What is Optional Practical Training?

Post-Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a temporary employment authorization for international students upon completion of their studies. Some important notes below:

• After getting the OPT I-20, students must apply to USCIS for this work authorization.
• Students cannot begin working until they receive their Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card.
• OPT employment must be at least 20 hours per week and be directly related to the student’s major area of study.
• OPT allows students to work for up to 12 months. Students who graduated with certain STEM degrees are eligible for the 24 month STEM Extension, which is a separate and additional application done towards the end of the OPT period.
• Applying for OPT can impact your final day of CPT and your final day of on-campus employment (including graduate assistantships), so it’s best to consult an ISSS advisor before starting this process.

Put simply, there are two stages to receive OPT authorization:

1. Request the OPT I-20 in your final semester
2. After receiving the OPT I-20, apply for an EAD from USCIS via Form I-765 (now online)

The timing and details of OPT can be complicated, so please see our ‘How to Plan for OPT’ tab and the OPT FAQ thoroughly.

How to Plan for OPT

You must read and understand all information on these OPT pages and in the Optional Practical Training Application FAQs before planning for OPT. When we talk about OPT here, we are, unless otherwise specified, talking about Post-Completion OPT. Read the FAQ and the STEM OPT extension for more about the STEM OPT extension.

OPT is complex. In the end, you want an EAD (Employment Authorization Document) , which is a U.S. government-issued card authorizing you for OPT work. An example image of an EAD is below. Employers while you’re on OPT will need to see your EAD for any I-9 paperwork.

The U.S. government agency which issues EADs is called USCIS (United States Citizenship & Immigration Services).

Budgeting for the application

This estimate is subject to change (always follow USCIS’ fee schedule, as they have suddenly changed fees in the past):

As of Aug 9, 2024, someone filing online for OPT would pay USCIS $470. They may also need to pay around $11 for new U.S.-style passport photos. Total basic estimate = $481.

For those who want a faster processing time (currently set at 30 days), Form I-907 Premium Processing can be added on and is $1685 (as of Aug 9, 2024), for a grand total of $2166 for an expedited application.

None of those costs go towards a later STEM OPT extension, which is a separate, later application; see that page’s “How to plan for STEM OPT” section if it applies to you. If that applies to you, please plan appropriately.

Eligibility

Are you eligible for OPT? Generally, you can apply for OPT if:

• You currently hold F-1 status.
• Are physically present in the US at the time of application.
• You have finished at least one academic year as a full-time student at a US institution.
• Apply within the permissible period.
• You have not participated in full-time CPT for 12 months or more at your degree level.
• You have not already used 12 months of full-time OPT at the same or higher degree level.

If you re-enter the U.S. using a new SEVIS record after your previous record was terminated, you must complete another academic year of full-time study before you can apply for OPT.

Post-Completion and STEM OPT applications each require a new I-20 that lists your OPT or STEM OPT as “requested” on the second page (see example image below).

common but costly mistakes to avoid:

• Failure to get the OPT I-20 from ISSS.
• Failure to submit USCIS Form I-765 within 30 days of the issuance of the OPT I-20 (pg 1 of the I-20 will show the issuance date).
  • If you don’t get around to submitting Form I-765 within the 30-day window after we issued the OPT I-20, send us an email to request a new OPT recommendation; we can issue a new OPT I-20 that you can apply with so long as you are still eligible to apply for OPT.
• Failure to submit USCIS Form I-765 within the appropriate timeframe.
• USCIS will not refund fees when they deny someone’s I-765 OPT application.

Timing

One of the most important elements of OPT is timing. OPT has very strict timelines. F-1 students can apply at earliest 90 days before they complete their studies and no later than 60 days after they complete their studies. The end of studies date is also the final day of permitted on-campus employment.

We advise that students confident in their degree completion timeline apply as early as possible in the application window. Students unsure of whether or not they will pass required classes should consider waiting until grades have posted before they apply.

Post-Completion OPT is possible once per degree level. For example, if a student does a Bachelor’s degree, then a Master’s degree, and then a PhD, each while being an F-1 student, they could do OPT once after each degree. The STEM OPT extension is different–only twice in a lifetime.

OPT does not stack. So if someone finished their Bachelor’s degree and did not apply for OPT, they can’t get two OPT authorizations later after completing their Master’s degree. STEM OPT extensions also do not stack.

Application Processing Times

There are a few stages with different, fluctuating processing times you should consider in advance.

1. You submit your OPT I-20 Request eForm
   1. Currently, students can only submit the eForm when their 90-day period opens, so calculate your 90-day date.
   2. For example, undergraduates graduating Fall 2024 have a Sep 14 opening day for their application window.
   3. You can preview the OPT I-20 Request eForm without consequence. Go on, click through it and see what it’s like!
2. Your academic advisor
   1. Generally plan for at least 5-7 business days.
   2. Talk to your advisor first so they understand what this is; not all departments frequently work with international students.
   3. When you request the OPT I-20, the eForm routes to them. So check ahead of time to make sure they won’t be on vacation and to see how quickly they think they’ll be able to submit their side of the eForm.
   4. For specifics, ask your advisor how long it will take them to confirm your program completion date.
   5. See the section of this page called “Academic Advisor Instructions for the OPT I-20 Request eForm” to preview what they need to do.
3. ISSS
   1. 5-7 business days
4. USCIS
   1. Waiting for USCIS to process Form I-765 can take 3-4 months.
   2. The only way to have a faster processing time is to pay for Premium Processing, which guarantees a 30-day response on the application. It is very expensive and is added onto the base fee of the I-765 form.
5. EAD
   1. After you receive your approval notice, it usually takes a few weeks to receive your EAD by mail.

Pause International travel plans

You must be in the U.S. when you submit Form I-765. Applying from abroad could risk your application being denied.

Those who depart during their grace period are not allowed re-entry to the U.S. because their program end date is in the past.

Travel while your I-765 application is pending is risky and should be avoided. CBP will expect an OPT participant returning to have their EAD in hand and may not allow you into the U.S. without it.

The Job Hunt

A job offer/contract is not required for the OPT application, nor will such documentation be required later in the routine Post-Completion OPT reporting you do. (The STEM OPT extension is a little different.)

Many students start their job hunt during their final semester. Please connect with the CSU Career Center and attend the International Career Week (hosted in Sep and Feb) to get the best support for your job hunt.

During Post-completion OPT, you can work with multiple organizations, as long as each position is directly related to your major field of study and cumulatively add up to at least 20 hours per week. Only U.S.-based work is reportable OPT work. See our FAQ for more on what types of work structures are permissible.

Avoid Unemployment

OPT has a work requirement. Full OPT participation is 20 hours or more per week in a position directly related to your field of study. Full OPT participation is how you avoid accruing unemployment. There is a maximum of 90 (calendar) days of OPT unemployment during Post-Completion OPT.

It’s fine and even common to have some unemployment while on OPT–many students lose a few weeks to the mailing time required for the EAD, and others may have have a gap between different jobs.

But on day 90 of unemployment, an OPT participant loses their status in the U.S. and would be expected to immediately depart.

The end of your OPT

If you keep your status for your whole OPT period, your work authorization will come to an end after about a year.

For those that kept their status while on OPT and who qualify for the STEM OPT Extension, you must apply for the STEM OPT extension within the 90-day period immediately preceding your EAD expiration.

If you do not qualify for, or will not apply for, the STEM OPT Extension, then you will have a 60-day grace period after your OPT ends. See example image of a timeline below.

During your 60-day grace period following OPT, you cannot travel and re-enter the U.S. from abroad unless you arrange a SEVIS transfer or a Change of Level within your grace period. Remember: college admission cycles are often a year out, so you’ll want to carefully plan out these next steps if they are of interest to you.

Student Instructions for the OPT I-20 Request eForm

1. You cannot submit the eform more than 97 days before your program completion date (it will give you an error message about this)
2. Read the information on this webpage (especially the ‘How to Plan for OPT’ tab and our OPT Application FAQs) thoroughly before submitting the eForm.
   • If you still have questions about the application process, please connect with an international advisor via our Advising Options.
3. You can preview the OPT I-20 Request eForm without consequence. Go on, click through it and see what it’s like!
   1. But you can’t submit the eForm until you’ve entered your OPT application window, as that is the earliest date we can create the OPT I-20.
4. You should talk with your academic advisor before submitting the eForm to make sure you’re on-track to complete your degree and that they’ll be available to affirm your program completion date when they get an email from us (see the ‘Academic Advisor Instructions for the OPT I-20 Request eForm‘).
5. Complete the ISSS eForm to request the updated I-20 you will submit to USCIS in your online application.
6. Once you submit your eForm, your Academic Advisor will automatically receive an email to confirm your program completion date.
7. ISSS cannot process your OPT I-20 request until your advisor has completed their side of the eForm.
   1. We will be notified when your advisor has completed their side of the eForm.
   2. You will also be notified by email when your advisor has completed their side of the eForm.
8. An advisor will review your request and email you an updated I-20 recommending you for Post-Completion OPT. The subject line will be “RECEIVED: Post-Completion OPT I-20 Request.”
   • You are responsible for submitting Form I-765 to USCIS after getting your OPT I-20.

Please note: It can take up to 5-7 business days for our office to process your request once it is received, please plan accordingly.

Academic Advisor Instructions for the OPT I-20 Request eForm

In short, the academic advisor is asked to confirm what the student has reported as their academic program completion date. A screenshot below shows what we ask of the advisor:

TIPS FOR ADVISORS

• For the purposes of the student’s OPT application, their “program completion date” may be their graduation date, thesis/dissertation defense date, or last day of classes.
• If the student has met all degree requirements, but their graduation date will be delayed an extra semester because they missed the deadline to apply for graduation, their completion date should be their defense date, last day of classes, or the end date of the semester in which they met all degree requirements.

• For undergraduates: the completion date will be the last day of classes in the semester they finish coursework (a Friday).
• For graduate students doing coursework only: the completion date will be the end of their final semester or degree conferral (a Friday) or a date in between.
  • Degree conferral is always the Friday immediately following the end of the semester.
• For graduate students doing thesis/dissertation: the completion date will usually be either their thesis defense date or the end of the semester in which they are defending. There is some flexibility with this. Graduate students become eligible for OPT upon completion of coursework (excluding thesis/dissertation) and that’s where this flexibility comes from.

Process overview

1. After the student initiates the eform submission, the academic advisor they’ve indicated will automatically receive an email with the subject line “REQUEST: Post-Completion OPT I-20 Request Review.”
2. The email requests that the advisor please review the Program End Date the student has listed and indicate their approval.
3. The email also contains some common troubleshooting info.
4. If the student is still enrolled in coursework and may need to repeat a class, please include a comment in the eForm.
   1. ISSS will have a discussion with the student recommending that they postpone the submission of their OPT application since it is difficult to withdraw once they have applied, and they cannot fully utilize the benefit if they have outstanding coursework requirements after their OPT begins.
5. After you submit the eForm, ISSS will be automatically notified so that we can begin processing the student’s request.
6. Thank you!

OPT I-765 Document Checklist

These items will be requested in the ‘evidence’ section of your OPT I-765.

1. OPT I-20 that shows your Post-Completion OPT as “requested” on the second page.
2. $470 – this fee can be paid online at the end of your online application
3. Digital passport photo that complies with USCIS requirements. Passport photo requirements can be found here.
   1. The CSU Passport Office in Laurel Hall on campus provides passport photo services for $11 and can issue electronic version which you can upload into your USCIS application, or you can use other community locations such as Walgreens.
4. Valid government ID. Examples: clear and complete digital copy of Passport bio page, U.S. driver license/state ID, or your F-1 U.S. Visa and most recent arrival stamp (if available).
5. Your most recent I-94 (a 1-pg pdf available on the CBP website; you don’t need the ‘travel history’; just the formal I-94 document)
6. Copies of any previously received EAD cards
7. For those who did CPT at this degree level: Screenshot of your SEVIS record showing any CPT authorizations at your current degree level, which you should receive from the ISSS advisor who issues you the updated I-20. Email them if the attachment doesn’t come through.
   1. If you participated in CPT and you did not receive this document, please email our office before submitting your application to USCIS.
   2. If you did not participate in CPT, you omit this.

Filing USCIS Form I-765 for OPT

ISSS recommends you to file for Post-Completion OPT online, not by mail. It’s easier to complete and track, and it’s cheaper!

1. Review the Online Application FAQs in the tab above before starting your online I-765 application. If you have questions about the I-765 that aren’t answered here, check the rest of the tabs on this page or read the FAQ.
2. Feel free to talk to ISSS at Open Advising or through appointment to have an advisor help you look over your application! We can’t guarantee approval, but we can help you look for obvious mistakes.
3. Gather your I-765 OPT application documents
   • Review the Application Checklist tab and prepare accordingly.
   • Make sure you have an updated I-20 issued by ISSS for your OPT application. Your I-20 must show your OPT/STEM OPT as “requested” on the second page of your document.
     • Print a color copy of your new I-20 for your records, and upload a signed copy to your online I-765 application.
       • You must physically sign your I-20 in ink.
     • View an example of what page 2 of your document should look like here.
4. Start your Online Application of Form I-765 with USCIS.
   • Create a USCIS account and log in.
   • Click “File a Form Online”
   • Select “I-765, Application for Employment Authorization” from the drop down
     menu.
   • Basis of Eligibility: Select the type of OPT you are applying for:
     • (c)(3)(B) Post-Completion OPT; if you are finishing or have just finished your studies, this is what you select. Even if you are completing a STEM eligible degree, the STEM Extension is a later, separate application process, and one must have Post Completion OPT first-.
   • Reason for Applying
     • Select “Initial Permission”. This is considered your first time applying for Post-OPT at this degree level, even if you applied for OPT at another time at another degree level.
   • Preparer and interpreter information
     • Select “No,” unless you are working directly with a legal attorney or language interpreter to file your I-765.
   • ABOUT YOU – Your Name
     • Enter your legal name as it appears on your biographical passport page and Form I-20.
     • If your name on your passport does not match your current I-20, please contact ISSS for correction.
   • About You section – Your contact information
     • The address you enter as your Mailing Address is where USCIS will mail your EAD card.
     • Your physical address should list where you live at the time of your application, and it’s fine for this to be different from your mailing address.
     • USCIS will not allow EAD cards to be forwarded! If they can’t deliver it to the address, it will be returned to USCIS. Contact ISSS if this happens to you.
     • If you do not know where you will be living in the next 3-5 months, please use a reliable friend’s or the ISSS mailing address:
       • Colorado State University, 1024 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523
     • Someone must sign for delivery of the EAD card. If someone other than yourself such as your roommate, family member, friend, apartment office manager, you must submit a Form 3801 to the US Post Office local to the mailing address you used for delivery.
       • If you elect to use our mailing address in your online application, deliveries are routinely completed without Form 3801 for our address in ISSS.
   • You will be asked to include evidence of your prior CPT authorizations.
     • If you utilized CPT during your degree program, please find an attached list to submit as evidence.
     • If you did not do CPT, don’t upload anything; ignore the warning flag that appears. You can still click ‘next’ and submit the form; USCIS just wants to make sure those who have done CPT don’t forget to upload their evidence.

If you would like an advisor to answer questions regarding the online I-765, or if you would like to learn about submitting a paper application by mail (not recommended), please schedule an appointment with an International Advisor via Navigate or join walk-in hours of Open Advising (remote options available, too).