F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) (2024)

F-1 students often want to work. However, employment opportunities are limited, and strict rules apply. This document discusses different types of optional practical training (OPT) including: required forms, processes, and updating SEVIS.

What is Optional Practical Training?

Optional practical training is one type of work permission available for eligible F-1 students. It allows students to get real-world work experience related to their field of study.

While a Designated School Official (DSO) recommends OPT in SEVIS, it is the student who must apply for the work permit with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). If the OPT is approved, USCIS will issue an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). The student must not begin working before the start date on the EAD.

Regulations and Policy Guidance

Complex rules and guidance apply to OPT. Any OPT requests entered into SEVIS must comply with federal regulations. DSOs must understand the following regulations and policy guidance:

8 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 214.2(f)(10) through (13)
8 CFR 274a.12(c)(3)
SEVP Policy Guidance on OPT
SEVP Policy Guidance: Practical Training – Determining a Direct Relationship between Employment and a Student’s Major Area of Study

OPT Types

There are three general types of OPT:

OPT Request Statuses

The table below lists the statuses used to identify the stages of OPT requests in SEVIS.

OPT Eligibility

A student is eligible for OPT if:

• The student has been a full-time student for one academic year in an SEVP-certified:
  • College
  • University
  • Conservatory
  • Seminary
• The student is not studying English as a Second Language.
• The student’s proposed employment relates to the student’s major area of study. For more information seeSEVP Policy Guidance: Practical Training – Determining a Direct Relationship between Employment and a Student’s Major Area of Study.
• The student has not used alloptional practical training available at the current level of study.
• The student has not been authorized for 12 months or more of full-time Curricular Practical Training (CPT).

Remind your F-1 students:

• Not to file the Form I-765, “Application for Employment Authorization,” until you have recommended OPT in their SEVIS records, and they have the updated Form I-20 with the OPT recommendation.

• They must file within the 30-day period after your DSO OPT recommendation.

If a student submits the Form I-765 on paper or electronically before you recommend the OPT or after the 30-day post-DSO recommendation period:

• USCIS will deny the application. (Federal regulations require the DSO OPT recommendation on the student SEVIS record before the Form I-765 is submitted.)

• The student will lose the application fee.

• The student will have to reapply for OPT and pay the fee again.

IMPORTANT: Making these mistakes can dramatically delay the final USCIS authorized OPT start date.

The OPT application process involves many players and several steps:

Form I-765 Filing Deadlines Once DSO Requests OPT in SEVIS

DSOs must be mindful of several key dates when entering OPT in SEVIS.

Key Dates

DSOs must be mindful of several key dates when entering OPT in SEVIS.

• SEVIS will not allow DSOs to request overlapping segments of OPT. You must specify if the OPT is pre-completion or post-completion OPT and must be either full or part part-time.
• DSOs should verify and, if necessary, shorten the program end date on the Form I-20 before recommending a student for post-completion OPT
• If a DSO is recommending OPT for a student who plans to split their OPT time between degree programs at the same education level, you should explicitly note in SEVIS that the student is requesting to split their OPT time. The requested OPT validity dates for each particular degree program should be limited to the planned duration of OPT for that program.

To recommend OPT:

1.Go to the Student Information page.

4.Enter information relevant to the OPT authorization.

5.Review the information. Click either Save or Cancel:

• Cancel:Returns to theOPT Employmentpage without saving.

• Save: Submits the OPT request. AnUpdate Successfulmessage displays.

6. Click either Print I-20 or Return to Employment List:
   • Print I‑20: Prints the Form I‑20 with the OPT recommendation.

• Once the Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20) has been submitted, the DSO must sign page one of the form.

• Form I-20 is given to the student.

• Find more information on allowable electronic signatures and Form I-20 transmission in SEVP’s policy guidance Use of Electronic Signatures and Transmission for the Form I-20.

• Return to Employment List: Returns the user to the OPT Employment page. The newly added OPT employmentwill be on the list.

7. Review the information on the OPT Employment page. To make changes to the existing OPT request, clickEdit. (See Edit OPT Request below for detailed edit instructions.)

8. Click either Print I-20 or Return:

   • Print I-20: Prints the Form I-20.

   • Return: Returns the user to the Student Information page.

OPT information can be edited depending on the status of the OPT request:

To edit an OPT request:

1. Click OPT Request on the Student Information page. The OPT Employment page opens.

3. Make any necessary edits:

4. Click either Save or Cancel:

• Cancel: Returns the user to the OPT Employment page without updating the employment segment.
• Save: Updates this employment request in the student’s record. An Update Successful message indicates if the edit was successful. Click either Print I-20 or Return to Employment List:

• Print I 20: Prints the Form I-20 with the OPT recommendation.

• Once the Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20) has been submitted, the DSO must sign page one of the form.
• Form I-20 is given to the student.
• Find more information on allowable electronic signatures and Form I-20 transmission in SEVP’s policy guidance Use of Electronic Signatures and Transmission for the Form I-20.

• Return to Employment List: Returns to the OPT Employment page.

An OPT request can be canceled in SEVIS ONLY if the OPT Request is in Requested status.

Cancel OPT Request

To cancel an OPT request:

1. Go to the Student Information page.

2. Click OPT Request. The OPT Employment page opens.

4. Click either Yes or No:

• No:Returns the user to the OPT Employment page without canceling the OPT request.
• Yes: Cancels the OPT request. An Update Successful message verifies that the update was successful. Click either Return to Employment List or Print I-20:
  • Click Print I-20 to print the Form I-20.
  • Click Return to Employment List to return to the OPT Employment page; and then click either Return or Print I-20:
    • Click Print I-20 to print the Form I-20.
    • Click Return to return to the Student Information page.

Withdraw OPT Request

Once an OPT request status changes to Pending, the student must write USCIS to withdraw the OPT application. The request must:

• Be sent to the USCIS Service Center processing the application. The address is on the USCIS-issued Receipt Notice sent to the student.
• Include the receipt number USCIS assigned the case when it was filed.

While on OPT, a student is required to report the following to their DSO:

• Change in student’s legal name.
• Change in student’saddress while on OPT.
• Changes in employment or interruption of employment.

Students can enter employment information using the SEVP Portalor DSOs can update SEVIS to reflect the changes. Employment information must be updated in a timely manner.

For additional related information, see:

• 8 CFR 214.2(f)(12)(ii)(E)
• SEVP OPT Policy Guidance
• F-1 Add, Edit, Delete Optional Practical Training (OPT) Employer
• View Employment Information
• Unemployment Counter
• SEVIS and the SEVP Portal
• SEVP Portal Student User Guide

• A student whose record lacks employer information is considered unemployed.
• SEVP officials can manually terminate a student who accrues 90 total days of unemployment.
• See the Unemployment Counter article on the SEVIS Help Hub for more information.

The following Alert List and Student Lists in SEVIS help DSOs monitor and manage students on OPT:

DSOs can view a student’s OPT information on the following pages, which are accessed through the View section of the Student Information page:

• Request/Authorization Details page:Lists only current authorizations.
• Employment Information page: Lists all employment authorizations linked to the SEVIS ID.

For additional related information, see:

• View Employment Information

SEVIS will automatically extend post-completion OPT or 24-month science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) extension of OPT if:

• On or after April 1, an employer files an eligible H-1B petition to change the student’s status.
• The requested start date for the H-1B is October 1.
• The student’s OPT or 17-month OPT extension ends on or after April 1.
• Review the F-1 Cap Gap Extensionarticlefor information on how to add or edit cap gap information on a record.

If OPT information in SEVIS does not reflect applications filed with or decisions made by USCIS, DSOs can ask to have the record corrected. There are two ways to correct data in a student record.