CCNA + a US-hire-ready portfolio — timed for your F-1 / OPT window.
For international students on F-1 or OPT: get the Cisco cert, three portfolio-grade projects US recruiters actually look for, and an interview package built for the US hiring loop. Weekly 1:1 with a senior network engineer. Twelve weeks or a compressed eight-week track if your OPT clock is short.
Built around the US networking hiring loop.
Employers that hire OPT + STEM-OPT
US MSPs, Cisco partners, and consultancies actively hire OPT-eligible juniors. Federal-contractor clearance roles are closed — the rest are open. We target the open lane.
Portfolio, not lab dumps
Three CV-grade projects — a full multi-VLAN network with security policy, a config-audit Python script, and a live troubleshooting runbook. Not "I did lab 5". Real artifacts recruiters see.
US resume + LinkedIn rewrite
ATS-tuned resume for the US format (not the Indian / Pakistani CV format). LinkedIn About + Headline rewrite tuned for US recruiter searches. Included in every core program.
Behavioral + technical mock interviews
STAR-framework practice + a recorded technical mock. The behavioral half is where most international candidates lose to US natives — we drill it.
Compressed 8-week option if OPT is short
If you have less than 6 months of OPT + STEM-OPT left, we do an 8-week track focused on getting you interview-ready fast rather than exam-first. Talk to us.
H-1B lottery + green-card long game
CCNA + entry NetEng at a US employer is a legitimate path into an H-1B (April lottery) or, longer-term, EB-2 / EB-3 sponsorship. We help you pick employers who actually sponsor.
What US NetEng salaries look like for OPT hires.
Median entry salaries by role for OPT / recent-STEM-OPT candidates at US employers who actively hire visa-status juniors. Numbers reflect 2026 US medians — regional variation applies (Texas / North Carolina near the top, upstate NY / rural Midwest lower).
| Role | Employer type | US median (base) |
|---|---|---|
| NOC L1 | MSP | $48-58k |
| NOC L2 (with CCNA) | MSP · Cisco partner | $62-75k |
| Junior Network Engineer | Enterprise · consultancy | $70-85k |
| Associate NetEng (CCNP-track) | Cisco partner · consultancy | $85-105k |
Ranges are gross base salary, not TC. Bonuses (5-10%) + benefits push these ~10-15% higher. H-1B sponsorship at first employer typically adds 6-9 months of "prove yourself" before internal transfer.
Straight answers.
Does the CCNA count as a STEM credential for OPT? +
The CCNA itself is a vendor certification, not a US degree, so it doesn't change your OPT / STEM-OPT eligibility on its own. What it does do is make you employable in a networking role. Your STEM-OPT eligibility comes from your CIP code (usually 11.xxxx CS/IT, 14.xxxx engineering, or 40.xxxx tech). Talk to your DSO if you're unsure — but CCNA + a STEM CIP is the combination US employers hire from.
What kinds of US employers hire international students on OPT / STEM-OPT for networking roles? +
US MSPs (Presidio, WWT, ePlus, CDW, Insight, Optiv, Ntiva), consultancies (Accenture Federal, Deloitte, PwC), and Cisco itself hire OPT-eligible juniors. Federal contractors that require clearance don't — that's the main lane closed to you until you have work authorization more permanent than OPT.
Can I do the mentorship program while I'm still on F-1 studying full-time? +
Yes. The program is asynchronous plus one weekly live 1:1 — total 4-6 hours per week. Most students fit it around a 15-credit semester. Do NOT accept payment for tutoring / mentoring others while on F-1 without CPT/OPT authorization; being a student in our program is fine.
What happens between CCNA and my first US role — timeline reality? +
Realistic timeline for a strong candidate: month 1-3 CCNA + our 3 CV projects, month 3-4 US-format resume and LinkedIn, month 4-6 interview cycle (typical response rate is ~10% cold, so budget for 100+ applications). H-1B lottery odds (~25% in 2026) are the biggest wildcard. Some students bridge with CPT / on-campus work while applying.
How is your CCNA program different from Coursera / Udemy / a bootcamp? +
Two things. First, 1:1 weekly with a senior engineer means we build the exact projects your target US employer looks for on a resume, not generic labs. Second, we do US interview prep — resume ATS keywords, LinkedIn headline, behavioral STAR, mock technical interview. Most bootcamps don't coach the interview.
I'm on OPT and my clock is ticking. Is 12 weeks too long? +
Depends on where you are on OPT. If you have 8+ months of OPT + STEM-OPT left, 12 weeks is fine — CCNA + interview cycle finishes in 5-6 months and you start applications alongside the second half of study. If you have less than 6 months of OPT left, we do a compressed 8-week track focused on getting you interview-ready fast — email us to discuss.
Information on F-1 / OPT / STEM-OPT / H-1B is general and current as of 2026-07. It is not legal or immigration advice. Verify your specific situation with your DSO and/or an immigration attorney.
Book a free 20-min planning call.
We map your OPT window, target employers, and CCNA timeline in twenty minutes. No card, no pitch — you leave with a written plan whether or not you enroll.