Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Optional Practical Training is a 12 month temporary employment authorization that provides an opportunity for F-1 students to apply knowledge acquired from their academic program to a work experience in their major field of study. It is a benefit of maintaining status that is available during an F-1 student's course of study (pre-degree completion), after each degree level completed (post-degree completion), or may be used a combination of both pre- and post-degree completion as long as one does not exceed the equivalent of 12 months of OPT authorization.

A one-time 17 month post-completion OPT extension may be available to certain STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) graduates. More information...

OPT must be recommended by the Slutzker Center for International Services and approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS work authorization is issued in the form of an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) commonly referred to as an EAD card. The EAD is a photo identity card similar to a university ID or driver's license. It indicates the date an authorized F-1 student may begin employment and the date the student must end employment.

OPT Eligibility
When OPT Can Occur
Duration of OPT
When to Apply for OPT
OPT Application Process
Completing the I-765
Completing the Training Data Sheet
Application Processing Times
Checking Status of Application
OPT Application Pending 90+ Days
Report Change in Personal/Employer Info
Termination of OPT
Traveling (pre-degree completion)
Traveling (post-degree completion)

OPT Eligibility

In order to be eligible to apply for OPT, you must meet all of the following requirements:

• Be an F-1 student visa holder who has been enrolled full-time for at least one full academic year prior to submitting an OPT application (Year enrollment may be fulfilled at Syracuse University, a previous University, or between multiple universities.)
  
  
• Be maintaining lawful F-1 status.
  
  
• Intend to obtain employment in a position directly related to your major field of study.
  
  
• Have not completed more than 364 days of full-time Curricular Practical Training (CPT).
  
  
• Have not utilized an equivalent of 12 months of OPT work authorization in current degree level.
  
  
• Have not already completed a degree at this level (e.g., second bachelor's degree) or at a higher level.
  
  
• Are not in an English language training program.

When OPT Can Occur

Prior to Degree Completion:

Part-time or Full-time: During your annual vacation if eligible and if you intend to register for the next term or session. (Pre-completion OPT)

Part-time: While school is in session provided that OPT does not exceed 20 hours per week and you maintain your full-time student status. (Pre-completion OPT)

Full-time: If you are in a master's or doctoral degree program, after completion of all course requirements for the degree, excluding thesis, dissertation or equivalent. (Can be either pre-completion or post-completion OPT.  Please talk with an SCIS advisor about which might be most appropriate for your case.)

After Degree Completion (Post Degree Completion):

Full-time: After completion of your degree.

Any OPT utilized prior to degree completion will be deducted from the initial 12 month allowable benefit.

Comparison of Pre and Post-Completion OPT benefits when one’s course work is complete and only dissertation or thesis is remaining.

Pre-Completion OPT	Post-Completion OPT
Part-time employment while school is in session; full-time during approved school breaks	Full-time or part-time employment
Unemployment is not counted	Unemployment is counted; maximum unemployment 90 days
May extend program end date if eligibility requirements are met	Cannot extend program end date; must complete dissertation/thesis by end of OPT authorization
Cannot apply for STEM extension	Eligible to apply for STEM extension if you meet all requirements
Not eligible for Cap-Gap Extension	Eligible for Cap-Gap Extension

 

Duration of OPT

Initial OPT applications have a maximum duration eligibility of 12 months for each higher degree level (Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degree) you complete.

If you have used part of your OPT employment benefit during your degree program, you are only entitled to the remaining benefit, not a new 12 months. You will not receive additional OPT time if you complete another degree at the same level (e.g., two master's degrees) or a lower level (e.g., complete a master's degree and then go back to school to complete a second bachelor's degree). Additionally, you may not split post-completion authorizations between two degrees at the same level (e.g., use 3 months of OPT after completing on master's degree and 9 months after completing a second master's degree; when filing a post-completion OPT application, the full 12 month benefit must be utilized).

Also, please note that if you receive your Employment Authorization Document (EAD card) after the work authorization start date you requested, you are not eligible to recover the time that passed while you were waiting to receive your EAD card in the mail. You must still stop working on the end date indicated on the EAD card unless you are eligible for a 17 month STEM extension and applied in a timely manner.

When to Apply for OPT

Work authorization for OPT must be obtained from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) so please plan ahead to ensure a timely receipt of your application. If your application is received by USCIS more than 60 days after your *program completion date, you will not be eligible for OPT.

Prior to Degree Completion OPT:

• If you are completing your first academic year of study, you may submit your OPT application 90 days prior to the date you will complete your first year of study provided that the employment will not begin until after an entire year of study has been completed.
  
  
• If you have completed one full year of study, you may submit your OPT application as early as 90 days prior to the work authorization start date you requested.
  
  
• If you are applying for OPT based on completion of your coursework requirements, you may submit your application as early as 90 days prior to the work authorization start date you requested.

After Program Completion OPT:

• If you are applying for OPT based on completion of your degree, you may submit your application for OPT as early as 90 days prior to your program end date. Please be aware that your application must be received by USCIS by no later than 60 days after the day you complete your program or the program end date indicated on your I-20, whichever occurs first.

*A Note About Completion Dates:
The date of the completion of your degree is not necessarily the date you participate in graduation ceremonies at the end of the year. Graduate students may complete the requirements for a degree any day of year. Your completion date will be specified by your academic department on the Recommendation Letter that they will provide to you as part of the OPT application process.

OPT Application Process

Submitting Your OPT Application

OPT must be recommended by the Slutzker Center for International Services before you can submit an application for OPT to the USCIS.

Step 1:

• Read all of the OPT information included on the Slutzker Center Website.
  
  
• Attend the Slutzker Center Optional Practical Training Seminar

To prepare for Step 2:

Obtain and complete the following documents:

• Recommendation Letter on department letterhead (following appropriate sample).
  
  

  SU Students should obtain the recommendation letter from an academic advisor or departmental chairperson.

  ESF Students should obtain the recommendation letter from the Dean of Instruction and Graduate Studies, 277 Bray Hall as well as an Enrollment Certification from the Registrar's Office to verify full-time enrollment throughout the duration of your academic program.
  

• Form I-765 (sign the application in BLUE ink)
  (additional instructions)
  
  
• Student Responsibilities Checklist (read, check, and sign)

Photographs can be purchased at local businesses such as:
Rite Aid ($7.99)
Sears Portrait Studio ($14.99)
Copy Center (Marshall Mall $14.99)

Please follow the following instructions when taking the photos for OPT:

7 Steps to Successful Photos

1. Frame subject with full face, front view, eyes open
2. Make sure photo presents full head from top of hair to bottom of chin; height of head should
measure 1 inch to 13⁄8 inch (25 mm to 35 mm)
3. Center head within frame (see Figure 2 below)
4. Make sure eye level is between 11⁄8 inch and 13⁄8 inch (28 mm and 35 mm) from bottom of photo
5. Photograph subject against a plain white or off-white background
6. Position subject and lighting so that there are no distracting shadows on the face or background
7. Encourage subject to have a natural expression

 

Step 2:

Step 3:

Once you have completed all of the above steps, you may mail your completed OPT application packet to the USCIS Vermont Service Center. You must mail the application within 30 days of the date the I-20 recommending OPT was issued; it must be recieved by no later than 60 days after the program completion date indicated on your I-20 requesting OPT.

• Check or money order for $340 made out to the "Department of Homeland Security";

Applications should be mailed to:
USCIS
Vermont Service Center
Attn: I-765
75 Lower Welden St.
St. Albans, VT 05479-0001

Step 4:

USCIS will send an application receipt to you in the mail within 30 days of receiving your application. It will note the date your application was received, the date the receipt was mailed, and an estimate of when your application is likely to be processed. In the top right-hand corner, the receipt will also include an "EAC number." This number can be utilized to check the status of your case.

Step 5:

If your application has been approved by USCIS, you should receive your Employment Authorization Document (EAD Card) in the mail within approximately 90-120 days. Please be aware that you may not begin working prior to reaching the start date on your EAD and you must stop working on the end date.

Step 6:

Submit a photocopy of your EAD card to the Slutzker Center for International Services.

Photocopied files (must be clear copy), drop-off at or mail to:
Slutzker Center for International Services
Re: EAD
310 Walnut Place
Syracuse, NY 13244-2380

Scanned files, email to:
lescis@syr.edu

Step 7:

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Completing the Form I-765

Filling in item 3 (U.S. Address):

If you will be in another state outside of the Vermont Service Center Jurisdiction when your application is being processed, you should provide an address of an acquaintance who resides within the Vermont Service Center jurisdiction.

Filling in item 11 (Previous USCIS Employment Authorization)

Please note that having applied for CPT does not apply to this situation. If you have only applied for CPT previously, you would mark "No."

Filling in item 16 (Eligibility Category)

Certification

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Completing the Training Data Sheet

Filling in item 17 (Requested Employment Start Date)

In general, if you are submitting your application less than 3 months early and/or do not yet have a job offer, you may want to provide a later anticipated start date (towards the end of the 60 days) since you will not receive additional OPT eligibility if your application is not processed by your anticipated start date/you do not find employment immediately.

Please note that your OPT must be completed within 14 months from your program end date regardless of your requested OPT start date and actual EAD start date.

Filling in item 18 (Requested Employment End Date):

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Application Processing Times

OPT application processing times vary. It is estimated that a typical application will take 2-3 months to process. An updated listing of Form I-765 application processing times at the Vermont Service Center is available online.

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Checking the Status of your Application

If you have your application receipt number, you are able to check the status of your OPT application processing case online. To do so, you may click on the link provided here or:

If Your OPT Application Has Been Pending For More Than 90 Days

 

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Reporting Changes of Information (Address, Name, Employer) and Periods of Unemployment to SEVIS

While on OPT, you remain in F-1 status and employment is required to maintain status. In order to maintain status, you may not accure more than 90 days of unemployment.

As part of your maintenance of status , you are responsible for reporting changes in personal and employment information to the the Slutzker Center within 10 days of the change. Upon receipt of such information, we will update your SEVIS record in order for you to maintain compliance to U.S. immigration regulations.

You must report the following information to the Slutzker Center within 10 days:

• any change of address (within the U.S. or your foreign address)
• any change of name (first, middle, last)
• any periods of unemployment while authorized for OPT
• employer information (name and address) upon obtaining a job and changing jobs

To update your information, please access the "Updating your Data " section of the Slutzker Center website or access the form directly.

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Termination of OPT

OPT authorization is automatically terminated when an F-1 student transfers to another school or begins coursework in a new academic program.

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Traveling When OPT is Pending or Approved (Prior to Degree Completion)

If you will return to the U.S. (from outside North America) before you complete your degree requirements (before the end date noted in item #5 of your I-20):

You may re-enter the U.S. with the following immigration travel documents:

*If you are returning to the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, or an Adjacent Island, you may not need a valid visa to re-enter the U.S. if you:

Traveling When OPT Has Been Approved (After Degree Completion)

If you will return to the U.S. after you complete your degree requirements (after the end date noted in item #5 of your I-20), you must have the following documents to re-enter the U.S.:

*If you are returning to the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, or an Adjacent Island, please check above criteria to see if you will require a valid visa to re-enter the United States or consult a Slutzker Center Advisor.

It is not advisable to travel outside of the U.S.:

• While OPT authorization is pending; or
• If you have been authorized for OPT but do not have a job to begin/resume

 

Related Links

Practical Training

STEM Extension

Cap Gap Relief

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

J-1 Academic Training

Social Security

Taxes

I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification