary class schedule changes.
- Attends Student Intervention Team meetings to help identify students who are at risk.
- Fulfills all obligations as outlined in the Contract and Faculty Staff Handbook Agreement.
- Knows and observes the policies and procedures outlined in the Student Handbook and Faculty Handbook.
- Fulfills any co-curricular assignments.
- Completes other duties as assigned by the Principal.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants must have or be eligible for an Indiana teaching/counselor license.
Applicants must be willing to support and work to fulfill the mission of Marian High School, a Catholic, diocesan high school of the Diocese of Fort Wayne South Bend.
MISSION STATEMENT
Marian High School challenges students to spiritual and moral growth, academic and physical excellence, and social maturity. As a Catholic community, Marian values the sanctity and individuality of each student and strives to live the example set by Jesus Christ as teacher and servant.
If interested in the position, please apply at diocesefwsb.org/careers
How to Get Visa Sponsorship as a Guidance Counselor
Lead with your licensure status upfront
Many school districts require state licensure or eligibility for licensure. Make clear in your cover letter whether you hold a license, are license-eligible, or are completing supervised hours required for licensure. Ambiguity here costs you interviews.
Target employers already familiar with OPT
Universities, large school districts, and nonprofit counseling agencies are more likely to have hired international staff before. Smaller private practices may be unfamiliar with OPT authorization and hesitant. Focus your applications where the employer already understands work authorization.
Clarify your OPT end date and STEM extension eligibility
Guidance Counselor roles typically fall under non-STEM OPT, giving you 12 months. If your degree is in a STEM-adjacent field like educational psychology, confirm with your DSO whether a 24-month extension applies before communicating timelines to employers.
Align your degree field with the job title explicitly
Your OPT must be directly related to your degree. A counseling role with a social work degree is straightforward. A psychology degree for a school counselor role may need brief explanation. Address the connection clearly so employers and your DSO see alignment.
Start your job search early relative to your OPT start date
School and university hiring cycles often run months ahead of start dates. If your OPT begins in May, district hiring may close in February. Map your OPT authorization window against typical hiring timelines for your target institution type.
Prepare a one-page OPT explainer for skeptical employers
Many school administrators have not hired on OPT before. A brief document explaining that OPT requires no employer sponsorship, no petition, and no government approval reduces friction and positions you as someone who makes the process easy for them.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Do Guidance Counselor jobs qualify for OPT work authorization?
Yes, as long as your degree is directly related to the role. Degrees in school counseling, clinical mental health counseling, psychology, social work, and related fields typically satisfy the OPT relatedness requirement for Guidance Counselor positions. Your DSO can confirm the connection between your specific degree and the job before you accept an offer.
Is Guidance Counselor work eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension?
Most Guidance Counselor roles are not STEM-eligible because counseling and social work degree programs are not on the STEM Designated Degree Program list. If your degree is in educational psychology or a quantitative field, check your program's CIP code with your DSO. For most counseling graduates, the standard 12-month OPT period applies.
Do I need a state license to work as a Guidance Counselor on OPT?
It depends on the employer and state. K-12 school counselors often need a school counseling credential or state certification, which is separate from clinical licensure. Some employers hire license-eligible candidates while they complete supervised hours. Confirm the specific requirement with each employer before applying, since your OPT timeline may affect how many supervised hours you can accumulate.
Will employers in schools and universities sponsor me after my OPT expires?
School districts and universities vary widely. Public K-12 schools rarely sponsor H-1B visas due to budget constraints and unfamiliarity with the process. Universities and colleges are more likely to sponsor because they are often cap-exempt H-1B employers, meaning they can file anytime without lottery risk. Prioritize institutions with cap-exempt status if long-term sponsorship matters to your plans.
Where can I find Guidance Counselor jobs that are open to OPT candidates?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and filters job listings to show roles where employers are open to OPT work authorization. Browsing Migrate Mate saves time you would otherwise spend screening out employers unfamiliar with OPT, letting you focus on applications that actually match your authorization status and timeline.
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