OPT WORKSHOP VIDEO AND SLIDES
Spring 2024 OPT season is here. We recommend to apply early as USCIS standard I-765 processing time can be as long as four months.
Before you apply, you are required to watch our Spring 2024 OPT Workshop (OneKey login)
00:00-02:37 Overview
02:38-06:17 Choosing start date and end date
06:18-08:44 Part 1 Application
08:45-10:04 Part 2 Application
10:05-12:16 I-765
12:17-14:07 While pending
14:08-15:44 After it is approved
15:45-18:01 Where you can work
18:02-18:43 Documents for work
18:44-20:27 Unemployment clock
20:28-21:53 ICE FAQ on travel
21:54-22:53 At the end of OPT
Spring 2024 OPT Workshop slides – live Zoom Q&A options available in last slide, please note that watching the above video first is mandatory
DEFINITION OF OPT AND ELIGIBILITY FOR OPT
Optional Practical Training (OPT) is an opportunity for F-1 students to engage in off-campus training or employment directly related to the field of study, for up to twelve months. The application involves a first request to OIA for an OPT recommendation I-20, and a second application to USCIS (I-765).
OIA generally recommends F-1 students use their twelve months of OPT after graduation. This is called post-completion OPT. For off-campus internships or work experience prior to graduation, we recommend Curricular Practical Training (CPT) so you can save your OPT. These instructions cover standard post-completion OPT following completion of studies. Students in STEM majors still need to apply for post-completion OPT first, as it is required to be on post-completion OPT to be eligible for the STEM Extension.
Students are eligible to apply for post-completion OPT when:
- currently holding active F-1 status
- enrolled consecutively without a break in status for the past two semesters
- within 90 days before the end date of the final semester of study
- within 60 days after the end date of the final semester of study (do not wait this long)
We recommend applying for OPT as early as possible in case there is any issue with your application which may cause delays in receiving your approval from USCIS.
F-1 students are eligible for additional OPT when you advance to a higher degree level. For example, if you already had twelve months of Bachelor’s level OPT, you would become eligible for twelve months of OPT when you move up to the Master’s level. If you already had twelve months of Master’s level OPT, you would be eligible for additional OPT following advancement to a Doctoral degree.
CHOOSING YOUR OPT START DATE
If you have doubts about choosing your start date: See 2:40 in our Spring 2024 OPT Workshop and slide 3 here, however, make sure to review the whole video.
You have to choose your own OPT start date when you are requesting your OPT recommendation with OIA. The earliest start date is the day after the end date of your final semester. The latest start date is 60 days after the end date of your final semester.
Below are example ranges of OPT start dates based on the official semester end date:
- Spring 2024: May 8, 2024 (earliest) – July 6, 2024 (latest)
- Summer 2024: July 30, 2024 (earliest) – September 27, 2024 (latest)
NOTE: Students in Arts & Cultural Management and Design Management have a different semester end date.
You will also need to specify the OPT end date for your request. You should request the full twelve months of post-completion OPT. Example: 06/01/2024 – 05/31/2025
HOW TO APPLY FOR OPT
Part 1: Application to OIA for OPT recommendation I-20
Pilot of TDS Student Portal – electronic OPT request for all Undergraduate students and select Graduate departments.
List of pilot programs (all Undergraduates should apply in the new Student Portal)
If your department is listed on the pilot, please login to the TDS Student Portal to apply for OPT and submit your request through our new, more efficient, electronic system. The OPT request is found in your Control Center (3). *Please be aware that we expect a high volume of cases; with this sytem, please do not email your advisor separately as it will slow down their ability to approve many cases.*
Watch the video tutorial for new TDS Student Portal request process
PDF OPT application method
If you are a graduate student whose department is not yet listed as a pilot program using the new method, please email us the following as a single attachment PDF to OIA@pratt.edu:
- completed PDF OPT request form, page 1 electronically signed by your academic/departmental advisor
- most recent I-94
In both the pilot TDS Student Portal and the old-school PDF process, one of OIA’s Designated School Officials (DSO) will review your OPT application and, if approved, issue your OPT recommendation I-20 within 10 business days. Please monitor your email for notification of your new OPT recommedentation I-20.
With both the pilot TDS Student Portal and the PDF process, please allow your advisor time for response as repeated inquiries delay processing. Both your advisor and OIA will review your degree audit. If your degree audit shows missing classes that need to be updated, you should ask your advisor to work with the Registrar to fix your degree audit, which will need to happen before we recommend OPT.
Your updated I-20 will show the OPT recommendation on page 2, and the start and end date you have requested. Please check page 2. to make sure the recommendation dates are correct. The program end date on page 1 should also be updated to reflect the end date of your final term. Please proceed with the I-765 application immediately thereafter.
Part 2: I-765 application to USCIS for EAD card
Your complete I-765 application needs to be received by USCIS within 30 days of your OPT recommendation I-20 being issued. Contact OIA if you are delayed in filing the I-765 beyond 15 days. Be aware late submission will cause complete denial of the OPT without any option to fix it.
We strongly recommend filing your I-765 application right away after you receive your OPT I-20. We also strongly recommend filing online as it is more efficient than using the paper application and you are less likely to make mistakes.
ONLINE I-765 USCIS APPLICATION LINK
IMPORTANT: THE USCIS CODE FOR POST-COMPLETION OPT IS (c)(3)(b). Make sure you select that on your I-765 and do not select pre-completion OPT.
To file online you should have:
- OPT I-20 from OIA (with your signature at the bottom of page 1)
- debit or credit card to pay the I-765 application fee to USCIS (currently $410, fee will increase after April 1, 2024)
- a recent scanned or electronic passport-style photo of you, that does not match your visa or passport photo
- passport biographical page scanned
- F-1 visa scanned, it is ok if it is expired
- most recent I-94
- if you previously had OPT, a scan of the front and back of your previous EAD card
- if you previously had CPT, your CPT I-20(s)
- if you previously had another SEVIS record with a different SEVIS ID number, a copy of that I-20
USCIS now offers premium processing of the I-765. If you are interested in this please go to USCIS’s I-907 information. The current cost is $1,500 in addition to the I-765 fee and both fees will increase after April 1, 2024.
WHILE OPT IS PENDING
Your I-765 application must be received by USCIS no later than the 60th day after the end date of your final semester. We highly recommend filing earlier than this to avoid losing your OPT through unexpected delay.
The address used for your I-765 application is important because USCIS will be sending two important documents there. A few weeks after you submit the I-765 application, you should receive an official I-797 receipt notice in the regular mail to the address you specified.
Please check your case status online as well as your phsycial mail frequently in this time period, and if you do not receive the physical receipt notice, you should contact USCIS. It is important to troubleshoot why you did not get the I-797 receipt notice in the mail, since your EAD card will be the next document sent to you the same way.
Scroll down for travel guidance.
AFTER OPT IS APPROVED
We always appreciate students telling us how long their entire approval process took so we can help advise other students. Please let us know your experience at OIA@pratt.edu
When your OPT is approved, you should look out carefully for an email from ICE regarding your SEVP Portal activation, including checking your spam. If you can’t find the email or you need to reset your login/password, you can still access the SEVP Portal directly. You will need to access the SEVP Portal regularly during your OPT period as this is where ICE is tracking whether you are appropriately engaged in training or not.
It is extremely important to access the SEVP Portal and see your unemployment clock. You need to report appropriate training in your SEVP portal to stop the clock.
On post-completion OPT, you may engage in the following types of training/employment, provided the work is directly related to your program of study:
- Regular paid employment: Employment for at least 20 hours per week.
- Multiple employers: You work as many hours as you’d like. Remember to keep a diary of where and who you’ve worked for as well as the dates you’ve worked for them.
- Payment by multiple short-term employers: Artists may work for multiple short-term employers. You should maintain a list of all employment, including dates and duration.
- Work for hire: This is commonly referred to as “1099 Employment”where an individual performs a service based on a contract. You should keep a record of the length of each contract as well as the name and contact information for each contracting company.
- Self-employed business owner: You must have the proper business licenses and you should consult with an accountant familiar with non-immigrant visas.
- Employment by an agency: You must keep proof that you worked at least 20 hours per week while employed by an agency.
- Volunteers or unpaid interns: You may work as a volunteer or unpaid intern provided that you are not violating any labor laws. You should also keep a diary of when and how many hours you’ve worked.
To start working during OPT, you generally will need to provide your employer:
- EAD card (start date must have been reached)
- OPT I-20
- most recent I-94
- valid passport
All employment or training during post-completion OPT needs to be kept up to date in your SEVP Portal, so you avoid accruing excess days of unemployment.
OPT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
All new employment or training needs to be reported by you through your SEVP Portal within 10 days of the position start date. Make sure you check your email after your OPT is approved for the SEVP Portal activation email including spam and troubleshoot if you have issues.
You are able to have multiple employers in your record and you can update the following information on your own:
- physical home address
- mailing addresses
- telephone numbers
- change certain employer information
- add new employers
- delete employer, if employment never occurred
On OPT, you are required to report if any of the above information changes, within 10 days of the change. If you move or change your contact information, you should update it in OnePratt as well as reporting the change in your SEVP Portal.
UNEMPLOYMENT CLOCK
Students on OPT can have no more than 90 days of unemployment total during their twelve months of post-completion OPT. After the start date of your OPT, each day that passes, including weekends, counts as an unemployment day on the 90-day clock, until you have a job or training listed in your Portal. You can see the number of days ICE thinks you are unemployed in your Portal.
We highly recommend that you do not accrue the full 90 days of employment at the beginning of your OPT. You should keep some unemployment time available as a safety net, in case something unexpected happens later in your twelve months of OPT. Unpaid training or collaborative work that is resume-worthy may be a way to “stop the clock,” provided it is directly related to your field of study.
Your SEVIS record may be automatically terminated if your Portal reaches 91 days of unemployment. Therefore it is critical that you are accessing your Portal regularly and updating it with your employment or training information.
If you reach 91 days of unemployment during the approved OPT period, your valid F-1 status automatically ends with no grace period. You are advised to depart your F-1 status immediately at that time. Please notify us at OIA@pratt.edu as well so we can close your record.
HEALTH INSURANCE
It is recommended to have health insurance coverage at all times. If your Pratt Aetna insurance coverage has ended, and you don’t have coverage through an employer, you can find external F-1 international student health insurance providers. Contact OIA if you need help.
AT THE END OF OPT
Upon the end date of your OPT EAD card, you no longer have employment authorization under post-completion OPT.
You have a sixty-day grace period, in which you are eligible to:
- depart the U.S. and exit your F-1 status
- change your status to another visa type in the U.S.
- transfer your F-1 status to a new academic program
If you will apply for STEM extension of OPT based on your degree eligibility and E-verify employer, you have a time senstive deadline. Within 90 days of the end of your post-completion OPT, an OIA DSO must first recommend STEM OPT with a new I-20 and then USCIS must receive your new I-765 application by the end date of your post-completion OPT. Please review the STEM extension process.
If you are departing the U.S. or changing your status, no action is needed with OIA. If you need assistance from an OIA DSO for an H-1B Cap Gap Extension, please email us.