Application Process
Travel and F-1 Visa
After OPT is Approved and Reporting Requirements
Employment and Unemployment
Ending OPT and Grace Period
STEM OPT
OPT & H-1B
OPT is temporary employment authorization for F-1 students in degree programs to gain experience in jobs directly related to their major area of study. F-1 students are eligible for a total of 12 months of OPT per educational degree level (e.g. Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate). Students in non-degree programs are not eligible for any kind of off-campus work authorization.
Details about all of these facts can be found on the page below:
You do not need a job offer to apply for OPT.
You may not pursue a new course of full-time study while on OPT.
The application is approved by United States Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS), but OPT must first be recommended by OIA.
Currently, the approval process for USCIS takes about 4 months. The latest processing times, which may fluctuate, can be found here on the USCIS website: Processing Times (uscis.gov)
USCIS has introduced Premium Processing for OPT applications. Find more information about Premium Processing.
You must be in a degree program to be eligible. Students in non-degree programs (e.g. GSAL, NDVS, IBEP, and other short-term programs) are not eligible for OPT.
You must not have used OPT at a higher degree level. For example, if you complete a PhD, then use OPT, and then complete a Master's-level program, you will not be eligible for OPT for the Master's level.
You must be in the U.S. to apply. You will not be eligible to apply for OPT if you are outside of the U.S. at the time of application.
You are eligible for 12 months OPT per education level. For example, if you are completing a second Master's degree and you have already used OPT at the Master's level, you are not eligible for 12 additional months of OPT after completing the second Master's degree.
Each segment and type of OPT requires separate, complete applications to USCIS.
As long as each position meets the required employment criteria, you can work for multiple employers simultaneously.
Pre-Completion OPT (Before program end date listed on I-20)
Not very common
Part-time while classes are in session (20 hours or fewer per week, cannot be averaged)
Full-time or part-time during breaks or vacation quarters
Post-Completion OPT (After graduation, or after completion of course requirements for MA/PhD students)
Very common
Used for jobs after completion of your program or graduation
Granted on a full-time basis only (over 20 hours a week)
All previous periods of OPT at the same level are deducted from the 12-month total. Part-time OPT is counted at a half-rate. Example: Four months part-time OPT is subtracted from the total as two months.
Eligibility for Pre- and Post-Completion OPT is based on program end date listed on your I-20, which might be different from your actual graduation date/quarter. If your current I-20 end date does not currently reflect the actual end of your program, it must be adjusted. See our information on shortening or extending your record.
To be eligible for OPT you must:
Be registered full-time in a degree program for at least one academic year (three quarters) in valid F-1 status
Have not used 12 months of OPT for a previous degree at the same level (e.g. you are doing an MBA and have already used your Master's level OPT after a previous MA/MS degree)
Have not used OPT at a higher-degree level (e.g. you previously finished a PhD and now you are pursuing an MD, MBA, LLM, MS/MA etc.)
Be present in the U.S. in valid F-1 status at the time of application.
If you are outside of the U.S. after your program end date and have not applied for OPT, you will lose OPT eligibility.
Twelve months or more of full time CPT makes you ineligible for OPT. Part time CPT has no impact on OPT eligibility.
On-campus employment does not count against the 12-month OPT eligibility.
If you have a special case or have completed a higher-level degree in the past, contact your OIA adviser for eligibility information.
While on OPT, you are required to be employed and working at least 20 hours/week in a job (or multiple jobs) directly related to your field of study/major. Your OPT 'clock' starts ticking on the start date printed on your EAD. Anytime before your EAD start date is not considered unemployment. Information about these employment requirements follow:
Employment Requirements (Post-Completion OPT)
Unemployment: During your initial post-completion OPT period, you can have up to 90 days of unemployment. The 'clock' begins on the start date listed on your EAD. USCIS keeps track of your unemployment days based on the employment information reported in your SEVIS record. If you accrue more than 90 days of unemployment or fail to provide OPT updates, USCIS will terminate your record. Visit our employment FAQ (below) to learn what is considered employment, how unemployment works, and what to do if you accrue 90 days of unemployment.
STEM: The STEM OPT extension allows 150 days of unemployment for the entire time spent on OPT (regular OPT (90 days) and STEM (additional 60 days) combined).
Reporting: During OPT, you must report all employers directly in your SEVP Student Portal within 10 days of any new job. Failure to meet reporting requirements may result in issues with your immigration status in the US.
Multiple jobs: OPT is not employer specific. As long as they otherwise meet all employment criteria, you can work for multiple employers simultaneously
Showing that OPT is directly related to a degree program
After your OPT has been approved and you start working, you are required to report what your position is and how it is related to your degree program via the SEVP Student Portal within 10 days of the start date. If the SEVP Student Portal is not working for any reason, then you'll need to use the OPT Update Form to report employment.
You must be able to concisely describe how your work is related to your studies in 2-3 sentences.
OIA advisers are unable to determine your degree relevancy or confirm that your job is directly related; determining the relevancy is up to you.
OIA cannot provide feedback on your degree relevancy statement or edit for clarity/corrections. If you submit the OPT Update form to report employment, we will report it to USCIS exactly how you've written it. Make sure to proofread before submitting your updates.
If it is not clear from the job description that the work is related to the student's degree, SEVP highly recommends that you obtain a signed letter from your supervisor or manager or the employer's hiring official stating how your degree is related to the work performed and keep it for your records. OIA does not need a copy of this statement.
The Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP) recommends that you maintain evidence - for each job - of the position held, proof of the duration of that position, the job title, contact information for your supervisor or manager, and a description of the work. This documentation should be kept for your own records and may be requested during future immigration applications (e.g. H-1B). OIA does not need a copy of this documentation.
Please note that you may be asked at any point while on OPT to articulate how the work that you are doing is directly related to your degree and to provide specific details about your employer (such as point of entry or future USCIS applications).
Types of Paid Employment Allowed on OPT:
As long as each position is directly related to your studies, commensurate with your level of education, and all jobs combine for at least 20 hours/week, essentially all kinds of employment situations and employers are allowed while on OPT, including:
Multiple employers: You may work for more than one employer, but all jobs must be directly related to your field
Short-term multiple employers (performing artists): You’re allowed to have multiple short-term jobs or gigs (e.g. music performances). Keep a list of all gigs, the employer, and duration of each.
Work for hire: Commonly referred to as 1099 or Independent Contractor Employment; keep evidence of the duration of contract periods and the name and address of the contracting company.
Self-employed/business owner: For immigration purposes, you can start a business or be self-employed while on OPT. You should be able to prove that you have the proper business licenses and that it is related to your degree program.
Consulting/Temp Agency: Employment through an agency or consulting firm is also allowed, as long as it meets all requirements.
Other types of employment: As long as the position/job is directly related to your studies (and, of course, is legal), the type of employer or job you have does not really matter. It can be a big or small company, start-up, internship, temporary work, full-time, post-doc, hourly, unpaid, salaried, unconventional hours, non-profit, for-profit, self-employment, NGO or any other employer situation.
Additional questions about types of OPT employment? See our OPT Employment FAQs below for more information.
Unpaid Employment:
You may work as a volunteer or unpaid intern while on OPT, where this practice does not violate labor laws.
Assuming it meets all other criteria, unpaid internships and volunteer positions can qualify as OPT employment for reporting purposes. As any other position, you must report this job through the
OPT Update Form (linked below).
Questions? See our OPT Application FAQs (below) for more information.
Pre-Completion OPT (before your program ends):
You can apply up to 90 days before your requested work start date
The end date must be on or before your I-20 end date
You can apply for pre-completion OPT before you finish your first year of study. However, the work cannot start until after you complete 3 quarters of full-time enrollment.
Post-Completion OPT (after your program ends):
You can apply for OPT from 90 days before your end date, until 60 days after your end date.
USCIS must receipt (not receive) your application no later than 60 days after your I-20 end date.
Your OPT start date can be between the day after your end date and 60 days after your end date.
If you are outside of the U.S. or leave the U.S. after your program end date and you have not applied for OPT, you will lose your OPT eligibility.