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Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is work authorization available to international students who have been in valid F-1 status for at least two consecutive semesters and who plan to seek employment in the U.S. in their field of study. OPT is recommended by advisers at Office of International Student and Scholar Services, but final approval is granted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).

For More Information

Application Deadline

Plan to attend an OPT Seminar, held each Fall and Spring in the middle of the term. A reminder email will be sent.

The earliest you can apply for OPT is 90 days before your "completion date." The latest date the USCIS will accept your application is 60 days after your completion date. In addition, OPT applications must be submitted to USCIS within 30 days of receiving an OPT I-20 from the ISSS.

What is your completion date?

For OPT purposes, this is the day you complete your final degree requirements:

Undergraduate students

Your completion date is considered to be the last day of final exams of the semester your degree requirements are fulfilled.

Graduate students

Your completion date is the day on which all degree requirements are fulfilled, such as filing your thesis or dissertation. If you do not have a research component to your degree program (such as in the MBA program or other professional schools), your completion date will be the date of graduation.

Points to remember

  • One year of OPT is available after completing each higher level degree program.
  • A job offer is not required to apply for OPT. However, once you find a qualifying job, you must notify ISSS. See address/employer reporting instructions here.
  • Unemployment is allowed for no more than 90 days.
  • The employment may occur anywhere in the U.S.
  • No special permission is required to change employers or terminate your employment. However, you must notify ISSS of your unemployment and/or new employer's information.
  • During the period of OPT, a student continues in F-1 status, since OPT is considered to be part of the program of study.
  • It can take the USCIS three to five months to issue the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) that allows you to begin working on OPT. There is no way to expedite an application.
  • Once you complete your degree, you cannot work on-campus or off-campus until you have the EAD in your possession and your chosen start date has arrived.
  • Once the OPT application is submitted to the USCIS, it is very difficult to change or cancel the application.
  • OPT can only be extended beyond 12 months (for up to 17 additional months), if you meet the following three conditions: your OPT is based on a U.S. Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctoral in a STEM major (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) at the time of application for the extension; your employer subscribes to E-Verify; or you are currently authorized for OPT and working in a job related to your field of study
  • OPT is available both before and after completing the degree program.

17-Month Extensions of OPT

OPT: STEM Extension

Students with degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) whose I-20 indicates, on page 3, one of the codes designated by SEVIS may be eligible for a 17 month extension. Check the Designated Degree Program List to see if you are eligible. The eligibility requirements are as follows:

  • Must have a job offer from an employer enrolled in E-Verify in a job directly related to major area of study.
  • Must apply before current 12-month period of OPT expires.
  • Must not have previously received a 17-month OPT extension after earning a STEM degree.

Timeline

Application must be submitted to ISSS and received by USCIS prior to the end of your current OPT authorization. Students can submit an application to USCIS as early as 120 days prior to the end of the current OPT authorization period but no later than the current OPT authorization end date.

A student who timely files will be able to continue employment while the extension application is pending, until a final decision is made by USCIS or for 180 days, whichever comes first.

How to Apply

Contact ISSS if you wish to apply for the STEM extension. After verifying the student's eligibility, ISSS will recommend the 17-month OPT extension in SEVIS. The student will receive an updated I-20 from ISSS with an annotation for the additional OPT period. The start date of the extension begins on the day after the expiration of the initial post-completion OPT and ends 17 months thereafter, regardless of the date the actual extension is approved.