A college student’s senior year is a time of excitement, celebration, and anticipation of a new and exciting career ahead.  But for many students, the thought of graduation can also bring a host of concerns, and not just whether they’ll ever be able to pay back all those student loans.

International students in the United States on a student visa face additional challenges at the end of their academic careers, including trying to decide whether or not to establish a new life, and a new career in the United States.

If you came from abroad to the U.S. on a student visa, it is never too early to consider your next steps. Start by taking a look at your visa materials and determining when your student visa expires. This will give you a definite idea of the time frame within which you have to work. If your visa expires in a year, or even less time than that, it is time to weigh your options.

If you are presently obtaining your bachelor’s degree and hope to pursue a Master’s, law degree, medical degree, or doctorate at an American college or university, you’ll need to apply for an extension of your F Visa or M Visa.

If you would like to stay in the United States and hope to work for an American company, it is never too early to begin preparing your H Visa application. As these visas are in short supply and vary in processing times based on your home country, it is important to allow plenty of time to process the application, and always a good idea to have an attorney’s help.

Are you from Canada or Mexico? You may be eligible to work in the U.S. under a TN Visa, authorized by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Students with extraordinary abilities in science, art, education, business, or athletics could qualify for an O Visa, and should your desire to change the world lead you to employment with a religious organization, an R Visa just might be for you.

Weigh your options, carefully consider your career goals, and talk to an attorney about what opportunities are available to you well before your student visa expires.

And don’t wait until graduation, or instead of buying pots and pans, you’ll be handing over your limited spending cash to USCIS for the $1000 expedited processing fee.