Optional Practical Training (OPT)

You may apply without a job offer. The International Advisor recommendation may require 5 working days and you should make every effort to apply in a timely manner. 

Complete the I-765 form

Be sure to enter your name EXACTLY as it is on your I-20. Sign the print out, making sure not to write outside the allotted area. We do not advise it but if you choose not to type, please make sure you use BLACK ink only. USCIS has some helpful form completion and filing tips on their website at http://www.uscis.gov/lockboxtips . 

We strongly recommend that your I-765 be submitted in paper form. Submitting the I-765 as an online web-based form requires submission of biometrics after your application has been received by USCIS.

• On the top of the I-765, before question 1, you must check the correct box for "Initial permission to accept employment:"
• If you do not check the appropriate box, USCIS will return your application to you for correction before beginning to process it.
• Question 2, Address. The address you put on the I-765 has to be one at which you can reliably receive mail up to 4 months from the time you mail the application. An "undeliverable" address is a major source of problems with OPT applications.
• Question 21a asks for your Alien Registration number or I-94 number. This is the number printed at the top of your I-94 card.
• Question 27 asks for eligibility categories. The code for post-completion OPT is (c)(3)(B).
• Question 17--Complete ONLY if you are applying for a STEM extension of your approved OPT. The code for STEM extension is (c)(3)(C). 

Bring to the OIPS

You must complete sections 1-6 on the DSO Recommendation Request Form and your Acknowledgement of Understanding form 2. Bring both completed forms to the OIPS with your completed I-765. Please come prepared to the OIPS with your desired employment start and end dates. 

Bring to the OIPS:

• Your current I-20 and all previously issued I-20s
• Passport
• I-94 
• I-765 Form
• Money Order for $550.00(please check fee) payable to US Department Of Homeland Security *please remember to check the current cost.
• Two passport sizes photos
• Form G-1145

Review

The International Office staff will: 

• Review your application for eligibility
• If you are eligible, process a new I- 20 which includes the OPT recommendation and the requested dates of employment
• Notify you by email when your new I-20 is ready to be picked up

1. It is ESSENTIAL that the USCIS Service Center receives your application within 30 days of the date that the OPT I-20 is issued. If it is not received within 30 days of the issuance date, your application will be denied by USCIS, your $550 fee will not be returned or refunded to you, and you may not have enough time before the end of your 60-day grace period to request a new I-20 so that you can submit another application.
2. Sign and date the new I-20! (section 11) This sounds obvious but many OPT applicants have their applications returned for an unsigned I-20 and/or an unsigned check and/or an unsigned I-765 form.
3. Photocopy the entire application before you send it so that you have a complete copy for your records.
4. Send your application to the USCIS by certified mail, return receipt requested or by a courier service such as FedEx to provide you with proof that your application was timely in the event that the application is lost.
5. All applications must either be filed at the USCIS Dallas or USCIS Phoenix Lockbox facilities. Students who list a mailing address on the I-765 in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Pennsylvania, must send the application to:

If you use a mailing address in another state, please refer to page 10 of the I-765 instructions to find out where to file your application.

OPT Application Checklist

1. Form G-1145 - This form should be on the top of your application for USCIS to notify you by email and/or text message that they have accepted your application.
2. Completed Form I-765 - Original-NO PHOTOCOPIES. We strongly recommend completing the fillable pdf online at http://uscis.gov/files/form/i-765.pdf and printing it with a laser printer only. We advise against it but if you complete the I-765 by hand, use blue ink.
3. Required $550 fee payable to the Department of Homeland Security by:
   • personal check, write "USCIS I-765" in the memo line of the check money order; please note, a money order is more difficult to track than a check
4. Photocopies of pages 1 and 3 of all I-20s issued to you since you first entered in F-1 status, including the I-20 issued with the OPT recommendations. Do Not Send Originals of any I-20. Be sure you have SIGNED AND DATED all your I-20s on page 1. Note: The USCIS wants to see all your I-20s starting from the one marked "initial attendance". If you do not have all your I-20s and are unable to obtain copies from the appropriate school, you should attach a brief explanation of your F-1 status history.
5. Photocopy of your passport ID page
6. Photocopy of I-94
7. Photocopy of both sides of any previous issued EAD cards.
8. Two U.S. passport style photos. The USCIS requires that the photos meet the specifications for the full frontal/passport type of photos and not be more than 30 days old when the application is filed. Visit the Department of State website for more information on photo standards. Write your name lightly on the back of each picture.

Address: The address you put on the I-765 has to be one at which you can reliably receive mail up to four months from the time you mail the application. An “undeliverable” address is the major source of problems with OPT applications.

USCIS will send all mail related to the EAD to the address indicated on the I-765 form, even if you later update your address with the OIP and in SEVIS. There is a way to change your address with USCIS online using the USCIS Change of Address site but we cannot guarantee its efficacy. U.S. government mail will not be forwarded to another address, even if you change it with the postal service.

The address must be within the jurisdiction of the USCIS Regional Service Center to which the application is being submitted or the application will not be processed.

If you are using an address of a friend, your name should be indicated somewhere on the mail box. If the mail carrier does not recognize your name, the envelope with the EAD card will be returned to USCIS. Use "C/O" (care of) the name of your friend in the address to help avoid confusion. You may follow this example:

Mary Smith (your name)
c/o Linda James (your friend's name)
5 Apple Street, #2D
New York, NY 12345

Processing time:

The USCIS can take from 2.5 to 5 months to process an EAD application.  After you receive the "Notice of Action" with the 13-digit receipt number, you can check the status of your pending application online on the USCIS webpage. If your application has been pending for more than 90 days from the date of receipt on the "Notice of Action" form, contact the OIP.

Special Considerations:

• Your application must be received by USCIS before the end of the 60-day grace period following the end date of your program. The completion date of your program will be indicated on the I-20 and cannot be changed.
• Please note that once your OPT application has been sent to the USCIS, there is no provision for changing the dates or canceling the request. You are not allowed to work until you receive the EAD from USCIS.
• There is some risk involved in leaving the U.S. while your OPT application is pending at the USCIS in the event USCIS mails you a request for further information.
• Regulations allow you to change employers during the period of authorized practical training, as long as the new employment continues to be directly related to your field of study and commensurate with your educational level.
• Contact the OIP immediately if you receive any correspondence from USCIS about your application (other than the Notice of Action receipt)