Student work · OPT

OPT for F-1 students: your step-by-step guide

Tick items as you finish them. Your progress is saved on this device only.

The usual order

Dates change. Your school and USCIS decide your exact dates.

4+ months before completionMeet your DSO, confirm eligibility and your dates
Up to 90 days before completionThe earliest day to file the I-765
After the DSO recommendsYou get the OPT I-20 and file within the allowed days
After you fileReceipt, biometrics if asked, then the decision
When the card arrivesCheck it, then start work on or after the start date
During OPTReport changes and count days without work
Months before it endsSTEM extension, a new status, or leaving

Understand OPT and who decides

Know what OPT is and who does what.

Well before your last term

School: your DSO

The Designated School Official (DSO) at your international student office checks your record and recommends OPT.

USCIS decides

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approves or denies your work permission.

Employer

The employer offers the job and checks your work permission before you start.

OPT eligibility →How to apply for OPT →

Ask your school to check eligibility

Learn from your DSO whether you can use OPT.

Before your final term gets busy

Ask the international office to review

Your enrollment history and that you kept your status
That you finished the required academic year
Any earlier OPT at this education level
Any full-time CPT that could affect OPT (see the CPT guide)
Your expected program completion date

CPT guide →OPT and CPT difference →

Confirm your completion date and plan your dates

Know your exact dates before you count backward from them.

At least 4 months before completion

Write these five dates in a calendar

Program completion date
Earliest day you may file
Last day you may file
The day your DSO recommends OPT in SEVIS
Your latest filing date counted from that recommendation

Request your OPT I-20

Get an updated I-20 that carries the OPT recommendation.

Following your school's process

Follow the school's steps (a workshop, an online request, or an advisor meeting)
Ask whether the school charges a processing fee of its own
The DSO records the recommendation in SEVIS, the government student record system
You receive an updated Form I-20 with the recommendation
Check your name, birth date, major, completion date and the OPT recommendation
Sign it the way the school tells you

F-1 student process →

Prepare and file Form I-765

File the work permit application correctly, once.

Within your filing window

Start at USCIS

Use the official USCIS I-765 page. Never start from an advertisement.

Documents

OPT-recommended I-20, passport identity page, your I-94 admission record from CBP, the photo, earlier work permit cards if any, and anything else the current instructions list.

Right category

The form covers many situations. Pick the OPT category named in the current instructions. The wrong one can cause trouble.

Before you submit

Check the current form edition, fee and filing method
Use clear scans and check that every page is yours and readable
Use a mailing address where you can reliably get notices and your card
Keep a complete copy of everything
Save your payment confirmation, and delivery proof if you mail it

Visa fees →

Track the case and answer notices

Know what you received and respond on time.

While USCIS decides

Your receipt number is proof that USCIS accepted the filing, not an approval
Check the case on USCIS Case Status
Read every notice, including paper mail
A Request for Evidence (RFE) asks for more information: answer exactly what it asks, by its deadline
Use the USCIS processing-time tool instead of another student's timeline

Receive your EAD and check it

Start work only when you are allowed to.

When the card arrives

The Employment Authorization Document (EAD) is the card showing your permission to work
Check your name, category and the start and end dates
If something is wrong, follow USCIS correction steps and tell your DSO
Do not start until you have the approval and card and the start date has arrived

Take a job related to your major

Show the link between your duties and your degree.

During OPT

Be ready to explain how your daily duties use what you studied
Keep your offer letter, job description, hours, dates and supervisor details
Ask the DSO before volunteer work, self-employment or contract work
Ordinary post-completion OPT jobs generally need at least 20 hours per week

Report changes and count unemployment

Keep school records right and stay within the unemployment limit.

Throughout OPT

Use your school's reporting process and the SEVP Portal if it applies
Ask who updates each record, you or the school
Report new employer, address and end dates promptly
Standard post-completion OPT generally allows up to 90 days without qualifying work in total
Days without qualifying work after your card starts can count

OPT unemployment limits →Travel on OPT →

Plan the next step before OPT ends

Never be surprised by the end date.

Several months before the end date

STEM extension

A qualifying science, technology, engineering or math degree can lead to a 24-month extension. See the STEM OPT guide.

Another route

For example an H-1B petition from an employer, or more study.

Departure

Plan your move and check how long you may stay after OPT ends.

STEM OPT guide →H-1B process →

Who does what

1. Your school (DSO)checks eligibility and recommends OPT

2. USCISapproves your work permission

3. Your employergives the job and checks your card

Never start work until you have the card and the start date has arrived.

Visa Status is an unofficial site. This is a general guide in plain words, not legal advice. OPT dates, forms and fees change, so check with your school's international office and USCIS. Written October 2026.