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OPT Career and Immigration Conference 2026

Your job. Your visa. Your next step. All in one day.

A free online conference for international students figuring out how to keep working and stay in the U.S. after OPT.

OCTOBER 17, 2026 10AM–3PM PT FREE ONLINE

Register for OCIC 2026

Meet the speakers

Learn from people who’ve been where you’re headed.

Hear practical insights from industry leaders, career experts, and immigration professionals helping international students navigate what comes next.

Shreya Mehta
Shreya Mehta

Career Coach & Former FAANG Recruiter | Co-Founder, The Super Coach

Shreya Mehta is a career coach, former FAANG recruiter, and co-founder of The Super Coach, helping professionals navigate career transitions, build personal brands, and land opportunities with greater confidence and clarity. With recruiting experience across Amazon, Microsoft, TikTok, and Uber, she brings an insider’s perspective on hiring and what it takes to stand out in a competitive job market. As an immigrant herself, Shreya understands the unique challenges of building a career in a new country - from navigating hiring systems to building credibility. She has supported over 5,000 professionals and built a community of 156K+ LinkedIn followers and 30K+ Instagram followers.
Sameer Ranjan
Sameer Ranjan

CTO & Director of Data Science @Catenate, O-1 Visa Founder

Sameer Ranjan is CTO and Director of Data Science at Catenate, an AI platform helping people make major life decisions. His path to tech went from underground metal mining to data mining, and from H-1B uncertainty to building his own O-1 case as a founder. He now speaks openly about what it actually took to get there, the cost, the attorneys, the RFEs, and what students can start doing now to build toward O-1 while still in school.
David Gluckman, Esq.
David Gluckman, Esq.

Immigration Lawyer, Director @McCandlish Holton PC

David E. Gluckman is an immigration attorney and Director in McCandlish Holton’s Immigration Practice Group in Richmond, Virginia.  His expertise includes temporary-visa petitions, family-based and employment-based permanent-residence applications in all categories, citizenship, and federal litigation of immigration matters.  David regularly presents directly to students and university administrators on immigration topics at campuses and conferences nationwide.
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Sanjana Gowda
Sanjana Gowda

Program Manager working on agentic AI at Tesla | Career creator with a community of nearly 40,000

Sanjana Gowda is a Program Manager working on agentic AI at Tesla. After navigating 1,000+ rejections as an international student, she landed three internships and converted her Tesla internship into a full-time role. She shares practical job search lessons and AI product insights with a community of nearly 40,000 people, helping students navigate their careers and break into AI.
Rakshit Goyal
Rakshit Goyal

Founder, That Indian Coach | Ex-Amazon & Microsoft Finance | O-1 Visa Recipient

Chief Career Strategist & Founder of That Indian Coach, Forbes Coaches Council Member & Contributor, National Award-winning entrepreneur, and Honorary Listee of Marquis Who’s Who. A former Amazon & Microsoft finance professional and O-1 visa recipient, he has guided 500+ professionals and students across the U.S. and India through career transitions and professional growth.
Devshree Bharatia
Devshree Bharatia

Senior Software Engineer @Walmart Global Tech, Tech Educator, 400K+ community

DDevshree Bharatia is a Senior Software Engineer at Walmart Global Tech and a tech educator with a community of 400K+ across Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Substack. With 5+ years of experience spanning Silicon Valley startups and Fortune 1, she specializes in software engineering, AI, and building large-scale technology systems. She holds a Master’s in Computer Science with a specialization in Machine Learning from Georgia Tech and is passionate about making technology and career growth more accessible to the next generation of engineers.
Vishesh Shroff
Vishesh Shroff

Investor Relations Analyst, Goldman Sachs

Vishesh Shroff is an Investor Relations Analyst in Alternatives Capital Formation at Goldman Sachs, focused on private credit and asset-backed finance. He holds a Master's in Finance from Fordham University and brings experience across private markets, including roles at Kroll and Chronograph, where he supported institutional investors with private equity portfolio analytics.
Harika Satti
Harika Satti

Machine Learning Engineer at Amazon | AI & Career Content Creator

Harika Satti is a Machine Learning Engineer 2 at Amazon. She holds a Master’s degree in Software Engineering with a specialization in AI and Data Science from San Jose State University. As an international professional who built her career in the U.S., Harika also creates educational content focused on simplifying AI, breaking into tech, and helping students and professionals navigate their careers in AI.
Chintan Shah
Chintan Shah

Founder, The Super Coach | Job-Search & Mindset Coach | Coached 4,000+ U.S. Professionals

Chintan Shah is a job-search and mindset coach and the founder of The Super Coach, where he helps professionals land the jobs they want in under 90 days. A former Amazon professional, he has coached over 4,000 professionals across the U.S. and has built a community of 63,000+ followers on LinkedIn.
Tabarak Ur Rehman Chaudhry, CFA
Tabarak Ur Rehman Chaudhry, CFA

Vice President, Turnaround & Restructuring @AlixPartners, CFA Charterholder, First to run 1,000 miles across Pakistan

Tabarak Rehman works as Vice President in the Turnaround & Restructuring practice at AlixPartners in New York City. Prior to Alix, he worked as an equity research analyst at a Hedge Fund. Tabarak is a CFA Charterholder and holds a Master in Business Analytics from Northeastern University. In December 2024, Tabarak became the first person ever to run 1,000 miles (1,600 km) across Pakistan in 35 days with a goal to fundraise $1 million to help educate 5,000+ out-of-school children.
Veeraj Gadda
Veeraj Gadda

AI & Career Creator, Solutions Engineering Manager @PayPal, 1.5M+ community

Veeraj Gadda is an AI and career creator, Solutions Engineering Manager at PayPal, and TEDx speaker who has built a community of over 2 million professionals and students across social media. With 1.5M+ followers on Instagram and 360K+ Substack readers, he shares practical, no-hype insights on AI, technology, career growth, and breaking into tech.
Rhythm Malhotra
Rhythm Malhotra

Founder, Coffee & Catharsis | O-1 Visa Recipient | Coach & Creator, 80K+ Community

Rhythm Malhotra is an O-1 visa recipient and the founder of Coffee & Catharsis. She came to the U.S. for a one-year, non-STEM master's in Executive Coaching at NYU, which gave her just one year of OPT, and earned her O-1 within two years. A coach and content creator with an 80K+ Instagram community, she now helps international students find their own path to the O-1.
Rhythm Malhotra
Kripa Upadhyay

Immigration Lawyer, Of Counsel @Buchalter

Kripa Upadhyay is the Co-Chair of Buchalter’s Immigration & Global Mobility Practice, focusing on immigration, employment, corporate law, and international trade compliance. She advises on U.S. immigration strategy, visas, M&As, OFAC compliance, and EB-5 litigation.She’s been recognized by Chambers USA (Band 3), Super Lawyers (2014–18), and EB5 Investors Magazine (Top 10 Rising Stars, 2023), and serves on AILA’s EB-5/EOIR committees. Kripa holds a J.D. from Seattle University and a B.A. from CSU Long Beach. Licensed in Washington and admitted to the Ninth Circuit, she’s fluent in five languages and often quoted in outlets like Newsweek and Times of India.
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Lakshmi Durga Karanam
Lakshmi Durga Karanam

AI Engineer at Meta | Builds GenAI Agents & RAG Systems

Lakshmi Durga Karanam is an AI Engineer at Meta, where she builds GenAI agents and RAG systems that work in real production use. She started her career in India with 4+ years at Tata Consultancy Services and Manhar Solutions, building fraud detection models and automation systems. She then moved to the U.S. to earn her Master's in AI from Webster University and went on to Meta after graduating. Today, she simplifies AI in plain English for a community of 70K+ across Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Divya Mahajan
Divya Mahajan

Software Engineer at Amazon Alexa | Builds production LLM and agentic AI systems | 8+ years in engineering | AI conference speaker and hackathon winner

Divya Mahajan is a Software Development Engineer at Amazon Alexa, where she builds production-grade LLM and agentic AI systems at scale. Her work spans conversational AI, agentic automation, evaluation, and reliable AI system design, with a focus on making AI accurate, measurable, and production-ready.
Aimen Moten
Aimen Moten

Software Engineer @Google, International Student Advocate & Career Mentor

Aimen Moten is a Software Engineer at Google who moved to the U.S. from Pakistan in 2022 to study computer science at DePauw University. She landed two Google internships before earning a full-time offer, and now mentors international students and early-career professionals on resumes, interviews, and breaking into big tech.
Jack Runkle
Jack Runkle

Former US Visa Officer, Founder @Visa Interview Coach

Jack Runkle was a U.S. Visa Officer for 9 years, working in 17 different U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world. He now teachs U.S. visa applicants how to maximize their chances for visa approval through one-on-one coaching sessions arranged through his website.
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Speaker backgrounds

Insights from top companies


Experts From


Girl-working-on-OPT
What is OCIC?

Two Goals, One Event:
Get Hired and Stay in the U.S.!

OPT Career and Immigration Conference 2026 (OCIC) is an online conference built for international students navigating the critical transition from OPT to long-term work and immigration success in the U.S.

This one-day, high-impact experience brings together immigration attorneys, career mentors, university DSOs, and policy experts to equip you with the tools to take action now—not later.

What to Expect
  17 October

A full day of insights, connections, and growth—without leaving your desk.

The exact schedule is still being finalized — here's the kind of sessions OCIC is built around.

Devshree Bharatia
Devshree Bharatia
Senior Software Engineer @Walmart Global Tech, Tech Educator, 400K+ community
Shreya Mehta
Shreya Mehta
Career Coach & Former FAANG Recruiter | Co-Founder, The Super Coach
Veeraj Gadda
Veeraj Gadda
AI & Career Creator, Solutions Engineering Manager @PayPal, 1.5M+ community
Rakshit Goyal
Rakshit Goyal
Chief Career Strategist & Founder of That Indian Coach
What changed this year — How the new wage-weighted lottery and the $100K fee reshaped the H-1B process, and what that means for students on OPT.
What's still in motion — The pending court fight and other policies that could shift your H-1B chances before the March 2027 registration.
If you're not selected — The most common alternative routes for OPT students, and how to judge which ones are realistic for your case.
Live Q&A
Second master's — Whether it's still allowed, and when it's the right time to transition.
RFE risks — How to stay prepared and avoid unwanted surprises.
Picking the right program — Cost, location, major and compliance: the essentials to weigh before you enroll.
Live Q&A
The paths that actually work — O-1, NIW, cap-exempt, Day 1 CPT: which has worked for fellows in your field.
Time is ticking — The short-term and long-term preparations to make during OPT so your next immigration plan has something to build on.
Sponsorship explained — Where you truly need an employer in your corner, and where you don't.
Live Q&A
Intro — From Amazon to coaching 4,000+ professionals.
The live demo — Building a 90-day search plan from scratch for a sample candidate, such as a CS new grad on OPT: picking target roles and companies, where to find openings, and which applications are worth the time.
Playbook — A weekly schedule and a way to track progress.
Adapting it to your field — How the same plan changes for a non-tech candidate.
The mindset piece — Staying consistent through rejections and the pressure of the OPT clock.
Live Q&A
Chintan Shah Chintan Shah Speaker

Where students get tripped up — The travel mistakes a visa officer sees often from OPT students, and what they tend to cost.

What's shifted for F-1 travelers — Recent visa policy changes and trends, and what the upcoming D/S rule could mean for your next trip home and your return.
Renewing your visa on OPT or CPT — Why renewals feel harder for working students right now, and how to approach the consulate with confidence.
Where students get tripped up — The travel mistakes a visa officer sees often from OPT students, and what they tend to cost.
Live Q&A
The truth about tech hiring — Hiring and promotions in the AI era, from someone who's sat on both sides of the interview table, as a candidate and as a hiring manager at Walmart.
Getting promoted, not just hired — Real strategies for getting promoted at a big company, not just landing the offer.
Sponsorship under the new F-1 rules — How visa sponsorship is shifting, and what pathways exist beyond H-1B.
Live Q&A
Devshree Bharatia Devshree Bharatia Senior Software Engineer @Walmart Global Tech, Tech Educator, 400K+ community
Different roads to O-1 — From founder and tech executive, to community builder and content creator, to corporate finance at Amazon and Microsoft and starting a business.
The turning point — What made each of them pursue O-1, and how they realized it was an option.
What an O-1 case is really built on — The kind of evidence each of them had to show, and how long it actually took.
O-1 myths vs. reality — The assumptions about O-1 that don't hold up once you've actually been through it.
Live Q&A
Sameer Ranjan Sameer Ranjan Speaker
Rakshit Goyal Rakshit Goyal Speaker
Rythm Malhotra Rythm Malhotra Speaker
Intro — From recruiting at Amazon and Microsoft to co-founding The Super Coach.
How recruiters actually screen — The first few seconds on a resume, how ATS filtering works, and the common reasons strong candidates get passed over.
Building a resume that gets callbacks — Impact-driven bullets, tailoring to each role, and presenting non-US experience.
A LinkedIn profile recruiters can find — Headline, About section, keywords, and settings that help you show up in recruiter searches.
Live Q&A
Shreya Mehta Shreya Mehta Career Coach & Former FAANG Recruiter | Co-Founder, The Super Coach

What you'll walk away with

One day. Your full roadmap — career and immigration.

OCIC brings immigration attorneys, career mentors, and university officials into one place so you don't have to piece things together from forums and rumors.

A clearer immigration picture

Understand your realistic options for staying and working in the U.S.

A real career game plan

Hear directly from people who hire and manage international employees.

Direct access to experts

Ask your specific question to attorneys and school officials.

A community going through the same thing

Connect with other students navigating the same job market.

What to Expect
  17 October

A full day of insights, connections, and growth—without leaving your desk.

Explore immigration and career sessions designed around the questions international students are navigating now.

The Golden Pass: H-1B at a crossroads in 2027?
David Gluckman Headshot 1
David Gluckman, esq.
Immigration Lawyer, Director @McCandlish Holton PC
Day 1 CPT Under the New D/S Rule Era: 10 Mistakes to Avoid
Shama
Shama Parveen
Senior Consultant, GoElite
Flying Home on OPT Under the Upcoming D/S Rule?
Kripa 1
Jack Runkle
Ex U.S. Visa Officer, Founder @Visa Interview Coach
Immigrant Leader Panel: All Paths to O-1, Building a U.S. Career Beyond the H-1B Lottery
Speaker
Sameer Ranjan
CTO & Director of Data Science @Catenate, O-1 Visa Founder
Speaker
Rakshit Goyal
Founder, That Indian Coach | Ex-Amazon & Microsoft Finance | O-1 Visa Recipient
Speaker
Rhythm Malhotra
Founder, Coffee & Catharsis | O-1 Visa Recipient | Coach & Creator, 80K+ Community
Life After OPT: The Realistic Immigration Playbook for Tech, Finance, Engineering, and All Backgrounds
Kripa 1
Kripa Upadhyay
Immigration Lawyer, Of Counsel @Buchalter
The Personal Branding Edge: What's Actually Getting People Hired and Sponsored?
Speaker
Veeraj Gadda
Manager, PayPal Solutions Partner team
Hearing From a Big Tech Hiring Manager: What Employers Actually Want in 2026
Speaker
Devshree Bharatia
Hiring manager at Walmart
Breaking Into an AI Career as an International Student: A Hands-On Guide From an Amazon AI Engineer
Speaker
Harika Satti
Machine Learning Engineer at Amazon | AI & Career Content Creator
Recruiter's POV: Resume and LinkedIn Strategy for Professionals
Speaker
Shreya Mehta
Career Coach & Former FAANG Recruiter | Co-Founder, The Super Coach
The 90-Day Job Search: Live Demo for OPT Job Applicants Beating the Grace Period
Speaker
Chintan Shah
Founder, The Super Coach | Job-Search & Mindset Coach | Coached 4,000+ U.S. Professionals
Experts Panel: How the Finance Hiring Process Has Changed Over the Years, From Both Sides of the Table
Speaker
Vishesh Shroff
Investor Relations Analyst, Goldman Sachs
Speaker
Rakshit Goyal
Founder, That Indian Coach | Ex-Amazon & Microsoft Finance | O-1 Visa Recipient
Speaker
Tabarak Ur Rehman Chaudhry, CFA
Vice President, Turnaround & Restructuring @AlixPartners, CFA Charterholder, First to run 1,000 miles across Pakistan
Your Next Chapter Starts Here

Countdown to Career and Immigration Conference 2026

Join us on October 17, 2026 for a full day of career guidance, immigration insights, and expert-led sessions built for international students planning their next move.

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What to expect

17 OCTOBER

A full day of insights, connections, and growth—without leaving your desk.

The exact schedule is still being finalized - here's the kind of sessions OCIC is built around.

Keynotes

Immigration attorneys walk through your realistic options in plain language.

Career sessions

Hiring managers and founders talk through what's actually working in today's job market.

School official panel

Ask questions directly to university officials who handle student status day to day.

Live Q&A

Bring your own situation and get it addressed, not just general advice.

OCIC-Schedule-Photo
Before You Register

Common questions

Yes. OCIC is free for international students. Spots are limited, so we recommend registering as soon as it opens.

OCIC takes place on October 17, 2026. Register to receive event reminders and the complete session schedule.

No. OCIC is built for students at every stage — whether you're just starting to think about life after OPT or already deep in the process.

Yes, sessions will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers, so you won't miss anything if you can't attend live.

OCIC-Schedule-Photo

Save your spot before it fills up.

Free, online, and built for students figuring out life after OPT.

Free Register
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GoElite • OCIC

OCIC is hosted by GoElite, Inc. and is intended for general educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice, and attending does not create an attorney-client relationship.