INFORMATION FOR OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING FOR F-1 STUDENTS

I. ELIGIBILITY:

A. Optional Practical Training may be taken during or after a course of study, provided that the following conditions are met:

1. The student must have been in F-1 status, in their current degree program, for at least one academic year before they may begin OPT. A student may submit an application for optional practical training up to 90 days prior to being enrolled for one full academic year.

2. The practical training employment relates directly to the student’s area of study and is sought in connection with one of the following stages of the course of study:

3. Part-time (no more than 20 hours per week) while school is in session

4. Full-time during the student’s annual vacation and at other times when school is not in session, IF the student is currently enrolled and intends to register for the next semester

5. Full-time after completion of the course of study, OR after completion of all course requirements for the degree (excluding thesis or equivalent). Continued enrollment, for the school’s administrative purposes, after all requirements for the degree have been met does not preclude eligibility for optional practical training

6. Passport is valid for at least six (6) months beyond requested OPT start date

B. Optional Practical Training must be requested (delivered to the USCIS) prior to the completion of all course requirements for the degree or prior to the completion of the course of study. A student must complete all practical training (for a maximum of one year) within a 14-month period following the completion of study.

C. ALL Optional Practical Training requests MUST be received at the Office of International Students & Scholars at least one month before the student’s graduating semester ends.

II. APPLICATION PROCESSING

A. Assemble your application documents and submit them to the OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS & SCHOLARS (OISS) In the case of Post-Completion OPT, you MUST submit your application to the OISS no later than four (4) weeks before your completion of program: defense of your thesis/dissertation OR the end of finals for the semester in which you intend to graduate. NO applications will be accepted during the week prior to completion/graduation, because NO applications will be accepted at the USCIS Service Center after your graduation/completion date. We recommend submitting your application 4-5 months before you need your permission to work to begin.

B. The documents you submit will be examined and a new I-20 will be issued with the recommendation recorded on page 3 before they are assembled and copied.

C. You MUST RETURN TO THE OISS AFTER FIVE (5) WORKING DAYS to pick up your original I-20(s) and the completed recommendation packet ready to send to the USCIS Service Center.

For electronic applications only:

Complete the electronic I-765 filing and follow the instructions AFTER delivering your application packet to the OISS. You will need to make an appointment with the nearest USCIS (if you are in Morgantown, that will be Pittsburgh) office to have pictures, fingerprint, and signature electronically submitted after you pick up your recommendation packet at the OISS.

D. Send the packet to the USCIS—the address will be on your recommendation packet. We recommend express mail (aka Courier Delivery) (FedEx, UPS, etc) for its tracking ability, but it is not required.

E. You may NOT work after the end date on your new I-20 until you have received your Employment Authorization Card and the starting date has arrived.

F. Please allow up to twelve weeks for the EAD card to be mailed back to you. If you must move before you receive your card in the mail, submit your change of address AND your receipt number to the OISS, and ask us to email the change to the USCIS office where you filed your application. The U.S. Postal Service will NOT forward your card. You should also submit a change of address card with the U.S. Postal Service, and make sure your name is on your mailbox.

G. Send or bring a good, legible photocopy of your EAD card to the OISS as soon as you have it. Please notify the OISS of any change in your contact information or visa status throughout your year of OPT (for details, see the OPT handout).

NOTE: It has come to our attention that travelling outside the U.S. while on Optional Practical Training can present problems on re-entry. You will NOT be allowed re-entry if your OPT has been approved unless you can prove that you have a job in the U.S. Please read and understand the Travel FAQ for F-1 Students.

III. APPLICATION STEPS:

You may apply for your OPT on paper or electronically. Please follow the instructions for the method you choose.

I. For a paper-based application, assemble your documents in the following order and present them at the OISS (step 1 in processing—see above) :

1. You must submit two (2) identical color passport photos of yourself taken within 30 days of the filing of the OPT application. The U.S. Post Office on High Street does photos according to federal specification. Remember to request them to ‘cut’ the photos for you. The photos must have a white to off-white background, be printed on thin paper with a glossy finish, and be unmounted and unretouched. Please print your name on the back of the photos in pencil.

2. $340 check or money order, made out to “USCIS” (NOTE: Occasionally, a receipt will go astray. When it does, you can find your receipt number on the back of your check, so that is the recommended method of payment)

3. A signed Letter of Intent: :
NOTE:—for full-time post-completion OPT, you may request any start date within 60 days after completion of your coursework or program requirements or the end of finals for your graduating semester, but you may NOT work for pay or volunteer for the company that intends to hire you during the period between your anticipated completion and the start of your approved OPT (the new end date for your I-20 will be the day your advisor says that you will complete your thesis or dissertation, or graduate); for full-time pre-completion OPT, you may request dates that correspond to the summer break.

4. A letter from your academic advisor or department chair, on Department letterhead, stating:
1. That he/she recommends Practical Training directly related to your degree program;
2. The stage of your studies (whether coursework has been completed or when it will be completed), and
3. Your anticipated completion date for all program requirements (for graduate students, this would usually be the date it is anticipated that they will submit the last paperwork after defense of thesis or dissertation).
If you are in CEMR, please see list of authorized faculty & staff.
If you are having trouble getting your defense scheduled and can’t get a recommendation letter until after that has been done, please contact our office.

5. Every I-20 that has ever been issued to you (NOT photocopies—and yes, we do mean every I-20 you’ve ever had; if you are sure that you cannot put your hands on all of them, please write a brief message explaining the situation and asking that your request be processed with the documents you are able to include)
6. A completed I-765 (this is a fillable pdf document; it is best if you fill it in and then print for legibility)

7. Photocopies (we will be happy to make the copies for you): * Identification page from your passport
Your visa
Front and back of your I-94.

II. For an electronic-based application, assemble your documents as above, but omit the photos, the check, and the I-765. Please present the required documents at the OISS (step 1 in processing—see above) before you submit the electronic I-765