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Optional Practical Training (OPT) Before Completion
of Degree Requirements
Definition: Employment related to your field of study
before completion of all degree requirements. It is also referred to
as Pre-completion OPT. OPT is authorized by USCIS (Citizenship and Immigration
Services) through the issuance of an EAD card (Employment Authorization
Document). OPT is permitted for a period of up to a maximum of twelve
months per educational level (Bachelors, Masters, etc.). Pre-completion
OPT can be authorized under any of the following conditions:
- Following
completion of all degree requirements except the thesis or equivalent
- During
the annual vacation
- Part-time
(up to 20 hours per week) during the academic year
Eligibility
to Engage In OPT: You must
- be
a registered student in F-1 status physically in the United States at the time of application
- have
been enrolled in lawful student status on a full-time basis for at least
one full academic year
- not
have used twelve months or more of full-time curricular practical training
Procedure: Obtaining authorization for OPT is a two-step
process. Your first step in obtaining an Employment Authorization Document
(EAD) is to receive a recommendation for OPT from the International Students
and Scholars Office (ISSO) and then authorization for employment from
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The ISSO cannot
authorize OPT—only USCIS can do so by issuing you an EAD.
When
to Apply:
- Not
more than 90 days prior to being enrolled for one full academic year·
- Not
more than 120 days prior to the employment start date that you select
- If you are completing your
first year in F-1 status, you may apply up to 90 days before completion
of the academic year, but not more than 120 days before the requested
start date of employment.
Example: A student is
in a two year program and has almost completed her first academic year.
She wants to work in the summer and would like to start June 1st.
The earliest she can apply is mid-February, since the end of the academic
year is mid-May.
- If you have already been
in F-1 status for at least one academic year at the time of application,
you may apply up to 120 days before the start date of employment.
Example: A student has completed
her first academic year in F-1 status and would like to work part-time
in the Fall semester starting October 1st. The earliest she can apply
is June 1st, 120 days before the employment start date.
Please Note: Any part-time
OPT that is granted will be deducted at half the full-time rate. For example,
4 months of Part-time OPT will be counted as 2 months.
It is to your advantage to
apply for OPT as early as is permitted because approval of your application
by USCIS may require 6 to 12 weeks. You may not begin employment until
you have the EAD in hand and you can only work during the time period
indicated on the EAD.
How
to Apply:
Step
1: OBTAINING THE ISSO RECOMMENDATION
You
may apply without a job offer. Since you must first obtain a new SEVIS
I-20 with the ISSO's OPT endorsement, which may require 5 working days,
you should make every effort to apply as early as possible within the
90 or 120 day window. You might need to come twice to the ISSO—once to
submit the application and another to pick up the approved recommendation
on a SEVIS I-20. To apply, first
- Complete the fillable I-765 Form in PDF format on-line and print it. Sign the hard copy, making sure not to write outside
the allotted area. Use a laser printer only.
If you choose not to type, please make sure you
use BLUE ink.
-
On the top of the I-765, before question 1, you must check the correct box for "I am applying for:"
If you do not check the appropriate box, USCIS will return your application to you for correction before beginning to process it.
-
Question 3, Address. The address you put on the I-765 has to be one at which you can reliably receive mail up to 4 months from the time you mail the application. An "undeliverable" address is the major source of problems with OPT applications.
-
Question 10 asks for your Alien Registration number or I-94 number. This is the number printed at the top of your I-94 card.
-
Question 16 asks for eligibility categories. The code for pre-completion OPT is (c)(3)(A).
-
Question 17--do NOT complete as it does not apply to pre-completion OPT.
- Download and complete page 1 of the OPT Recommendation Request Form to bring to the ISSO. Please come prepared to
the ISSO with your desired employment start and end dates.
- If you are applying based on completion of all degree requirements except thesis or dissertation ("ABD"), your academic adviser, department chair or program coordinator must complete page 2 of the OPT Request Form and you must bring both completed forms to the ISSO when you come to apply for OPT.
Bring
to the ISSO
a)
Your current I-20 and all previously issued I-20's
b) Passport
c) I-94 card (white card in passport)
d) I-765 Form
e) OPT Recommendation Request Form(s)
The
International Students and Scholars Office staff will:
- Review
your application for eligibility.
- If
you are eligible, process a new SEVIS I-20 which includes the OPT recommendation
and the requested dates of employment.
- Notify
you by email when your completed forms are ready for pick-up.
Step
2: MAILING YOUR EAD APPLICATION TO USCIS
- Sign and date your New I-20! (section
11)
- We
suggest that you send your application to the USCIS by certified mail,
return receipt requested or by a courier service such as FedEx to provide
you with proof that your application was timely in the event that the
application is lost. Photocopy the entire application before you send
it so that you have a copy for your records.
Mail
your application to the USCIS Service Center having jurisdiction over
the place of residence that you have written in item 3 of the form I-765. If you live in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut,
Pennsylvania or any other state in the Northeast Region, send the application
to:
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
Vermont Service Center
75 Lower Welden Street
St. Albans, VT. 05479
If
your address listed in item 3 of the I-765 is or will be outside the Northeast
area at the time you expect to receive the EAD, refer to page 6 of the I-765 instructions for the address of the appropriate USCIS Regional Service Center.
OPT application checklist:
- Form
I-765- Original (Place the I-765 form on top of your application
materials for prompt identification purposes by USCIS)
- Required
$340 fee -no cash- payable to U.S. Department of Homeland Security
by
- a
bank check
- money
order (please note: a money order is more difficult to track than
a check)
- personal check (in the memo line of the check, please write ”USCIS
I-765”)
- Photocopies
of pages 1 and 3 of all I-20 's issued to you since you first entered in F-1 status
for your current degree program, or since you changed to F-1 status.
You must also send a photocopy of the I-20 which includes the OPT recommendation.
Do not send the originals of
any I-20. Be sure you have SIGNED AND DATED all your I-20s on page 1.
Note: The USCIS wants to see all your I-20s in F-1 status starting
from the one marked “initial attendance” or “transfer” (section 3). If
you do not have all your I-20s, you should attach a brief explanation
of your F-1 status history.
- Photocopy
of the identification page of the passport that has your photo on it.
If the extension of the validity of the passport
is on another page, make sure you attach a photocopy of that page as
well.
- Photocopies
of both sides of the I-94 card (the
white card in your passport)
- Photocopies
of both sides of any previously issued EAD cards
- Two
recent photos of yourself.
The USCIS requires that the photos meet the specifications for the full
frontal/passport type of photos and not be more than 30 days old when
the applications is filed. For more information on photo standards,
visit the Department of State website at http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/pptphotos/index.html. We recommend that you write your name on the
back of each picture in pencil.
Step
3: RECEIVING YOUR EAD CARD IN THE MAIL
Address: The address you put on the I-765 has to be one at which
you can reliably receive mail up to four months from the time you mail
the application. An “undeliverable” address is the major source of problems
with OPT applications.
- USCIS
will send all mail related to the EAD to the address indicated on the
I-765 form, even if you later update your address with the ISSO and
in SEVIS.
- U.S.
government mail will not be forwarded to another address, even if you
change it with the postal service.
- The
address must be within the jurisdiction of the USCIS Regional Service
Center to which the application is being submitted or the application
will not be processed.
- If
you are using an address of a friend, your name should be indicated
somewhere on the mail box. If the mail carrier does not recognize your
name, the envelope with the EAD card will be returned to USCIS. Use
"C/O" (care of) the name of your friend in the address to
help avoid confusion.
Example:
Mary
Smith (your name)
c/o Linda James ( friend’s name)
5 Apple Street #20
New York, NY 12345
Processing
time: The USCIS can take from 6 to 12 weeks (or more) to process
an EAD application. After you receive the "Notice of Action"
with the 13-digit receipt number, you can check the status of your pending
application online on the USCIS webpage at https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/jsps/index.jsp. Regulations provide that if no action has been taken on your application
within 90 days from the date of receipt on the "Notice of Action"
form, an applicant may go to the District Office to make an inquiry on the status of the application . If this is the case, contact
the ISSO for information.
Special
Considerations:
- Any employment done under pre-completion OPT is deducted from the
12 month period. If you use practical training under this option you
will not be eligible for the full 12 months of practical training following
the completion of all degree requirements. Each day used under full-time
optional practical training is deducted from the 12 month allotment.
Part-time practical training is deducted from the available practical
training at half the full-time rate.
- Please note that once your OPT application has been sent to the USCIS,
there is no provision for changing the dates or canceling the request.
You are not allowed to work until you receive the EAD from USCIS.
- If you do not work during the authorized period of time granted to
you, that time is still deducted from the total 12 months. You cannot
recover this time for later use.
- You
are required to be a full-time student at all times while pursuing a
course of study in F-1 status except during annual vacation periods.
The
advisers of the ISSO encourage you to contact them if you have questions
about the procedure or if you receive any correspondence about your application.
Students whose immigration documents were processed by the International Affairs Office (IAO) at the Medical Center should
contact them for specific procedures.
Last reviewed:
6 August 2009 Last modified: 6 August 2009
Columbia University International Students and Scholars Office
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