IN T E R N AT IO N A L O FFIC E T E X A S STAT E U N IV E R S IT Y
WHAT IS OPT?
OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING
F-1 students may apply to USCIS for authorization for
12 months of temporary employment for optional practical
training directly related to their major area of study.
8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)
for a student in a bachelor's, master's,
or doctoral degree program to gain
practical experience after completion of
all course requirements for the degree
(excluding thesis or equivalent)
WHEN & HOW TO APPLY FOR OPT
 You may apply as early as 90 days before completion of your studies and no later than 60
days after completion of studies, and since DHS processing times may be lengthy (3 months
average processing time), we recommend that you apply early.
 You cannot have engaged in 12 months of fulltime Curricular Practical Training
 You must make a request for OPT authorization to a Designated School Official (DSO) in the
Texas State International Office. When you are ready to make an OPT Appointment with a
DSO, call 512-245-7966 to set up an appointment with an International Office Advisor.
 No offer of employment is required to apply for standard OPT, but you are expected to work
during the OPT EAD validity period.
 Think about when you prospect to start working and when you expect to get a job offer when
calculating what you would like your Start Date to be.
ELIGIBILITY FOR OPT
 You must have been lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis (UG
12hrs/ GRAD 9hrs) at a DHS-approved school for one full
academic year before being eligible for OPT.
 One year of Consecutive enrollment (Fall/Spring,, Spring /Fall)
 You must have maintained and be in lawful F1 status.
 You must complete all practical training within a 14-month period
following the completion of study.
You may request your
employment start date to be as
early as your completion date,
but no later than 60 days after
the completion date
12 months of OPT
60 days
14 Months Later
Graduation
TIME TABLE
Even if you receive your OPT card more
than 60 days after your completion date,
you may not continue employment
beyond the 14 month limit
THE OPT APPLICATION CHECKLIST
Before your OPT appointment, make sure that you have all of the necessary
documents which must be included in the application:
OPT Statement of Understanding signed by the student
Completion of Degree form signed by an Academic Advisor or Professor
Valid Passport & Visa
Most Recent Entry I-94
Any I-20s with CPT approval on the 3rd page
A personal check or money order for $380.00 made out to “U.S. Department of
Homeland Security”
 2 Passport photos (which must meet the size requirements taken within 30 days)
 Any previous EAD Card or I-797 Change of Status approval (if applicable)
 An electronically saved version of your I-765, with as many fields as possible
completed.
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*If you do not have all the required documents on the check list
we cannot continue with your appointment, you will need to
reschedule. *
OPT APPOINTMENT
1. Call the International Office to schedule an appointment with an International
Office Advisor to complete the OPT application,
2. When you arrive for your appointment, the front desk staff will make copies of
your passport, visa, I-94, and any CPT I-20s necessary as well as your Completion
of Degree form and Statement of Understanding, passport photos and check.
3.
An International Office Advisor will review your Academic Transcript to ensure
that you have maintained your F-1 status and are eligible to apply for OPT.
4. The Advisor will help explain how to fill in any fields on the I-765 that have been left
blank. You will print out the I-765 and sign the original.
5. The Adviser will put an International Office address label as the return address.
6. You will tell the Advisor your requested employment Start Date. The Advisor will
create an I-20 with the OPT request. You will sign and keep the original and a
copy will be made to go with your OPT application.
*If you do not have all the required documents on the check list we
cannot continue with your appointment, you will need to
reschedule. *
THESIS OR DISSERTATION ONLY STUDENTS
There are exceptions related to students who have only thesis/dissertation or
comprehensive exams left to complete.
•
If a student will complete their thesis/dissertation early in the semester and
wants to begin their OPT prior to graduation, then the student must obtain a letter
of completion from the Graduate College.
•
If a thesis/dissertation student who selected the post-completion OPT option
does not finish his or her degree by the end of the post-completion OPT, he or she
will not be eligible for a program extension.
•
If a student does not complete his or her thesis/dissertation during the 12
months of post-completion OPT... The student should prepare to change status,
change education level and/or transfer, or depart the country prior to the end of
the 60-day grace period.
Original
Signature
required
THE COMPLETED OPT APPLICATION
 Review the entire application with an advisor. The application should include
documents in the following order:
A completed form I-765, passport photos, a check or money order, a copy of your new
OPT I-20 (signed by the DSO and student), copies of your most recent I-20 and any
CPT I-20s, a copy of your passport, most recent I-94, visa and any I-797 Change of
Status approval or previous EAD card.
 The International Office will offer to mail the application for you, or you can mail it
yourself.
 It takes about 2 – 3 weeks to receive a receipt notification from USCIS. The IO will
notify you upon receipt.
 After the receipt is received, it should take no more than 90 days from the receipt
date to receive your EAD card.
THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT OPT
•
The student may not begin optional practical training until the date indicated on
his or her employment authorization document and having the physical card in
hand
•
During post-completion OPT, F-1 status is dependent upon employment. Students
may not accrue an aggregate of more than 90 days of unemployment.
•
An F-1 student on OPT is required to report any change of name or address, or
interruption of such employment to the DSO for the duration of the optional
practical training.
•
The student must make a validation report to the DSO every six months starting
from the date the extension begins and ending when the student's F-1 status or
OPT ends.
TIPS & FAQS ABOUT TRAVEL
Can I reenter if my request for OPT is pending?
• Yes, but traveling during this time should be undertaken with caution. USCIS may send
you a request for evidence while you are away, however, so you would want to make
sure you have provided a correct U.S. address both to your DSO and on the application
and would be able to send in requested documents. Also, if USCIS approves your OPT
application, you will be expected to have your EAD in hand to re-enter the United States.
Like a request for further information, USCIS can only send the EAD to your U.S.
address.
Things you need to travel: signed I-20, valid passport, valid visa, OPT EAD, and a letter from your
employer
Can I reenter if I left while on OPT?
• If USCIS has approved your OPT you will be expected to have your EAD in hand to re-enter
the United States, in addition to your Form I-20, valid passport and visa, and a letter of
employment if you have one. If you exceed the limits on unemployment while outside the
United States, you will not be eligible to re-enter the United States in F-1 status.
• If you have a job, you may travel and reenter to resume work at the same job or you have
a written offer for another job.
________________________________________________________________
• http://www.ice.gov/sevis/travel
REPORTING EMPLOYMENT
You must report your employment to the International Office within 10 business days
Use our online portal to report your employment information
EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION
• Paid/ Unpaid employment OR (Volunteering)
• Unpaid employment is okay with USCIS.
• Volunteering (See handout)
• Keep a work history log for your records.
• Include the employer name, hours, dates, and supervisor
information and ALL I-20s
ELIGIBILITY FOR A 17-MONTH STEM EXTENSION
The special 17-month extension of post-completion OPT for students with a science,
technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) degree can be applied for if…
•
The degree that was the basis for the student's current period of OPT is a
bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in one of the degree programs on the
current STEM Designated Degree Program List, published on the SEVP Web site
at http://www.ice.gov/sevis.
•
The student's employer is registered in the E-Verify program, as evidenced by
either a valid E-Verify company identification number or, if the employer is using a
designated agent to perform the E-Verify queries, a valid E-Verify client company
identification number, and the employer is a participant in good standing in the EVerify program, as determined by USCIS.
•
You must apply before your current OPT expires.
PLEASE VISIT OR WEBSITE FOR MORE
INFORMATION ON OPT:
HTTP://WWW.INTERNATIONAL.TXSTATE.EDU/C
URRENT/OPT.HTML