International Students > Optional Practical Training (OPT) Basics

Optional Practical Training (OPT) Basics

• OPT Frequently Asked Questions

Employment While on OPT

• You must wait until you have the OPT card and reach the "Start Date" to begin working.
• Between the time you graduate and the Start Date on the card, you cannot work. This includes on-campus employment.
• Work must be your field of study.
• You may work for as many hours and as many employers as you want. Your employer does not need to sponsor you because you already have work authorization. If your employer does not understand OPT, they may contact your foreign student advisor at IU Southeast. Please inform your advisor if your employer plans to contact the office.
• You will fill out an I-9 for your employer when you begin to work. Show the employer your EAD (OPT card), passport, I-20, and I-94 card. Use the end date on the card to for the expiration date of your employment authorization.
• You are not authorized to work past the end date printed on your EAD. In order to work past that date, you must obtain a different type of employment authorization, (i.e. H- 1B). Ask your employer for details.

OPT Timing

• Applications for OPT can be submitted up to 90 days before the student's expected program completion date.
• Applications for OPT must be received by USCIS no later than 60 days after the completion of the academic program requirements. F-1 students should keep in mind that filing later will NOT give additional OPT time. Expect that USCIS will need 3-4 months to process an OPT application. F-1 students are eligible for 12 months of OPT, and those 12 months must be taken within the 14 months following the completion of program requirements. If it will take 3-4 months for USCIS to process a request for OPT authorization and if the application is filed one month after completing the program of study, the OPT authorization will likely not be processed for three months from the date that USCIS receives it, which will result in the loss of approximately two months of OPT. For that reason, it is recommended that OPT applications be submitted as close to completion of studies as possible.
• The application must be received by USCIS no later than 30 days after the OPT I-20 is printed.
• Processing times for OPT applications can be found on the USCIS website. In general, expect that the OPT application will take three months to be approved.
• At the end of the OPT authorization, an F-1 student has a 60 day "grace period" to remain in the US and prepare for departure, to begin a new program of study or to submit an application for a change of status. (See "EXCEPTION" below.)

Reporting Requirements While on OPT

All students on OPT have ten days to inform their International Student Advisor of the following:

• Any change in name or address (this can be done via Onestart)
• Any change in immigration status (email to hjbeatty@ius.edu)
• Any interruption of employment (see additional information below), including a return to studies (e-mail to hjbeatty@ius.edu)

Employment Tracking and Reporting

It is the responsibility of each F-1 student on OPT to keep track of employment-related information for the duration of the OPT authorization. Immigration regulations require that students pursuing OPT report interruptions in employment to their International Student Advisor within 10 business days to avoid situations where a Department of Homeland Security official may determine the student is out of status.

You will need to keep very careful track of your employment – dates, employer names, addresses, supervisor contact information. It will be very important for you to track your days of unemployment, and also to retain supporting documentation of the periods of time when you are employed (including offer letters, pay stubs, etc.). For your convenience in maintaining accurate records, we have provided a downloadable Excel spreadsheet for your use. Filling out the information in the spreadsheet will help you keep track of the names of your employers and the dates when you worked for them, as well as the dates of unemployment that you may be accruing.

Unemployment Issues

As of April 8, 2008, students granted post-completion OPT can accrue up to 90 days of unemployment.

• If your OPT start date was prior to April 8, 2008, your unemployment days began accruing as of April 8, 2008. If your OPT start date is after April 8, 2008, your unemployment days begin accruing as of the start date listed on your OPT card.
• When changing jobs, unemployment of 10 days or less does not need to be reported to your International Student Advisor, and does not count towards the 90 day total of days of unemployment.>
• Students whose employers filed a timely H-1B petition and were granted cap-gap coverage are permitted a total of 90 days of unemployment for the entire period of OPT.
• Days spent outside of the US while unemployed count towards the 90 days of unemployment permitted.
• If a student on OPT nears the 90th day of unemployment, it would be best to make plans to depart the US, apply for a change of status to a different status or make preparations to begin a new degree program. Action would need to be taken early enough so that by the end of the 90th day of unemployment, the student would have another option already in progress. DHS has stated that an F-1 student who is unemployed for more than 90 days will be considered to be out of status.

Your International Student Advisor at Indiana University Southeast will not take any adverse action on a student's SEVIS record regarding unemployment. The advisor’s responsibility is to report interruptions in employment reported by the F-1. Failure to report that information, or accruing more than 90 days of unemployment may result in DHS not approving future benefits or requests.

Unpaid Unemployment

Students may work as volunteers or unpaid interns, where this does not violate any labor laws. This unpaid work must also be in the student's major field of study. Students on post completion OPT must be able to provide evidence from the employer that the student worked at least 20 hours per week during the period of employment.

Students engaged in OPT should be careful not to "volunteer" without pay in positions that US citizens would be paid for. This is designed to protect you, the employer and other workers.

Traveling while Employed

Dates of travel outside of the US while employed do not count as days of unemployment. If a student on OPT is traveling outside of the US for a vacation or for business while continuing to be employed in the major field of study, those dates outside of the US do not need to be tracked or reported as days of unemployment.

While traveling on OPT, students are advised to carry the following:

• I-20, signed for travel (remember that each travel signature is valid for only 6 months during the period of OPT)
• Valid F-1 visa stamp
• Passport valid for at least six months into the future from the date of re-entry to the US
• Valid OPT card
• Job offer or confirmation letter (if traveling for business or on a vacation from the job, ensure that the letter makes this clear)

If you are:
Traveling outside of the US while waiting for your OPT to be approved AND before you complete your degree, take the following items with you:

• passport (valid for six months from the date of your re-entry)
• signed I-20 (remember that each travel signature is valid for only 6 months during the period of OPT)
• valid F-1 visa stamp

* Traveling outside of the US while waiting for your OPT to be approved AND after your degree completion, be advised that this option is somewhat riskier. You will need to take the following items with you:

• passport (valid for six months from the date of your re-entry)
• signed I-20 (remember that each travel signature is valid for only 6 months during the period of OPT)
• valid F-1 visa stamp
• It is also recommended that you bring your I-797C (receipt notice from USCIS).

* We recommend particular caution in this situation. Your US immigration status is determined by the I-94 card that is placed in your passport and because the I-94 is taken each time you depart from the US, establishing your F-1 status while outside the US will be difficult if USCIS has questions about your application. If USCIS sends a request for additional information about an aspect of your application and if it is not resolved in a timely fashion, your application will be denied. According to DHS, traveling back to the US while your OPT is pending is permitted in order to search for employment (more information under 2.O. and 2.P. on the SEVP FAQ page).

Traveling outside of the US after your OPT has been approved AND after the completion date on your I-20 (check item 5 on your I-20), you must have the following documents to re-enter the United States:

• passport (valid for six months from the date of your re-entry)
• valid F-1visa stamp
• OPT I-20 with a valid travel signature (given within the last six months)
• valid OPT card
• job offer or employment confirmation letter (immigration regulations state that you can re-enter the US to resume employment while on OPT)

If traveling for business or on a vacation from the job, ensure that the letter clarifies this. It can be VERY difficult to apply for an F-1 visa stamp while you are on OPT. If your visa stamp is expired, or will soon expire, keep this in mind. Please remember that anytime you leave the U.S. there is never a guarantee that the immigration official at the port of entry will allow you to reenter. Please speak with an advisor at OIS if you have questions.

(For more information about traveling during periods of cap-gap OPT authorization, please click here.)

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