Post-Completion OPT FAQs

General Questions

The opportunity to work, intern, or volunteer in the U.S. by applying knowledge and skills from your program of study. OPT is authorized by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The authorization process is approximately 3 months but can take longer.

All eligible students may apply for 12 months at each degree level. Students whose degree is an a qualifying field of study may apply for the 24-Month STEM Extension as they approach the end of OPT.

Students may apply for post-graduation OPT as early as 90 days prior to completion of studies or as late as 60 days after their Form I-20 program end date. Before applying to USCIS, students must obtain the OPT recommendation from their school on page 2 of their Form I-20.

  • Studied full time in your penultimate semester and continued without interruption into your final semester.
  • Maintaining F-1 status in your final semester.
  • Not previously approved by USCIS for post-completion OPT at your current degree level.

Yes, but only at a higher degree level.

An application for post-graduation OPT is for the entire available amount of authorization. Before graduation, OPT may be used in shorter increments.

Only if you (A) do not apply for OPT after this program, and (B) complete another program at the same level. Once approved by USCIS for post-completion OPT, there is no future preservation or recapture of unused post-completion OPT time at that degree level.

OPT is a U.S. work authorization within the F-1 nonimmigrant student visa category. OPT authorization extends the same F-1 status that students held before graduation.

You have received the physical Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from USCIS and the OPT start date listed on the EAD card is current or past.

Application Process

Even if you are not sure whether you will use OPT, best practice is to apply as early as possible once within 90 days before graduation. Your application must be received by USCIS within 30 days after the OGS signature on page 1 of the Form I-20 showing your OPT request on page 2.

No.

Request any of the 60 days after your Form I-20 program end date. You won’t know your official OPT start date until you receive the EAD card from USCIS. After your OPT start date, you can be unemployed for up to 90 days during the authorization.

Trade-offs: Earlier start date = Availability to begin working vs. deadline to begin working. Later start date = Employer may need to wait longer for your services, but you have more time to find your first OPT role.

Consider personal factors like wanting to travel home after graduation, which may motivate you to apply early as possible for a later OPT start date (see below for more OPT travel guidance).

Only if you have not yet filed your USCIS Form I-765 application.

Guidance provided by Georgetown University’s Office of Global Services (OGS) and International Student & Scholar Services.

*Note: Form I-765 must always be retrieved from the USCIS website to ensure use of the most current version.

General guidelines:

  • Read the instructions carefully and keep them by your side as you complete the Form I-765. Some application requirements are only listed in the instructions and are not listed on the Form I-765 itself. Find the instructions on the USCIS website.
  • Use the OGS Sample Form I-765 (PDF) as a general guide. Answer all questions as they pertain to your specific situation.
  • Submit all pages of the form – even if some pages do not pertain to you.
  • Type your responses and print the form.
  • Sign the Form I-765 in black ink. A typed or stamped name is not acceptable.
  • If a question does not apply to you, leave it blank while you complete the form and then write either N/A (short for “not applicable”) or None in black after printing. See the OGS Sample Form I-765 (PDF).
  • Make several copies of the Part 6 page in case you must provide additional information
  • Use Part 6 Additional Information if you need more space for a response to a specific question. If you provide any information on this page, write your name at the top and sign and date each page.
  • See the OGS Sample Form I-765 (PDF) for difficulty with any questions, especially the additional information required in Part 6.
  • Do the application documents have to be in any specific order?
    • Follow the order listed in the Form I-765 filing instructions.
  • Should I put my name on the back of the photos?
    • Yes, use a felt tip pen or print lightly in pencil. You should not be able to see any markings on the front of the photos. You may also want to write your SEVIS ID Number on the back as well.
  • Starting in late 2019, EADs will be mailed using the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery, which requires identification to sign for the document upon delivery. You will have the options to arrange for pick up at a post office or designate a person to sign for delivery on your behalf, including agents at a hotel, apartment or other rental.
  • If the mailing address you indicated on the I-765 application changes after you submitted the application, follow the instructions on the USCIS Change of Address Information website. You should also file an online change of address with the postal service on the USPS website.

 Applicants can provide their own address or the mailing address of a third party on Form I-765. OGS recommends using an address that will not change for several months (U.S. addresses only). Students whose housing will change when they graduate should consider using the address of a trusted friend or family member to receive USCIS correspondence.

It is best to use a mailing address on the Form I-765 that will be valid through EAD delivery and to avoid changes to the mailing address, if at all possible. Applicants who need to change the mailing address associated with their pending Form I-765 application must notify both USPS and USCIS. USPS does not forward USCIS mail. 

OGS cannot contact USCIS until your OPT application has been pending for more than 5 months.

Yes, you may request that the OPT application be withdrawn. Email your IS Advisor as soon as possible if you need to withdraw the OPT application. Once your OPT application has been approved by USCIS, it cannot be withdrawn.

Submit a USCIS E-Request and contact OGS. If USCIS provides U.S. Postal Service tracking information that confirms delivery, contact your local U.S. Post Office to inquire about the missing mail. Students who live in a multi-unit residence should check with their neighbors and/or building mailroom for misplaced envelopes.

While on OPT

Yes. During the entire Post-Completion OPT period, students must submit employment information to the SEVP Portal. STEM OPT recipients must submit employment information to their dedicated STEM Advisor.

Be sure to maintain copies of all OPT materials, including job descriptions, for your personal records.

For the first 12 month period of Post-Completion OPT, the employment does not have to be paid employment. Therefore, a student who is self-employed (including performance majors with regular “gigs”), interning or volunteering in a position directly related to the academic field would be considered “employed” for the purposes of OPT employment reporting as long as they work in the unpaid position for an average of 20 hours per week. Students should keep documentation for all unpaid employment positions.

For the 24-Month STEM OPT Extension, employment must be paid.

No.

No! Your Form I-20 program end date is your last day of authorization to work as a Georgetown University student employee. Once OPT begins, being hired to re-affiliate with Georgetown University has the same conditions as any U.S. employer (role must be directly related to your major field of study and logged via SEVP Portal).

Once you receive the EAD card and reach the documented EAD start date, you may begin OPT employment and apply for a Social Security Number (if you do not already have one). Keep your EAD in a safe place and email a scanned copy (front and back) to your dedicated IS Advisor.

Yes! Immigration regulations require that while on Post-Completion OPT (after graduation), you must report required employment and address information to the U.S. government. You will also need to request a travel signature every six months if you plan to travel outside the United States and return in F-1 status and must report to OGS is you choose to end your OPT period early for any reason.

USCIS offers an avenue for inquiry into non-delivery of the card. However, the most likely outcome of this ‘e-request’ is that USCIS will not take responsibility for the non-delivery, and will instead instruct you to apply for a replacement card.

You may consider it more time-effective to simply proceed with the replacement card application:

  1. Prepare the following materials to include with your replacement application:
    • A cover page (we recommend using brightly colored paper) indicating the reason for your application (e.g. ‘Never Received Card’)
    • A brief letter to USCIS explaining the circumstances for your application and the hardship you have suffered.
    • A copy of the Form I-797 Approval Notice that you received in the mail.
    • A new Form I-20 from OGS indicating your authorization approval on Page 2.
  2. Adding the above materials, prepare and send an application* following the instructions in Step 3 on the relevant Post-Completion OPT webpage and the STEM OPT Extension webpage.

Please make the following indications on the Form I-765:

  • Check item 1.b. instead of item 1.a.
  • In item 12, answer yes.

If you are not already enrolled, we strongly recommend signing up for USPS Informed Delivery, as it will hopefully increase the likelihood that your next card reaches you successfully.

3. Within a few weeks of submitting your application for replacement, you will receive a new Form I-797 Receipt Notice, which can be used to temporarily meet the Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification requirements. The USCIS Employee Rights website hay help you navigate the challenges you face without an EAD card.

Despite the severe inconvenience you face, you must begin engaging in at least 20 hours/week of activities related to your degree before you received your replacement card in order to avoid exceeding the 90 days of ‘unemployment’ allowed during OPT. You should continue to uphold the other reporting requirements relevant to your authorization.

The Receipt Notice may also be valid for re-entry to the United States in place of the EAD, but we recommend contacting an immigration attorney for guidance in such complex circumstances.

An employee may present a receipt for the application for the replacement of any List A, List B, or List C document for I-9 purposes. This receipt is valid for 90 days from the date of hire (meaning, first day of work for pay) or in the case of re-verification, 90 days from the date employment authorization expired. Within 90- days, the employee must show you the replacement document for which the receipt was given.

Additional resources:

Yes.

Beginning a new program of study ends OPT authorization. OGS advises against taking a class or classes (even on a part time, non-degree basis) that may later be used to satisfy the requirements of another program.

OPT allows any number of employers as long as all activities are directly related to the major field(s) of study on your current Form I-20 and you F-1 maintain status below the unemployment limit. Please visit the Maintain F-1 Status on OPT website for more information.

If you were hired to work at least 20 hours a week, and that expectation is outlined in your employment offer or contract, then OGS does not view occasional deviations from that workweek as cause for concern. Events such as federal holidays, vacation and sick days are acceptable reasons to work less than your standard workweek. However, a pattern of working less than 20 hr/wk would likely mean accruing OPT unemployment.

If you still live in the DC area, you will need to wait until the start date on your EAD is current before you can renew your driver’s license. If you would like to drive sooner, we recommend applying for OPT immediately when you become eligible and request an early start date.

If your employer files before your OPT expires for change of status to cap-subject H-1B specialty occupation, your OPT is automatically extended through next April 1. Email OGS for more guidance.

The 60-day grace period to “prepare for departure” (or transfer F-1 status for further study) is only available if you did not exceed 90 days of OPT unemployment or 150 days of STEM OPT unemployment. No readmission to U.S. from abroad during F-1 grace period.

24-Month STEM OPT Extension

The STEM OPT Extension allows F-1 students who have received a degree in a qualifying field in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) to apply for an extension of their standard Post-Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) period.

Eligible students may file an application for the STEM OPT extension up to 90 calendar days prior to and no later than the expiration of the authorized period of standard Post-Completion OPT.

A student may be authorized for a maximum of two STEM OPT extensions per lifetime.

To be eligible for STEM OPT, you must meet all of the following criteria:

Please review the STEM OPT Reporting Requirements webpage.

When graduating with a degree in a qualifying STEM field, you must first apply for the standard Post-Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) authorization. Within the final 90 calendar days of your Post-Completion OPT period, if all criteria are met, you can apply for the 24-Month STEM OPT Extension by completing all the steps on this page.

This USCIS webpage outlines the definition of a bona fide employer-employee relationship under the expandable heading: STEM OPT Employer Requirements and Responsibilities. All STEM OPT employers must meet these regulatory requirements:

  • Sign and maintain an accurate Form I-983, adhering to the STEM OPT Training Plan requirements
  • Remain in good standing with E-Verify, and
  • provide compensation to the STEM OPT student commensurate to that provided to similarly situated U.S. workers.

Yes, you can work after your initial Post-Completion OPT period ends and while your STEM OPT application is pending for up to 180 calendar days provided USCIS receives your STEM OPT application by your initial Post-Completion OPT EAD end date. You can show the USCIS receipt notice alongside your Post-Completion OPT EAD card and your Form I-20 with STEM OPT recommendation to your employer as evidence of your ability to work during this period. Please refer to the I-9 Handbook.

Per USCIS, “STEM OPT participants may engage in a training experience that takes place at a site other than the employer’s principal place of business as long as all of the training obligations are met, including that the employer has and maintains a bona fide employer-employee relationship with the student. DHS will review on a case-by-case basis whether the student will be a bona fide employee of the employer signing the Training Plan, and verify that the employer that signs the Training Plan is the same entity that employs the student and provides the practical training experience.”

Positions that may not provide students with a bona fide employer-employee relationship include but are not limited to:

  • sole proprietorships
  • employment through “temp” agencies
  • employment through consulting firm arrangements that provide labor for hire

No, all STEM OPT employment must be paid, and payment should be commensurate with that provided to similarly situated U.S. workers.

Yes; however, each employer must employ you for at least 20 hours per week, be enrolled in E-Verify, and sign and agree to all the reporting requirements on the I-983 Training Plan.

If you were hired to work at least 20 hours a week and that expectation is outlined in your employment offer or contract, then events such as federal holidays observed by your employer, vacation/PTO days, and sick days are acceptable reasons to periodically work less than your standard workweek.

E-Verify is a system operated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA). E-Verify is currently free to employers and is available nation-wide. It provides an automated link to federal databases to help employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security Numbers (SSN).

If you intend to change employers while your STEM OPT application is pending, please reach out to your STEM Advisor for guidance.

Yes; however, the STEM OPT Extension automatically takes effect the day after your current Post-Completion OPT EAD expires, and the STEM OPT Extension nullifies (invalidates) the cap-gap extension. This means that any work you engage in after the current EAD expiration date must meet the STEM OPT Extension requirements. Please verify with your employer if the H-1B Petition they are filing on your behalf is for Change of Status or for Consular Processing, as this will impact OGS’s advice.

During STEM OPT, you are entitled to 60 calendar days of unemployment plus however many unemployment days you have remaining from your 90 calendar days of unemployment under Post Completion OPT. The total amount of unemployment days available for the entirety of your Post-Completion OPT and STEM OPT authorizations is a combined 150 calendar days.

For example, if you accrued 50 days out of the maximum allowed 90 unemployment days during Post-Completion OPT, you may accrue no more than 100 unemployment days during STEM OPT.

If you exceed the 150-day unemployment limit during STEM OPT, you are no longer maintaining F-1 status and may jeopardize your access to future U.S. immigration benefits, including readmission to the United States. If you exceed the 150-day unemployment limit, you may not transfer your F-1 record to begin a new academic program and do not have an F-1 grace period.

OGS recommends that you depart the United States and contact your STEM Advisor to close your F-1 record promptly. You should consult an experienced immigration attorney for further guidance on the implications of remaining in the United States without valid F-1 status.

Travel

Before graduation: Yes, with your OPT I-20 and unexpired F-1 visa, your unfinished coursework is the immediate basis for readmission to the United States.

It’s perfectly normal, for example, to file the OPT application in late February and then travel internationally over Spring Break in March. Download your new I-94 most recent proof of status to ensure you were readmitted as F-1.

After graduation, the EAD card key evidence for readmission to the United States as proof of your extended F-1 status. See questions #3 and #8.

OPT applicants who plan to exit the United States after graduation are advised to travel only after receiving their EAD card, because any potential complication with the USCIS application is much harder to resolve from outside the United States.

No. If you intend to continue working with OPT, never enter in any other immigration status except F-1. If you leave the United States and re-enter in B status, you may be considered to have abandoned your F-1 status and your OPT will end early.

  • Form I-20 with page 2 travel signature in past six months
  • EAD authorizing OPT
  • Valid passport
  • Unexpired F-1 visa photo page
  • Documentation of OPT activities; e.g. job offer, pay stubs, etc.
  • Documentation of funds if OPT activities are unpaid

This situation is similar to a student who applies for post-graduation OPT in February of their final semester and travels outside the U.S. over Spring Break in March. Even though OPT was not yet approved, the basis of their readmission in F-1 status was to complete their in progress coursework. If you have standard F-1 reentry documentation will return a while before the end of your OPT, then you should be admissible to the U.S. However, any potential complication with a pending USCIS application (e.g. you receive a request for additional evidence) is harder to address from outside the U.S. After your post-graduation OPT expires, the STEM EAD is critical evidence of your extended F-1 status.

If you are going to Canada or Mexico, and staying for less than 30 days, you may re-enter the United States with your expired F-1 visa stamp, your I-94 card, a valid passport, your EAD card, an I-20 that has been signed by OGS within the last 6 months, and your job offer letter or proof of employment as long as: 1) you do not apply for a visa while in Canada or Mexico and 2) you are not a national of Iran, Syria or Sudan.

However, if you are traveling elsewhere, you will need to go to a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad and request an F-1 visa renewal. It is impossible to renew an F-1 visa inside the United States.

The risk of denial of an application for a renewed visa stamp for OPT is somewhat higher than while you are in your active student program. The F-1 student visa requires that the applicant show intent to return to the home country at the end of the program, and if the embassy official is not convinced of your intention to return home, the visa application could be denied. However, the majority of Georgetown students do not have problems with the visa renewal process during the OPT period.

Research the visa application requirements on the website for the U.S. embassy or consulate abroad where you intend to apply. Basic documents for visa renewal are your passport with future validity, EAD card, Form I-20 with OGS page 2 travel signature less than six months old, and documentation of your OPT employment, including your financial compensation. You should also be prepared to discuss how this OPT experience will help prepare you for potential future professional experiences outside the U.S. (see NAFSA: 10 Points to Remember When Applying for A Student Visa).

During both Post-Completion OPT and the STEM OPT Extension, the Form I-20 page 2 travel signature must be less than six months old at the time of readmission to the United States. Please email OGS to request an updated Form I-20 travel signature.

Other

Driver’s licenses are normally issued through the Form I-20 program end date, and the EAD card is considered necessary to renew a license beyond graduation. In limited circumstances, the DMV may grant license renewal for 60 days after graduation, but this outcome is not guaranteed.