Welcome to today’s session on post-completion OPT . We hope it will provide you with the information you need as you begin to transition into the next phase of your life.
Eligibliity for post-completion OPT is actually pretty simple: Must have been full time student for an academic year Seek job related to your studies AFTER finishing program Complete application and pay fee Get approval from government
Limit of 12 months total of OPT per each higher level of study.
As you begin to think about OPT, you need to be aware of the various processing timelines. You do not want to be caught unaware and worse unprepared. The worst thing we see is someone coming in to our office with a job offer in hand with an expected start date of next week and the person hasn’t even submitted the OPT application yet. While we here at OIP have some level of controlover our own processing times, we have little control over the government.
For many, OPT applications are stressful. So many things may not yet be known. Maybe you don’t yet have a job offer in hand. Without a job offer, how can you possibly pick an accurate start date for your work permission? Relax a bit and remember you are in control of this application. In the eyes of Immigration – you own this application – not OIP, but you. You and you alone decide when you want to submit the application to USCIS. You decide the date you want employment authorization to begin . Do you want to take a bit if a vacation before you begin work? Do you want to begin work immediately? Do you have an employer lined up or are you still ooking? If you want to have your work authorization begin immediately, you need to submit earlier. If you are uncertain how long it will take to find a job and think it will take a while, then you might want to request a later start date for work authorization. Next we’re going to look at the timeframe for your submission of the OPT application and at the timeframe during which OPT must begin.
You have a fairly large window in which to submit your OPT application.
Your requested work authorization MUSt begin somewhere wiothin the 60 days after you complete your academic program.
Note about the adventurous approach: If you fail some classes or don’t meet degree requirements, you may have to withdraw your OPT application, retake the sclasses and refile for OPT at a later date. If you are a doctoral student with most of your dissertation written and are waiting to schedule defense or only have monior tweaking left to do, you can complete the remaining academic work within the period of OPT. However if you fail to complete your academic requirements during that time, we cannot extend your F-1 status so you can finish your academic work.
Your requested work authorization MUSt begin somewhere wiothin the 60 days after you complete your academic program.
Important points: address critical post office will not forward mail from DHS. If you move, notify USCIS. When get receipt, immediately check spelling of name and your DOB if mistake, call National Customer Service Number Travel not recommended – can’t re-enter US
Important points: address critical post office will not forward mail from DHS. If you move, notify USCIS. When get receipt, immediately check spelling of name and your DOB if mistake, call National Customer Service Number Travel not recommended – can’t re-enter US
There are a few limitations on your status while on OPT. Your job must be somehow relaqted to your studies here at Georgetown --- your current degree, not a degree you previously earned. Additionally, the government doesn’t want anyone just hanging out in the U.S. and not doing what they’re supposed to so they’ve instituted a cumulative limit of 90 days of unemployment during the period of your approved OPT.
Students majoring in a field in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math might be eligible for an additional 17-month period of OPT. They cannot apply for it up front and have to wait to apply until they are actually doing their OPT. Unlilke regular OPT for which you get 12 months of OPT per higher level of study, STEM OPT is a one-time deal. If you’ve already had a STEM extension you are not eligible for another one.