Lesson 2 of 2 Facts checked against sources on 28 September 2026 6 min

Work authorization and preparation

Visa questions to ask early, and a preparation list.

Firm processes and online tests change from year to year and differ by office. Use this to prepare, and confirm the exact current steps on the firm's own careers page.

Key takeaways

This section is general information, not legal advice. For your own case, talk to your university's international student office or an immigration lawyer.
Many international graduates on F-1 student status start work under Optional Practical Training (OPT), and graduates with qualifying STEM degrees may apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension.
US visa rules for new hires changed several times in 2025 and 2026. A September 2025 presidential proclamation set a 100,000 US dollar fee on certain new H-1B petitions for people outside the US.
Start preparing about a year before the application window, because windows open early and fill quickly.
Practice timed online cases and numerical tests before applications open.

Checked on 2026-09-28

This lesson was checked against the sources listed at the end, official pages first. Firm processes change between offices, roles, and years, so use it as a guide and confirm the details in your invitation and with your recruiter.

Work authorization in general terms

This section is general information, not legal advice. For your own case, talk to your university's international student office or an immigration lawyer.
Many international graduates on F-1 student status start work under Optional Practical Training (OPT), and graduates with qualifying STEM degrees may apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension. Longer-term work usually needs an employer-sponsored visa such as the H-1B. Ask each firm early whether it sponsors visas for your role and office.
US visa rules for new hires changed several times in 2025 and 2026. A September 2025 presidential proclamation set a 100,000 US dollar fee on certain new H-1B petitions for people outside the US. In June 2026 a federal court vacated the policy that applied it, and the government appealed. In September 2026 the proclamation was extended to September 2027, while the court order remained in place, so the fee was not being collected when we checked.
Separately, in August 2026 the Department of Homeland Security proposed a fee of 103,265 US dollars on cap-subject H-1B petitions, which would include many new graduate hires. It is a proposal only and is not in effect. Check the current USCIS pages before relying on any of this.
Canada has its own work permit rules. Check the Government of Canada immigration pages and ask the recruiter.

What to prepare

Start preparing about a year before the application window, because windows open early and fill quickly.
Practice timed online cases and numerical tests before applications open.
Prepare your story bank before first-round invitations arrive; there is often little time between the online stage and interviews.
Ask about visa sponsorship at the start of the process, not after the offer.

Facts checked against sources on 2026-09-28. Sources, official pages first. "Reported" means a secondary source, not the firm or government itself.

BCG: US Associate job opportunities (official): https://careers.bcg.com/global/en/on-campus/united-states-associate-job-opportunities
McKinsey: Undergraduate degree careers (official): https://www.mckinsey.com/careers/students/undergraduate-degree
Bain: What to expect (official): https://www.bain.com/careers/hiring-process/what-to-expect/
BCG: International opportunities, application timing and languages by country (official): https://careers.bcg.com/global/en/locations/united-kingdom/international-opportunities
EY US: Early career application guidance and deadlines (official): https://www.ey.com/en_us/careers/early-career-application-guidance-and-deadlines
USCIS: H-1B specialty occupations (official government source): https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/h-1b-specialty-occupations
USCIS: Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 students (official government source): https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/students-and-exchange-visitors/optional-practical-training-opt-for-f-1-students
USCIS: STEM OPT extension (official government source): https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/students-and-exchange-visitors/optional-practical-training-extension-for-stem-students-stem-opt
Reported: Yale OISS, proclamation extends H-1B 100,000 dollar fee policy; fee remains blocked by court order; proposed cap-subject fee (September 2026): https://oiss.yale.edu/news/presidential-proclamation-extends-h-1b-100000-fee-policy-fee-remains-blocked-by-court-order
Reported: DiRaimondo & Schroeder, H-1B proclamation extended through September 2027: https://www.diraimondoschroeder.com/updates/2026/9/21/trump-administration-extends-100000-h-1b-proclamation-through-september-2027-but-fee-remains-blocked-by-court-order
Reported: PrepLounge, application deadlines in the USA 2026: https://www.preplounge.com/en/blog/consulting/interview/application-deadlines-usa
Reported: RoadToOffer, consulting application deadlines 2026: https://www.roadtooffer.com/blog/consulting-application-deadlines-2026
Reported: CaseCoach, 22 September 2026, how McKinsey, BCG and Bain are testing AI skills in interviews: https://casecoach.com/b/how-mckinsey-bcg-and-bain-are-testing-ai-skills-in-interviews/
Reported (news): Fortune, 14 January 2026, earlier report of a McKinsey AI interview pilot: https://fortune.com/2026/01/14/how-to-get-hired-at-mckinsey-ai-tools-liberal-arts-creativity/
Reported: CaseBasix, Bain AI interview: https://www.casebasix.com/pages/bain-ai-interview

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