I'm also an Arab, from Jordan (granted, my name is not Mohamed). A lot of the answers here are on track but let me give my view and what I've seen from my frien

I'm also an Arab, from Jordan (granted, my name is not Mohamed). A lot of the answers here are on track but let me give my view and what I've seen from my friends and colleagues' experience. While companies like Microsoft, Facebook, and Google are usually fine with sponsoring students for J1 or H1B visas, it makes a huge different whether the student is applying from within the US or not. Students from all nationalities who study in a US university will have a much easier time getting a summer internship at these companies. Part of it is that the paperwork is easier: an international student with an F1 visa studying at a known American university can simply apply for a CPT (Curricular Practical Training) authorization and be allowed to work. Even before that, it is much easier to meet the candidate in person and decide if they are worthy of an offer: you can simply conduct campus interviews or fly them over in a (cheaper) domestic flight. Simply put, the cost of interviewing an international student outside the US is high enough, that often times it isn't worth the cost to find out if a candidate is worth it. Looking at other students from the Middle East graduating from my school, I see a similar trend: Those applying for internships and full-time jobs while still in the US as students will get interviews and offers, while those who were in the US and went back home have much more trouble returning.