{"id":41,"date":"2021-04-23T20:49:46","date_gmt":"2021-04-23T20:49:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/iss\/?page_id=41"},"modified":"2025-09-18T09:27:38","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T13:27:38","slug":"opt","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/iss\/employment\/opt\/","title":{"rendered":"Optional Practical Training (OPT)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">OPT for F-1 students is the USCIS program that provides permission for a student to work off campus in a job related to their area of study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Some Basic Information:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An F-1 student is eligible for a MAXIMUM OF <strong>12 MONTHS <\/strong>of OPT<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>OPT is available to students who have been enrolled on a full-time basis in F-1 status for at one academic year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Students may apply for OPT up to <strong>90 days prior<\/strong> to completion of studies or up to <strong>60 days after <\/strong>(We recommend that you apply at the beginning of your last semester.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You must still <strong>report address changes <\/strong>and <strong>employment information <\/strong>to Wooster while on OPT<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Authorization to engage in OPT is automatically terminated when the student transfers to another school or begins study at another educational level<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"436\" src=\"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/iss\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2025\/09\/OPT_Timeline_Chart-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-558\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/iss\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2025\/09\/OPT_Timeline_Chart-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/iss\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2025\/09\/OPT_Timeline_Chart-1-300x131.jpg 300w, https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/iss\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2025\/09\/OPT_Timeline_Chart-1-768x335.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>APPLICATION PROCEDURE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gather and review your application and documents.&nbsp; Then contact the ISS Office to create your OPT-endorsed I-20.&nbsp; We recommend students to <strong>apply online<\/strong>.&nbsp; This is a faster method and provides clear guidelines on what to submit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>You will need to provide the following items<\/strong> (refer to the I-765 website for the complete list)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Form<strong> I-765 <\/strong>(and form G-1145 for paper applications)<strong> &#8211; https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/i-765<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>OPT-Requested I-20 <\/strong>(provided by the ISS Office) &#8211; The I-765 application must be submitted <strong>within 30-days<\/strong> of the OPT I-20 being issued. If not, you can request a new I-20 to include in your application.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Copies of all old <strong>I-20s<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Copies of your <strong>passport, visa, and<\/strong> <strong>I-94<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Two recent <strong>passport-style photos<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>$470 <\/strong>made payable to the \u201cU.S Department of Homeland Security\u201d (online application will use pay.gov)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It can take up to <strong>90 days<\/strong> for your OPT to be approved by USCIS<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A student <strong>is not legally able to begin working until<\/strong> he\/she has been issued an <strong>E<\/strong>mployment <strong>A<\/strong>uthorization <strong>D<\/strong>ocument (EAD card) by USCIS<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You may begin looking for work before OPT starts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Employment must be <strong>directly related<\/strong> to your major<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once OPT begins, you are granted up to 90-days of unemployment, if needed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Unauthorized employment<\/strong> will result in the <strong>termination<\/strong> of your SEVIS record.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">Students in violation of employment regulations <strong>cannot apply for reinstatement<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Material on this Web site is general and for informational purposes only. It does not constitute or replace professional legal advice, and you should not rely on it solely when making decisions about your immigration status or reporting requirements.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>OPT for F-1 students is the USCIS program that provides permission for a student to work off campus in a job related to their area of study. Some Basic Information: APPLICATION PROCEDURE Gather and review your application and documents.&nbsp; Then contact the ISS Office to create your OPT-endorsed I-20.&nbsp; We recommend students to apply online.&nbsp; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"parent":30,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-41","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/iss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/iss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/iss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/iss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/iss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/iss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":563,"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/iss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41\/revisions\/563"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/iss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inside.wooster.edu\/iss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}