International Student Services

Post-completion OPT

Post-completion OPT (Optional Practical Training) allows you to receive up to 12-months of employment authorization for work related to your program of study, after completion of your program.

Basic Rules and Restrictions

  • Eligibility is limited to F-1 students who have completed one academic year of continuous full-time enrollment in their program of study.
  • Must be employed full-time (20 hours/week or more).
  • Must report your employment to SEVP after your start date of OPT authorization.
  • Employment must be related to your program of study.

Application Timeline

  • Eligible to apply 90 days before your program end date (the final day of exams for your graduating quarter).
  • Request an OPT recommendation (a new I-20). The OPT request takes roughly 3 – 5 days.
  • Use your OPT recommendation to file an I-765 (using category C3B) with USCIS.
  • Receiving approval from USCIS takes roughly 90 days.
  • After receiving approval, you will be sent an Employment Authorization Document via USPS. This can take 1 – 2 weeks.

Eligible employment

  • Regular paid employment.
  • Internships.
  • Volunteer or unpaid opportunities.
    • Note: OEHR at UWB has stated that students who complete their degree must be compensated for work that is performed, and be set up as an hourly appointment. If you’re offered a “volunteer” position from anyone on the UWB campus, please contact OEHR to ensure the position complies with university policies before reporting it to SEVP.
    • If you take a volunteer or unpaid opportunity, make sure you document everything thoroughly. Keep your offer letter, a list of your duties, communications of the work you are doing, and something that can prove how many hours/week you work. We strongly recommend also entering the organization’s EIN when reporting the employment. You do not need to submit this documentation but you may be asked to produce it as proof when applying for future benefits (OPT STEM Extension, H-1B, etc).
  • Self-employment.
    • Document your self-employment thoroughly. Keep a portfolio of all work performed, and a timesheet to show hours worked. At any time, you could be asked to prove your employment and that you maintained your F-1 status on OPT.
  • Employment through an agency.
    • Be careful when using an agency. Some agencies are predatory and will not find you work related to your degree. In general, if an agency asks you for payment for placement, you should find a more reputable agency.
  • Work for hire.
    • Similar to self-employment, keep a portfolio of all your work, and a timesheet of the hours worked.

If you have concerns about the legitimacy of an employer or position, we recommended searching for another opportunity. You are responsible for maintaining your SEVIS record. Do not risk your F-1 status by reporting employment you cannot justify.

Ineligible Employment

  • Anything unrelated to your program of study.
  • Employment outside the US.

Apply

See our Post-completion OPT application page for details on every step of the application.

Requirements & FAQ

See our Post-completion OPT Requirements & FAQ page for everything you must know while on Post-completion OPT.