Optional Practical Training (12 Months)

You will receive a digital receipt immediately upon submitting your application. Approximately 2-4 weeks after USCIS receives your application, they will also mail a paper receipt notice to the address you used on your I-765. You can use the receipt number to track the progress of your OPT application online.

Your card should arrive at the address listed on your I-765 after USCIS approves your application.

If you used ISSS’s address on the I-765 form, your documents will be sent to ISSS and you will be notified by email. You will have the option to pick your documents up from the ISSS office or to create and pay for a shipping label to have them sent to you.

Between the time you complete your degree requirements and the start of your OPT you cannot work. This includes on-campus employment. The OPT card (known as an EAD – Employment Authorization Document) will have a start and end date listed on it. You may only begin working when you have the OPT card, and you may only work during the dates listed on the card. After your OPT starts:

• Work must be directly related to your major field of study of your current degree program. At this time, work cannot be done based on prior degrees earned in the U.S. or abroad.
• Must work more than 20 hours per week to be considered employed for OPT purposes
• Can work for multiple employers or change employers
• Volunteer or unpaid internships are okay as long as the position does not violate labor laws and meets requirements listed above
• Cannot accrue more than 90 days of unemployment!

Students on OPT cannot accrue more than 90 cumulative calendar days of unemployment during the 12-month period of OPT. Before the 91st day, you will need to make arrangements to leave the U.S., start a new degree program and transfer your SEVIS record, or change to a different status. If you are still in the U.S. after 90 days of unemployment, you are in violation of your legal status.

While on OPT you are still legally required to report certain information to ISSS. Changes to any of the following must be reported within 10 days of the event. Information to report:

• Any change in your residential address or phone number
• Any change in your employment or unemployment status; if employed, you will need to provide:
  • Employer (company/organization) name and address
  • Your job title
  • How your job relates to your major
  • Employment Identification Number (recommended - Obtain from Human Resources)
• Any change to another immigration status
• Any plans to depart the U.S. permanently and end your OPT before your OPT end date

To report, log in to your InterLink account, select "F-1 Practical Training" and complete the "Optional Practical Training (OPT) Report" e-form.

You will also have the ability to make updates in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Portal. However, be aware that you must still report all changes in InterLink, even if you update your record via the SEVIS Portal.

The government is able to track your days of unemployment, and your record may be terminated if 90 days of unemployment are accumulated. This means even if you are employed, but you fail to report your employment, your record could be automatically terminated. Thus it is extremely important you report your employment to ISSS.

It is a common misconception that students can never travel while on OPT. However, if you have the proper documentation that is pertinent to your particular situation, you should be eligible to depart from and re-enter the US after a brief absence. If you are:

1. If traveling outside of the US while your OPT is pending approval but before your degree completion, you must have the following documents to re-enter the United States:

• Passport (valid for at least six months from the date of your re-entry)
• Signed I-20 (signature given within the past six months)
• Valid F-1 visa stamp when you return to the US

2. Traveling outside of the US while your OPT is pending approval and after your degree completion is somewhat riskier. You must have the following documents to re-enter the United States:

• Passport (valid for at least six months from the date of your re-entry)
• Signed I-20 (travel signature given within the past six months)
• Valid F-1 visa when you travel
• It is also recommended that you bring your I-797C (receipt notice from USCIS)

ISSS recommends particular caution in this situation. If USCIS sends a request for additional information about an aspect of your application and if it is not resolved in a timely fashion, your application can be denied. According to DHS, traveling back to the U.S. while your OPT is pending is permitted in order to search for employment. If your OPT is approved while you are abroad, you must have your OPT card and job offer letter to re-enter the US! Please remember that anytime you leave the U.S. there is never a guarantee that the immigration official at the port of entry will allow you to reenter.

3. If traveling outside of the U.S. after your OPT has been approved and after the completion date on your I-20, you must have the following documents to re-enter the United States:

• Passport (valid for at least six months from the date of your re-entry)
• Valid F-1 visa stamp
• Your OPT I-20 with a valid travel signature (given within the last six months)
• Your OPT card
• Proof of employment

Immigration regulations state that you can re-enter the U.S. to resume employment while on OPT.

Renewing Visa while on OPT

If you are renewing your visa and are currently unemployed, keep in mind that you are limited to no more than 90 days of unemployment during your year of Post-completion OPT. If you are approaching 90 days of unemployment we strongly advise you to have a job offer showing a start date before you reach this maximum. The closer to 90 days of unemployment, the riskier it is to apply for a new visa without a job offer.

Renewing a visa is never a guarantee and keep in mind that it also can be more challenging to demonstrate nonimmigrant intent when you apply for an F-1 visa stamp while you are on OPT.
Remember that since you were granted "Duration of Status" you will maintain legal F-1 status as long as your I-20 is valid and you follow the F-1 regulations, even if your F-1 visa stamp in your passport expires. However, if you depart the U.S, you must have a valid visa stamp on the day of your re-entry unless traveling under automatic visa revalidation.

In this situation, you will need to apply for a replacement card by submitting new OPT application (see OPT Application Process above) and selecting the "Replacement of lost, stolen, or damaged employment authorization document" option. You will need to include the following additional documents before submitting your application to USCIS:

1. Letter detailing how the card was lost or stolen.
2. If stolen, a copy of the police report.
3. Copies of all OPT-related I-20s.
4. Copy of your original EAD.

Be aware that you will have to pay the application fee again as well.

Your driver’s license will likely expire on your I-20 end date. If your driver’s license is expiring and you do not yet have your OPT (EAD) card, please keep in mind that the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles may allow you to renew your license with evidence that you have applied for Optional Practical Training and have a job offer. Generally, you could take a combination of the I-797C receipt notice, the I-20 that was issued at your OPT appointment with ISSS, as well as your job offer letter (in addition to all other documents the BMV requires to obtain your driver's license) to assist with the renewal process. It takes approximately 4-6 weeks after USCIS receives your OPT application for the I-797C receipt notice in the mail.

OPT is part of F-1 status. Though you may no longer be a student, you are still in F-1 status.

An OPT STEM Extension (24 additional months) is possible for students who currently hold Post-Completion OPT work authorization and have completed a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree in DHS-designated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields.

If your degree is in a non-STEM field, the maximum amount of time for which you are eligible for OPT is 12 months for each higher degree level.

If USCIS has not yet issued your EAD at the time you decide you do not want OPT, you may request to withdraw your application. This is not always successful, so please talk to an ISSS advisor. If the EAD card has been issued, it is not possible to cancel and the USCIS will consider you to have used your OPT even if you really did not work.

CPT permits employment before completion of degree requirements. CPT requires the offer of a specific job and must be tied to your curriculum. You are still eligible for OPT as long as you did not have full-time CPT for a total of 12 months or more.

No, once you apply for OPT and send in your application to USCIS, ISSS cannot issue CPT work authorization for you for your current degree program.

Not necessarily. Although for immigration purposes you will continue to be in F-1 status while engaging in OPT, your status as an actual Miami University student will end with graduation. If you have purchased University insurance coverage, the policy will expire on July 31st regardless of whether you are a December or May graduate.

If you do not find a job immediately, or cannot be covered by your OPT employer’s insurance program right away, you are strongly advised to consider an alternate means of providing some degree of medical coverage during any interim between the expiration of your university insurance and the start of coverage at your new OPT job.

If you already have a Social Security card, it remains valid. If you did not apply for a Social Security card on your OPT application, you may apply after you receive your OPT card and the start date on the card is reached. To apply for a Social Security card, please take your I-20, passport, visa, I-94 card, and OPT card with you to your local Social Security Administration.

Your employer will ask you to fill out a Form I-9 verifying employment eligibility. Show the employer your EAD (OPT card), passport, I-20, and I-94 record. Use the end date on the card for the expiration date of your employment authorization.

Yes. You must pay state and federal income taxes. Taxes are due in April each year. Most large cities will have tax assistance services to help you with this process. VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) is an example of such assistance. When dealing with a tax service center, ensure that the tax consultant classifies you properly as a resident or non-resident for tax filing purposes (different from immigration status). NOTE: If you have been in the U.S. for less than 5 years, you may be exempt from Social Security taxes. Look at the IRS publication 519 (www.irs.gov), pages 5 and 42 for more information.

If you begin study at another education level, your OPT authorization is terminated with the notification of a new degree program in SEVIS or with a transfer of your SEVIS record to another institution. You are meant to be working full-time while on OPT. If you wish to take a class or two part-time recreationally, that is permissible.

You may only work until the expiration date on your OPT card, but you may remain in the US for 60 days after your OPT ends. This is known as a “grace period”, and will permit you to prepare to depart the US, or to apply for a change of status.