Off-Campus
Employment
Optional
Practical Training
for
Students in F-1 Status
Preconditions
Employment
Duration
Application
Timeframe
Authorization/Approval
Process
Optional
Practical Training gives F-1 international students the opportunity
to gain paid practical experience in their field of study.
OPT is available to students for up to 12 months after each
educational level (i.e., undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate).
OPT can be done during or after completion of a degree program.
Preconditions
•
Legal F-1 visa status
•
Full-time enrollment in an accredited school for at least
one academic year (time spent on academic leaves abroad also
counts)
•
Passport must be valid for at least another six months
•
Employment must be related to the student's major field of
study and commensurate with the student's level of study
•
No offer of employment is required, but the student is expected
to work or be seeking employment
•
Student must apply to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS) and receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
before beginning employment
Employment
Duration
•
Cumulative maximum limit of twelve months is allowed during
any uninterrupted stay in F-1visa status. Any previous part-time
OPT will be deducted from the 12-month limit.
•
PLEASE NOTE : The 12-month clock starts ticking down
from the first day listed on your EAD, whether you are working
or not.
•
Students who engage in 12 months or more of full-time Curricular
Practical Training become ineligible for Optional Practical
Training. Part-time CPT does not affect eligibility for OPT.
•
PLEASE NOTE : Students are advised to use CPT during
their studies and OPT after graduation so that they can take
full advantage of the paid 12-month opportunity.
•
OPT done while school is in session is limited to part-time
employment only (20 hours per week).
Application
Timeframe
• With
the assistance of a Designated School Official, a student
who wants to engage in OPT employment must apply for and receive
an EAD from the USCIS before he/she begins work.
•
PLEASE NOTE : Students are encouraged to submit applications
to the USCIS between 120 and 150 days prior to graduation
to offset the lengthy processing times.
•
Students engaged in pre-completion OPT must maintain
a full course of study during the period of employment.
Authorization/Application
Process
Student
Checklist:
•
Complete Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization.
While signing this form, make sure you sign clearly
and within the lines because your signature will be scanned
for your EAD.
•
Write a check or money order payable to the US Department
of Homeland Security with the amount of the fee required
for Form I-765. The fee amount for this form may change at
any time; the current fee amount is $340 (as
of July 30, 2007). Please note that you may also be asked
to pay a separate biometric services fee if you haven't been
fingerprinted for another immigration benefit. Do not mail
cash!
•
Obtain two photographs. The photo
requirements are the same as for passport photos (full
frontal face photographs in color with plain background; the
same size and image specifications as for passport photos.)
The two photographs must be identical and no more than 30
days old when the application is filed. Head and face coverings
are not acceptable except for limited religious or medical
reasons.
•
Lightly print your first and last name and A# on the back
of each photograph with a pencil.
•
Make copies of both sides of the I-94 (it's usually stapled
to your passport) and the ID page and US visa page of your
passport.
•
Make copies of any previous EAD cards (if applicable.)
•
Complete the Student Intent Form. Make sure you meet with
a relevant faculty member to sign the Academic Department
Certification, which certifies that the OPT work is related
to your field of studies.
•
Make an appointment with Dean Katya Grim in Peters 205 (x58540).
•
Bring all required documentation together with this packet.
What
Happens Next:
• If your
F-1 status is valid and the proposed employment qualifies
for OPT, the DSO will update your record in the SEVIS database
to include an official recommendation for OPT.
•
You must mail the completed Form I-765, the filing fee check,
the two photographs, and copies of all your original documents
as listed above to the USCIS Service Center with jurisdiction
over your place of residence. If you apply while you are residing
on campus, the relevant Service Center will be the one in
Lincoln, Nebraska (see the instructions to Form I-765 for
a listing of other Service Centers). The address of the Nebraska
BCIS Service Center is:
U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services
Nebraska
Service Center
P.O.
Box 87765
Lincoln,
NE 68501-7765
NOTE:
Please come prepared to your meeting with Dean Grim.
Make sure you bring this packet together with all other requested
documents as listed under Student Checklist
above.
We will be happy
to assist you in all steps of the preparation of your application
to the USCIS. If you have any questions or concerns, please
contact us.
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