What is Optional Practical Training?

Post-Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a temporary employment authorization for international students upon completion of their studies. The timing and details of OPT can be complicated, so please see our ‘How to Plan for OPT’ tab and the OPT FAQ thoroughly.

Avoid common mistakes!

What happens if I don’t read and follow instructions carefully?

Failure to follow OPT filing procedures will result in a denial of your I-765 application.

Denied/rejected I-765 applicants do not get a refund of their paid USCIS fees.

Being eligible for OPT or the STEM OPT extension does not guarantee that someone will be approved for OPT or STEM OPT by USCIS.

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.

Key point: You are responsible for correctly filing for OPT if you want OPT, and the decision is made by USCIS.

Common mistakes prior to the OPT period

You must complete our OPT Canvas Course module.

• Completion = you’ve submitted the Completion Certificate email, which will also send you an auto-email confirming we’ve received it.

You must get an I-20 from ISSS with “OPT requested” on page 2 before submitting Form I-765. Do not submit Form I-765 without a valid OPT I-20.

After going through the OPT Canvas Course and after getting the OPT I-20, students must apply to USCIS with Form I-765.

You must file Form I-765 within the 30 days after OPT I-20 issuance, and before the end of your 60-day grace period.

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

As of 12/12/2025, self-submitted photos will no longer be accepted for Form I-765.

• After form submission, you must daily check your USCIS account for a Biometrics appointment notice and comply with it to meet the photo requirement of Form I-765.

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

Applying too early is as bad as applying too late. Both will result in a rejection/denial of your application.

• You must apply within the OPT filing window, which is as early as 90 days before your studies and and no later than 60 days after your studies end.

Common mistakes during the OPT Period

You are responsible for understanding OPT reporting requirements prior to beginning OPT.

OPT reporting requirements begin with the start date of your OPT period.

You must report any and all employment, along with any personal info changes, within 10 days of the change occurring.

Students cannot begin working until they receive their Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card and their OPT period has begun.

OPT employment must be at least 20 hours per week and be directly related to the student’s major area of study. This level and type of work is what will prevent accrual of unemployment.

There is a maximum of 90 days of unemployment permitted while on OPT.

Unemployment days can begin accruing at the start of your OPT period. They are calendar days, not business days.

OPT allows F-1 students to work for, at most, 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.

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

01/09/2026 update: USCIS has announced an increase in Premium Processing fees, including for I-765 applications, that will go into effect for Premium Processing applications filed Mar 1, 2026 and after.

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

OPT requires submission of USCIS Form I-765. This form has a $470 fee for OPT (as of Jan 1, 2026).

For applications submitted with Premium Processing* on or before Feb 28, 2026, the grand total would be $2155 ($470 base fee + $1685 Premium Processing fee).

For applications submitted with Premium Processing* on or after Mar 1, 2026, we have heard that the total for a faster application would increase by $95, with a grand total of $2250 ($470 base fee and the Mar 1, 2026 Premium Processing fee for I-765 of $1780).

Note: you’ll also need to budget for a trip to and from Aurora, likely, for your Biometrics appointment following I-765 submission.

None of those costs go towards a later STEM OPT extension.

Premium Processing

Premium Processing uses Form I-907 in conjunction with your Form I-765. It has a separate fee that is very expensive.

Premium Processing guarantees USCIS ‘adjudicative action’ on your case within 30 business days of you adding Premium Processing to your I-765 application.

Actions we know of could be approval, denial, rejection, and RFE (Requests for Evidence) / RFI (Requests for Information).

USCIS’ webpage on the topic says, “If the …application requires the submission of additional evidence or a response to a notice of intent to deny, the 15-, 30-, or 45-day premium processing time period will stop and reset. A new premium processing time period will begin when we receive a response to the request for evidence or notice of intent to deny.”

Eligibility

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

• Currently hold F-1 status.
• Are physically present in the US at the time of application.
• Finished at least one academic year as a full-time student in some status in the U.S. at a US institution.
• Apply within the permissible period.
• Have not participated in full-time CPT for 12 months or more at their degree level.
• Have not already used 12 months of full-time OPT at the same or higher degree level.

If someone re-enters the U.S. using a new SEVIS record after a previous record was terminated, they must complete another academic year of full-time study in the U.S. before being eligible for OPT.

Post-Completion and STEM OPT applications each require a new I-20 that lists  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.

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 and CPT.

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. You cannot save it up for later. 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 enroll in and complete the OPT Canvas module and submit the completion eform.
2. You submit your OPT I-20 Request eForm
   1. Students can submit the eForm 97 days before their stated program end date in the eform to account for the time your academic team might need to complete their segment. You must  calculate your 90-day date to know your OPT timeline to choose an appropriate OPT requested start date.
   2. For example, undergraduates graduating Fall 2025 have a program end date of Dec 19, meaning that their opening day for their application window would be Sep 20.
   3. You can preview the OPT I-20 Request eForm without consequence.
3. 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.
4. ISSS
   1. 5-7 business days
5. USCIS I-765 Form & Biometrics
   1. Waiting for USCIS to process Form I-765 can take 3-4 months.
   2. Make sure to check your USCIS account daily for the Biometrics Appointment Notice.
   3. The only way to have a faster processing time is to pay for Premium Processing, which guarantees action within 30-days of Premium Processing submittion. It is very expensive and is added onto the base fee of the I-765 form.
6. Approval and EAD
   1. After you receive your approval notice, it usually takes a few weeks to receive your EAD by mail.
7. Social Security Number
   1. If you don’t already have a Social Security Number (SSN), you’ll need to apply for one with the Social Security Administration on your own, despite what the I-765 says about being able to apply for an SSN through the I-765 (that process is temporarily suspended as of Jul 2025). If you get proof of receipt that you applied for the SSN and take that to your HR manager, they may be able to create a temporary payroll number until the official SSN card arrives.

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-time OPT participation is 20 hours or more per week in a position directly related to your field of study. Full-time 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 is 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.

How to access the Canvas Course on OPT

Students must complete our Canvas module on OPT before we will issue the OPT I-20.

First, click the link for the Canvas course, which may prompt you to log in to Canvas as a student. Below is a screenshot of the login screen:

Then, you should see an option to enroll. Click the ‘enroll’ button.

There are several modules. Explore what interests you, but we only require the OPT module for those requesting OPT.

Student Instructions for the OPT I-20 Request eForm

1. Complete our Canvas course module on OPT.
2. No more than 97 days before your studies end, begin working on the OPT I-20 Request eForm.
3. Read the information on this webpage (especially the ‘How to Plan for OPT’ tab, OPT Application FAQs, and the OPT Reporting webpage) thoroughly before submitting the eForm.
   • After you’ve gone through the Canvas course OPT module and those webpages, if you still have questions about OPT, please connect with an international student advisor.
4. You can preview the OPT I-20 Request eForm without consequence. Go on, click through it and see what it’s like!
   1. We allow you to submit the request a little early so that your academic team has time to process their side of the form, but ISSS can’t make the OPT I-20 until you’ve entered the 90-day window before your studies end.
5. You should talk with your academic advisor before submitting the eForm to make sure you’re on-track to complete your degree requirements 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‘).
6. Complete the ISSS eForm to request the updated I-20 you will submit to USCIS in your online application.
7. Once you submit your eForm, your Academic Advisor will automatically receive an email to confirm your program completion date.
8. ISSS cannot process your OPT I-20 request until your advisor has completed their side of the eForm.
   1. ISSS 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.
9. An ISSS 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 & STEM OPT FAQ

Be sure to review the OPT Application FAQs before applying.

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 (fee amount subject to change)
3. Photos as of 12/12/2025:
   1. Self-submitted photos will no longer be accepted.
   2. Only photos taken by USCIS or other authorized entities will be used.
   3. Photos older than 3 years are not permitted.
   4. After Form I-765 is submitted, check your USCIS account daily for a Biometrics Appointment Notice to complete this requirement.
4. Valid government ID.
   1. 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 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 and all sections of this page before starting your online I-765 application.
2. Gather your I-765 OPT application documents
   • Review the ‘Post-Completion OPT I-765 Document 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. The issue date on page 1 must not be more than 30 days old.
     • 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.
3. Start your Online Application of Form I-765 with USCIS. Below are some common points of confusion for students.
   1. Create a USCIS account and log in.
   2. Click “File a Form Online”
   3. Select “I-765, Application for Employment Authorization” from the drop down
      menu.
   4. 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.
   5. 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.
   6. Preparer and interpreter information
      • Select “No,” unless you are working directly with a legal attorney or language interpreter to file your I-765.
   7. 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.
   8. 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 the ISSS mailing address:
        • Colorado State University, 1024 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523
      • 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.
   9. You will be asked to include evidence of your prior CPT authorizations.
      • 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.
4. Talk to ISSS at Open Advising or through appointment to have an advisor help you spot errors and navigate the form. We can’t guarantee approval, but we can help you look for obvious typos, etc.
5. Once you pay, you cannot go back and change anything in the application.

Feel free to get advised to address your OPT questions.