Students who are in F-1 status and have been enrolled full-time for at least one full academic year are eligible for Optional Practical Training. OPT is typically used after completion of a course of study or after completion of all required coursework and credits if you are a graduate student engaged in required thesis or dissertation research. Students must have completed all program requirements by the time the OPT start date arrives (excluding thesis/dissertation requirements for graduate students). No job offer is required at the time of application.

Note: Students who have used 12 months or more of full-time Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or who were previously approved for Optional Practical Training at the same or higher degree level are ineligible for OPT.

USCIS will accept applications for OPT up to 90 days before completion of your degree requirements, and as late as 60 days following program completion. USCIS must receive your OPT application before the 60 day period is over.

Note: A student's completion date refers to the date the student completes the requirements for his or her degree program; i.e., it is the date the student finishes the last class, turns in a required thesis or dissertation, or otherwise meets the requirements for the degree. It is not necessarily the date of graduation which may be later than your completion date.

Please keep in mind that filing later will NOT give you additional OPT time. When planning, a good rule is to expect that USCIS will need a minimum 3 months to process your application. You are eligible for 12 months of OPT, and those 12 months must be used within the 14 months after you finish your program requirements. If it will take 3 months for USCIS to process your request for OPT authorization and if you file your application one month after completing your program, you will end up with only about 10 months of OPT authorization.

You must request a start date when you apply for OPT. It must be within the 60 days following completion of your degree/coursework requirements. The earliest day you may choose is the day after program completion. The last date you may choose is the 60th day after program completion. Consider your job search process and future plans when picking a start date. Your end date will be one calendar year from your start date or 14 months after your Program End Date, whichever is earlier.

Example: Student completes degree program on Dec. 14th. The 60 day start date window is December 15 through February 12.

Master’s and Ph.D. students who have completed their required coursework and credits and who are working on a thesis/dissertation may apply for OPT to begin from the day after completion of all required credits until the 60th day after completion of the final degree requirement. Please consult with ISSS.

Changing OPT starting and ending dates: Once your OPT application is submitted to USCIS, it is very difficult to change your requested start date. Before you submit your application you should be certain that you have the requested start date you want.

Please note that USCIS will use the start date you request unless it has already passed when your application is approved. In that case, they will use the approval date as your OPT start date instead.

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

It can be risky to apply for an F-1 visa stamp while you are on OPT due to greater difficulty in demonstrating nonimmigrant intent. If your visa stamp is expired, or will soon expire, keep this in mind. You should not attempt to renew your visa if you are unemployed as proof of employment would be required. Renewing a visa is never a guarantee. Please speak with ISSS if you have questions.

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.

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.

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.