Post-Completion OPT

Two types of practical training are available to F-1 students:

Pre-Completion OPT
Post-Completion OPT (with potential extension for certain STEM qualifying degree programs)

Note: Pre-Completion and Post-Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) use the same available 12 months, but Post-Completion OPT can only be used when you will complete your degree in the near future and meet the Post-Completion OPT eligibility requirements below.

You are eligible to apply for OPT if you:

Have not been approved for a total of 365 days of full-timeCPT  (Curricular Practical Training).
Were enrolled full-time for at least one academic year (two semesters). Summers do not count.
Have maintained active F-1 status.
Will complete your degree in the near future.

Request an OPT I-20 in iStart.
ISSA issues eligible students an updated I-20 including the OPT recommendation.
Submit form I-765, the signed I-20 with the OPT recommendation, and other required documents to USCIS online.
Check the current USCIS processing times for form I-765.
You must be in the U.S. when you submit form I-765.

OPT Timelines and Deadlines

Apply for OPT as early as 90 days before your program end date.
Note: ISSA can issue the I-20 with the OPT recommendation only after the 90-day window opens.
Pick an OPT start date that falls within the 60-day grace period after your program end date.
Submit your OPT application to the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) within 30 days of the date of OPT I-20 issuance or by the 60th day from the program end date, whichever comes first.
The OPT application window closes on the 60th day from the program end date.
Submit your OPT I-20 request in iStart early to give ISSA time to issue your OPT I-20. We recommend submitting the form at least 4 weeks before the end of your program end date.

Determining Your Program End Date

Undergraduate, Medical, and Law Students as well as Graduate Students with coursework only:  

Last day of semester you are graduating

Graduate Students with a paper, thesis, or dissertation requirement:

Last day of semester in which you defend, including summer; or
Oral defense date; or
Any date after completion of all degree requirements except thesis (For PhD students: period between comprehensive exam and defense date)

Note: 

From an immigration perspective, the semester/term when you defend your thesis/dissertation, counts as your final term of enrollment. ISSA will be required to shorten the program end date of your I-20 to match this term.
You cannot work on campus past your I-20 program end date unless you can continue working with your OPT EAD card. This is important if your program end date on the I-20 will be shortened for OPT purposes!
If summer is your final term of enrollment, you must enroll in summer courses to keep your immigration status active, and the in-person enrollment requirements do apply. Check in with your ISSA if you do not need full-time enrollment.

OPT Availability

OPT is available once for each academic level (i.e., Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD)
A job offer is not required at the time of application.
Employment, paid or unpaid, must be closely related to your program of study, i.e., major.

OPT Employment

All employment, whether paid or unpaid, must be closely related to your program of study, i.e., major.
You may work for more than one employer at a time, but you must report each job via iStart.
Consulting or independent contract work is allowed while on OPT. Make sure to keep detailed records of the hours worked and the projects or clients you worked for.
Self-employment or starting your own business is also an option. You must have the appropriate business licenses and documentation showing that your work is directly related to your major.
Employment through a staffing agency is permitted as well. Be sure to maintain accurate records of the hours you work each week.

OPT Unemployment

A total of 90 unemployment days are available during the 12 months of the Post-Completion OPT.
The unemployment days start counting on the start date on the OPT EAD card. Weekends and holidays are included.
Once all 90 unemployment days are used up, your OPT is no longer valid, you are considered out of status, and need to leave the U.S.
Report your OPT employment via iStart within 10 days of starting work to stop the unemployment counter.
You must be employed full-time for immigration purposes (more than 20 hours/week).
You may work multiple part-time jobs that cumulatively add up to more than 20 hours/week.
Be sure to report each job to ISSA using the iStart OPT Reporting form.
You can only begin working after the OPT start date listed on your EAD card has arrived and you have received your EAD card.

Set up an online USCIS account
Complete the OPT application form I-765
Note: You must be in the U.S. when you submit the I-765 to USCIS

Access ISSA's Guide to Form I-765 (pdf format)

Be sure to have the following required documents ready:

Processing fee for form I-765
Passport-style photo (see USCIS photo policy)
Signed I-20 with the OPT recommendation on page 2 (make sure you have signed and dated on page 1)
Copy of the F-1 visa in your passport (even if it is expired)
Copy of your passport photo page
Your most recent I-94 arrival record
CPT and previous OPT I-20s, if applicable
I-20s with a different SEVIS ID, if applicable
Previous EAD card, if applicable

Optional Premium Processing 

Premium processing, using form I-907, is available from USCIS at an additional cost. This is an optional upgrade to speed up the processing time. While USCIS generally guarantees a 30-business-day review window, there are important exceptions:

If USCIS issues a biometrics appointment or Request for Evidence (RFE):

The 30-busines-day clock pauses immediately.
USCIS processing does not restart until:
o    You submit the requested evidence and
o    USCIS finishes reviewing it.

Due to this pause-and-review cycle, a biometrics appointment or RFE can extend the overall timeline by several additional weeks beyond the original 30-business-day timeline.

If you applied for post-completion OPT with USCIS but need additional time to complete your degree requirements, please keep the following in mind:

Do not work more than 20 hours/week once your OPT has been approved until you complete your degree requirements.
Be sure to comply with the OPT reporting requirements.
Complete your degree requirements before using all 90 OPT unemployment days.
While on OPT, the full-time enrollment requirements no longer apply.

Once you have met all of your degree requirements, you may begin working full-time on OPT (more than 20 hours/week).

Use the OPT Reporting form in iStart (listed under Employment Authorization Requests) to:

Report any address and contact information changes within 10 days
Report any change in your employment, such as starting employment or changing employers, within 10 days

A legal name change must also be reported. Submit supporting documents via the Status/Contact Information Update form in iStart (listed under Other Requests).

Additional information: Study in the States website

If you have filed your OPT application, form I-765, with USCIS but need to withdraw it, follow these steps:

Access your MyUSCIS account and upload a letter via "unsolicited evidence" that requests the withdrawal of your application.
Contact ISSA via Submit a Question  in iStart and let us know you have withdrawn your OPT application, so we can update your SEVIS record.

Note: If you need to upload a document to your pending I-765 form and have not yet heard from USCIS, you may do so via "unsolicited evidence" in your MyUSCIS account.

While Your OPT Application is Pending:

You remain in lawful status in the U.S. -- even if the 60-day period after your program end date has passed.
USCIS strongly cautions against travel during this time. Wait for your EAD card to arrive in the mail if possible.

Travel on OPT:

While on OPT, the travel signature on your I-20 is valid for 6 months.
Visit our site for additional travel information, including which documents to carry when re-entering the U.S.

ISSA's Guide to Form I-765 (pdf format)

USCIS Photo Policy

Form I-765 Employment Application for OPT

Form I-765 Filing Instructions (General instructions start on page 14.)

Study in the States OPT Reporting Requirements

International Student Career Resources

Penn State Career Services

Answering Question About Visa Sponsorship on Job Applications