Office of Immigration Services Post-Completion OPT

Who is eligible for Post-Completion OPT? 

To be eligible for for Post-Completion OPT, you must:

• Be currently maintaining F-1 status
• Have been studying at Amherst/in the U.S. for at least one academic year (two consecutive semesters)
• Expect to graduate this term or have recently graduated from Amherst
• Be within the 90 days before your I-20 program end date, or be within the 60-day grace period following your I-20 program end date
  • If you are finished with your academic program, you can still apply for OPT as long as the USCIS receives your application within 60 days of the end date on your I-20 AND you have not left the US since completing your program.

How do I apply?

1. Complete the required OPT learning module (Moodle). 
   • This module consists of an informational presentation, a short quiz, and a form to request an I-20 for your OPT application.  
     
      
2. Prepare your OPT application materials.
   • Applying for OPT online?  Follow steps 1 through 7 of the OIS’s online OPT application instructions to prepare your application materials.  Bring your laptop with drafted I-765 and application materials to your OPT Application Review Session with the OIS.  Applying online is highly recommended.
   • Applying for OPT by mail? Collect your materials and prepare your I-765 form using the OIS's mail-in application instructions.  Bring your drafted I-765 and application materials to your OPT Application Review Session with the OIS.
     
      
3. Schedule and attend a 30-minute OPT Application Review Session with the OIS.  
   • During this session, your OPT application materials will be reviewed and any questions you have can be discussed.
     
      
4. Receive your OPT recommendation I-20 from the OIS.
   • After your OPT application review session, the OIS will provide you with your OPT recommendation I-20 via email.  The OPT recommendation I-20 is a required component of your OPT application.
     
      
5. Sign your OPT recommendation I-20 and add it to your OPT application. Make any other necessary changes to your OPT application based on feedback from your OPT review session with the OIS.
   
    
6. Submit your OPT application to USCIS.  USCIS must receive your Post-Completion OPT application no more than 30 days after your OPT recommendation I-20 was issued. 

When do I apply?

• The earliest you may apply for Post-Completion OPT is 90 days prior to the end date on your I-20, and USCIS must receive your OPT application no later than 60 days following the end date on your I-20.
  • If you are finished with your academic program, you can still apply for OPT as long as the USCIS receives your application within 60 days of the end date on your I-20 and you have not left the US since completing your program.
• USCIS must receive your OPT application no more than 30 days after your OPT recommendation I-20 was issued by OIS.
• Plan ahead and apply as early as you can.  It generally takes 2-5 months for USCIS to process OPT applications.  For the most up-to-date processing time estimate, visit the USCIS's processing times page and search for Form I-765 at the USCIS Service Center listed in your receipt notice (typically, OPT cases are processed by the Potomac Service Center).

Is funding support available for the OPT filing fee?

The OIS is able to provide a limited amount of grants to international students to help with OPT filing fees.

If you are an international student in F-1 status who receives financial aid from Amherst College, and if you are applying for Pre-Completion or Post-Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) this semester, you may submit the USCIS Filing Fee Grant Request online.

Unfortunately, we are not able to fund all requests. We may offer partial funding if full funding is not available.

What can I expect as the USCIS processes my application?

• Within a week or two of submitting your OPT application to USCIS, a paper receipt notice from USCIS will be mailed to the mailing address listed on the I-765. (If you apply online, your receipt notice should be immediately available in MyUSCIS).
• Your receipt number can be used to track your application status via the USCIS case status tool.
• Application processing times vary, though they generally hover around 2-5 months.
• Occasionally, USCIS may issue a follow-up “Request for Evidence” notice, asking for additional documentation. If you receive such a request, please consult with the OIS. 
• If/when your application is approved, an approval notice will be mailed to the mailing address listed on the I-765.  (If you apply online, your approval notice will also be available in MyUSCIS).
• If/when your application is approved, an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) will also be mailed to the mailing address listed on the I-765.  The EAD is a photo identification card that serves as your proof of OPT work authorization.

When can I start working?

You may start working when you have received your EAD and the approved OPT start date on that EAD is no longer in the future.  You may not begin working any sooner than this.

Where can I start working?

You may work at any position that directly relates to your major field of study. You should feel confident in the connection between your major and your employment.

Work does not have to be paid on Post-Completion OPT.  Volunteer and unpaid work, as long as it directly relates to your major field of study, counts on OPT as “employment.”

Remember, you must work at least 20 hours per week in order to be considered “employed” on Post-Completion OPT.  You are permitted up to 90 days of cumulative unemployment time.

You may have multiple employers, as long as all of the work directly relates to your major field of study.  The hours spent working each job should total, in sum, at least 20 hours per week.

How many hours can I work per week?

You can request authorization for Post-Completion OPT on a full-time basis only. You must work at least 20 hours per week, in roles directly related to your major field of study, while on Post-Completion OPT.

What do I need to report while on OPT?

Don’t forget to report your employment and any other notable changes. 

Within ten days of the following changes, you are required to report:

• employment: name, address, and employment dates of your job
• changes to employment (adding a job, leaving a job, changing jobs)
• changes in legal name
• changes in mailing or residential address
• deciding to depart the US with the intention of forfeiting the remainder of your OPT
• returning to school full time
• changing out of F-1 status

To report your employment and any of the above changes, submit the OIS OPT Reporting Form.

Am I allowed to take time off between jobs?

Yes!  However, you may not be unemployed for more than 90 days (cumulative) during your period of approved Post-Completion OPT.

Remember, in order to be considered “employed” while on Post-Completion OPT, you must be working a minimum of 20 hours per week.  Working less than 20 hours per week is considered “unemployment” on Post-Completion OPT; time spent working under 20 hours/week counts toward the 90 days of permitted unemployed time.