OPT is a type of employment authorization that you can apply for to obtain training that is directly related to an F-1 student’s major area of study. It is intended to provide students with up to 12 months practical experience in their field of study during or upon completion of a degree program. When you apply for OPT, you are applying for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) issued by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Pre-Completion OPT is employment authorization granted before a student completes her/his academic program. Students with approved Pre-Completion OPT may work up to 20 hours per week while school is in session or up to full-time when school is not in session. Any period of time authorized for Pre-Completion OPT is deducted from the total 12 months allowed. If you request part-time Pre-Completion OPT (20 hours or less/week) then it is deducted from the total 12 months allowed by half. For example, if you request 4 months of part-time Pre-Completion OPT, you will have used 2 months of the 12 months allowed

Post-Completion OPT is OPT employment authorization granted after the student’s program end date.

you are eligible to apply for STEM if you are currently on a period of post completion OPT and you are majoring in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics field, are on a period of post completion OPT, and employed with an employer who is enrolled in the E-verify program. Note: Temple University is not enrolled in the E-verify program.

An application for OPT must include a Form I-20 with the OPT recommendation, issued and signed by the International Student Advisor. You must receive the I-20 from ISSS before you can submit the application to USCIS.

No, the ISSS does not schedule appointments for OPT. It is recommended that you attend an OPT session if you have any questions. If you can’t attend the session, you are welcome to come in during walk-in hours or schedule an appointment to discuss OPT but in order to have the OPT recommended, you must submit the online request form to our office.

An F-1 student who has attended an SEVP-certified college, university, conservatory, or seminary on a full-time basis for at least one academic year may be authorized for up to 12 months of OPT per program level.

A student may file for Pre-Completion OPT up to 90 days before he or she completes a full academic year. A student may file for Pre-Completion OPT up to 90 days before the requested OPT start date.

A student may file the request for Post-Completion OPT no more than 90 days prior to the student’s program end date.

A student may file the request for STEM Extension OPT no more than 90 days prior to the student’s post-completion end date.

There is no deadline for applying for Pre-Completion OPT, but USCIS may take 1-5 months for processing OPT. If you wait too long to apply for it, you will not get the authorization by the time your internship is supposed to start. We suggest you check the processing time on the USCIS website: https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ (select “Form I-765” and “Potomac Service Center” from the drop-down menus).

F-1 students may apply for Post-Completion OPT up to 90 days before their program end date and up to 60 days after their program end date. The application must be properly filed with the correct USCIS Service Center. In addition, the application must be properly filed within 30 days of the date the student’s DSO recommends OPT in SEVIS (the date the OPT I-20 is issued). Please be aware, since our office has a review process before you mail the application to USCIS you may submit the application slightly earlier than 90 days before you meet degree requirements (maybe 3 and a half months before).

F-1 students may apply for STEM Extension OPT up to 90 days before their Post-Completion OPT end date. Once their Post-Completion OPT ends, they are no longer eligible for the extension. The application must be properly filed with the correct USCIS Service Center. In addition, the application must be properly filed within 60 days of the date the student’s DSO recommends OPT in SEVIS (the date the OPT I-20 is issued). Please be aware, since our office has a review process before you mail the application to USCIS you may submit the application slightly earlier than 90 days before you meet degree requirements (maybe 3 and a half months before).

Yes, there are two types of extensions.

1. STEM Extensions:  Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics

Individuals who receive a bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral degree in approved STEM fields are eligible for an additional 24-month extension. (The currently approved STEM fields are listed at http://www.ice.gov/sevis/stemlist.htm.) The 24-month extension can be requested after the initial twelve-month period is approved and should be applied for no later than 90 days before the expiration date of the authorized period. That is, you cannot request the extension with the initial application.

You are eligible to apply for the STEM Extension only if your employer is enrolled in the E-verify program.  If you are not sure if your employer is enrolled in the E-verify program, ask your employer; our office does not have access to a list of E-verify employers.

2. “Cap-Gap” Extensions: This is for students on an approved period of OPT while an H-1B petition was filed by a cap-subject employer. The H-1B petition must have been selected (receipted) for processing by USCIS when the OPT was valid in order to be eligible for this type of extension.

Under a federal regulation published on April 8, 2008, a student currently on OPT who is the beneficiary of a timely-filed H-1B petition that requests an employment start date of October 1 of the following fiscal year will have his or her duration of status and OPT employment authorization extended to that date.

Should the pending H-1B petition ultimately be denied, the student will have a sixty day grace period from the notification date of the denial to depart the United States, obtain admission to a new F-1 SEVIS-approved school, or file an application for a change of status.

ISSS will take 5-7 business days to review OPT application and to process I-20. USCIS will take 2-3 months (occasionally 4-5 months) to process the EAD. We suggest you check the processing time on their website: https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ (select “Form I-765” and “Potomac Service Center” from the drop-down menus).

No, you do not need to have a job offer to be eligible for OPT. You are allowed to look for jobs while the OPT is in processing by USCIS. Please be aware, if you apply for Pre-Completion OPT and it is approved by USCIS, that time is considered “used” even if you do not find a job or work during the approval period.

No, the visa stamp in your passport must only be valid for the purpose of entering the U.S. if you travel, it is not the same as your F-1 status. As long as you hold valid F-1 status in the U.S., the visa stamp does not need to be valid and you are eligible to apply for OPT. If your visa is expiring and you need to leave and come back to the U.S., you must plan to renew it at a U.S. embassy outside the U.S. before returning.

Yes, your passport must be valid at all times while in the U.S. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you file your OPT application to USCIS. If you are planning to apply for OPT but your passport is expiring soon you must apply to renew it immediately.

1. You submit an application for OPT to our office for review.

• You first must gather the required OPT application documents. You will submit the application documents for review (click here for pre- and post- OPT or here for the STEM extension). Please see the list of required documents under each OPT type at the links to the left. In the online OPT application for pre- and post-completion OPT you will be asked to provide contact information of your academic advisor. Once you submit your online request, your academic advisor will receive an e-mail to complete their form (to verify your program information). We cannot begin reviewing your request until your academic advisor completes their form.

​2. Your OPT application will be reviewed by an ISSS advisor and a new I-20 will be issued including a recommendation for OPT. This review and I-20 process takes approximately 5 to 7 business days. You will be e-mailed by the ISSS advisor when the I-20 has been issued and we will send you an e-mail with instructions for the next steps.

3. After you receive the OPT I-20, you will review and sign it. Then you will submit the OPT I-20 along with the OPT application documents to USCIS.

4. USCIS processing times vary (sometimes up to 5 months). We suggest you check the processing time on their website: https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ (select “Form I-765” and “Potomac Service Center” from the drop-down menus).

5. Once USCIS approves your OPT application, they will send you an EAD (Employment Authorization Document) card in the mail. Once you have your EAD and you are within the approved OPT period, you may begin working.

No. The regulatory provisions differentiate between pre-and Post-Completion OPT in the application process and in the requirements for maintaining employment. USCIS sees them as two separate applications and each one must be filed separately, including separate fees.

Students should apply for Pre-Completion OPT for the duration of internship/employment offer.

You will select the Post-Completion OPT start date when you are preparing the OPT application documents, it must be any day within 60 days after completing your program, not to exceed 14 months after you complete your program. Students cannot have a requested start date that is more than 60 days past the student’s program end date. Your academic advisor will determine your program end date. It is not your graduation date.

STEM Extension OPT has to start the day after Post-completion end date and has to end 24 months from that date.

Completion of program refers to the date that you finish everything that you need to do to finish your program, such as defend your thesis/dissertation and take your final exams.

Your graduation ceremony date is the day that you walk down the aisle and receive your diploma.  The graduation ceremony date does not concern USCIS; the important date is your degree completion date.  All students meet their degree requirements at some point. Many students never attend their graduation ceremony, or they may choose to attend a graduation ceremony that is months after they meet degree requirements.

• PhD Students: Your program end date may be slightly flexible. This means you may select your dissertation defense date as your program completion OR if you have an assistantship from Temple University you may select the last day of your Graduating Semester/Session.
  • If you have an assistantship you must complete your employment by the end of the final semester/session.
  • You must be registered in your final semester/session.
  • If for some reason you do not complete degree requirements by the program completion date on your OPT I-20, you may complete your degree after this date as long as you get your diploma before the expiration of Post-Completion OPT.

The requested end date cannot be more than 12 months after the requested start date. The end date may be sooner if the student has less than 12 months of OPT left at the current degree level or the student wishes to retain a period of OPT for pre-or Post-Completion OPT for another degree at the same academic level.

The start date will be the requested start date or the date of approval, whichever is later. (A start date more than 60 days after the program end date is treated as a request to start on the 60th day after the program end date.) 

The end date will be the earliest of:

• The requested end date
• The date on which the student’s remaining allotment of OPT expires – for example, a student who previously used three months of full-time Pre-Completion OPT – will have only nine months of OPT time remaining.
• 14 months after the student’s program-end date. Students whose EADs are approved more than 60 days after the program end date, though, a full 12 months cannot fit into the 14-month window. In that case, the OPT period will be truncated, and the student will lose practical training time

You are allowed 12 months of OPT per higher level of study. For example, if you complete a Bachelor's degree, you'll have 12 months and you would need to complete a Master's degree before being eligible for another 12 months. 

If you have a STEM degree, you may extend the 12 months of OPT up to 2 times. For example, if you complete a STEM Bachelor's degree and are granted the 12 months of OPT for that degree level, you can apply to extend that OPT for 2 years. Then, if you complete a STEM Master's degree and granted the 12 months of OPT for that degree level, you can apply to extend that OPT for 2 years (this would be your second and final STEM extension).

The student should contact his or her DSO immediately for guidance.

• If the employment authorization application has not been adjudicated by USCIS, the student may withdraw the application by notifying the Service Center where the application was filed. The DSO should also withdraw the recommendation for OPT in SEVIS. There will be no refund of the fee.
• If the employment authorization application has already been approved, the DSO should extend the student’s program end date to the appropriate date. The student may work part time while enrolled in courses to complete the requirements for his or her program and full-time during breaks and vacations. After successful completion of all the program requirements, the student may work full time.
• However, even though the student’s program end date was extended, because the OPT was granted as Post-Completion OPT; the student is subject to the 90-day limitation on unemployment.

Any OPT authorization ends on the transfer release date for a student who requests a transfer to another SEVP-certified school or a change of level to continue at the same school.

You are legally present during that time and you are in F1 status. If you file OPT before the end of your 60-day grace period, but it is still processing beyond your 60-day grace period you are permitted to stay in the U.S. until the application is processed.

There is no change in visa clasification. You will still be in F-1 student status and be subject to all requirements for individuals in that status.

No, if you leave the U. S. after you complete your studies and before you have applied for OPT, you are no longer eligible to apply. You must apply before you leave the United States and no later than 60 days after you meet degree requirements.

Students must stop working as a “student worker” on the program completion date.  If you have been offered a full-time position at the University, you may begin such employment after you receive the EAC and the validity dates are in effect.

Some employers may wish to hire you as an "independent contractor" or "outside consultant" (in which the employer should not withhold tax or ask you to fill out an I-9 form); however, this office generally recommends that you not accept such employment unless you have your own consulting practice.  If you have questions about this, you should consult with a qualified labor or immigration attorney.

You can begin employment when the application is approved, you have your card AND the start date you requested has been reached. If you ask for a later date and the card comes early, you can’t start working until you reach the start date on the EAD card.

If you have applied for Pre-Completion OPT, there is no negative effect of having applied for OPT and not found employment EXCEPT that any time you are authorized for is deducted from the twelve month period whether you work or not.

Under Post-Completion OPT, you receive a 90 day allotment to be unemployed. When you receive the STEM Extension, you receive an additional 60 days allotment to be unemployed giving you a total of 150 days of unemployment during your entire OPT time.

Yes, the 60-day period of time is given to F-1 students after the completion of a program of study or an authorized period of Post-Completion OPT, thereby allowing the student time to prepare for departure from the United States, apply for a transfer to another SEVP-certified school, request a change of level to continue at the current school, or take steps to otherwise maintain legal status. After STEM Extension ends, students also will have 60 day grace period.

Each day during the period when OPT authorization begins and ends that the student does not have qualifying employment counts as a day of unemployment. You are not allowed to be unemployed for more than 90 days on post-completion OPT and 150 days on post-completion and the STEM extension combined.

Students may be denied future immigration benefits that rely on the student’s valid F-1 status if DHS determines that the student exceeded the limitations on unemployment

Additionally, ICE/SEVP may examine SEVIS data for an individual, a selected group, or all students on Post-Completion OPT and terminate a student’s record if it fails to show the student maintained the proper period of employment. In such cases, the student will be given an opportunity to show that he or she complied with all OPT requirements, including maintaining employment.

Students granted a 24-month STEM OPT extension may not accrue an aggregate of more than 150 days of unemployment during the total OPT period comprising any Post-Completion OPT carried out under the initial Post-Completion OPT authorization and the subsequent 24-month extension period.

SEVP recommends that students maintain evidence for each job of the position held, proof of the duration of that position, the job title, contact information for the student’s supervisor or manager, and a description of the work.

If it is not clear from the job description that the work is related to the student’s degree, SEVP highly recommends that the student obtain a signed letter from the employer’s hiring official, supervisor, or manager stating how the student’s degree is related to the work performed.

Once USCIS approves your OPT you will know your OPT start date. On or around your OPT start date, SEVP will automatically send you an e-mail with instructions to set up your SEVP Portal account. You can log-in to the SEVP Portal account and update your employment information and contact information any time it changes during the OPT period. If you have been granted the 2-year STEM Extension, you will no longer be able to report your employment in the SEVP Portal, our office will do this for you. You will submit the STEM OPT reporting form to our office when you are working on the STEM OPT extension.

If you are a Temple alum, your account will automatically renew for one year after graduating.  Thereafter, your account will automatically renew each time you reset your password as automatically requested by Temple Information Technology Services.

Students who are not currently enrolled, can access their TUmail accounts for 90 days after the end of a semester. Upon registering for classes again, their account will automatically reopen.

More information about keeping your email access after graduation is available at the alumni website.

EAD stands for “employment authorization document”. You will receive an EAD card when USCIS approves your OPT. The EAD card will be mailed to you by USCIS. This card is proof of your authorization to work that you can show your future employer.