It is your responsibility to understand all of the details
and requirements of your immigration status. Only
you are responsible for maintaining your status.
Read this entire tutorial carefully in order to
completely understand the timelines, eligibility,
procedures, and requirements for seeking Optional
Practical Training authorization.
If, after reading this tutorial, you have questions, ask
an international student and scholar advisor by
calling 330.672.7980 or emailing isss@kent.edu.
Optional Practical Training Tutorial
OPT Eligibility and Types of OPT
You may apply for OPT if you have been in valid F-1 student status for at least
one academic year (two academic terms), unless:
• you have completed 365 days of full-time CPT, or
• you are a non-degree or ESL student.
Students who wish to work prior to graduation or completion of coursework
should apply for pre-completion OPT (maximum of 20 hours per week when
school is in session).
Students who wish to work part- or full-time after graduation or completion
of coursework should apply for post-completion OPT (most common).
Understanding the OPT Application Window
You have a five-month (150-day) window in which you
may apply for OPT, based on your graduation date or
Program End Date (up to 90 days before this date and up
to 60 days after).
Requesting an OPT Start Date
You must request an OPT start date that is within your 60-day grace period.
All OPT must be completed within 14 months of the Program End Date
(typically, your graduation date). Therefore, waiting until late in your grace
period to apply may result in an OPT authorization period that is less than 12
full months.
Once an OPT application is mailed to USCIS, it is not possible to change the
requested start date. If a student who graduates in May asks for a start date
of July 1 and later receives a job offer for June 15, he still cannot begin
working until July 1, and only if he is in physical possession of the EAD card.
Understanding OPT Processing Times and Expedite Requests
It could take up to 90 days to be approved for OPT and receive your EAD card.
If you have a job offer letter, we can include a copy with your OPT
application.
If you receive a job offer letter after you apply, an international student and
scholar advisor can send it to the Nebraska Service Center along with an
expedite request.
These are the only possible ways to request expedited processing. There is no
guaranteed way to expedite an OPT application or make it go faster.
Frequently Asked
Questions
Do I need a job or a job offer to apply for OPT?
No. You are able to apply for OPT without having any job offer
ready. You are given time to look for a job while on OPT,
because you are allowed 90 days of unemployment during the
1-year OPT authorization period.
Frequently Asked
Questions
Can I work without my EAD card?
No. You must physically have your EAD card in your hand in
order to report to work. You are allowed to interview, accept a
position, and complete any paperwork before you have an EAD
card, but you may not actually report to work until you have the
EAD card.
Frequently Asked
Questions
Can I travel with pending or approved OPT?
Yes. When your OPT application is PENDING (meaning we have
mailed your application but have not received an approval
notice or an EAD card), you may travel outside the United
States and return.
If your OPT is APPROVED, you must present the EAD card and a
job offer letter at the U.S. port of entry.
Frequently Asked
Questions
What if I leave the country when my OPT application is pending,
and it is approved when I am outside of the United States?
Since you need to physically show your EAD card and a job offer
letter at the U.S. port of entry, and since the EAD card will be
mailed to the U.S. address listed on Form I-765, we do not
recommend traveling internationally while an OPT application
is pending.
Frequently Asked
Questions
Can I work anywhere I want on OPT?
Any employment, internship, or other practical training
experience you accept while on OPT must be directly related to
your major field of study. For example, a computer science
major must work, volunteer, or intern in a position directly
related to computer science.
Frequently Asked
Questions
What if my grace period ends and my application is still
pending?
A student with a pending OPT application is in valid F-1 status
(meaning you are allowed to remain in the United States), even
after the end of the grace period.
Frequently Asked
Questions
Am I allowed to be unemployed while on OPT?
You are allowed 90 days of unemployment during your OPT
authorization period (between the dates listed on your EAD
card). If you exceed 90 days of unemployment, your OPT
authorization ends.
You must bring all of these documents to your OPT filing appointment, or you
will have to reschedule.
• A copy of your passport biographical page
• A copy of your most recent U.S. visa
• A printout of your Form I-94 found at www.cbp.gov/I94
• An original check or money order, made out to "U.S. Department of
Homeland Security" for $380
• Two recent 2" x 2" passport-style photos, cut in 2” x 2” squares. Write your
I-94 number in PENCIL on the back. Do not use pen.
• The completed Form I-765 (http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-765.pdf).
A Summary of Required Documents
Sample Check
This is the correct way to fill out a check to USCIS:
Guide to Selected Form I-765 Questions
Check the box marked “Permission to accept employment” above Question 1.
Question 1. Write your family name first, in CAPS, followed by your given name. Do not write your entire name in
CAPS.
Question 3. You must write the address where you would like your EAD card mailed. If you are moving soon or
have trouble receiving mail, you may use the Office of Global Education address. Use “106 Van Campen Hall” and
write “OGE” in the (Apt. Number) field. Then type “Kent, OH 44242” in the appropriate fields.
Question 5. You must write the name of the city where you were born, followed by the state or province, if any,
and lastly the name of your birth country.
Question 10. Write your entire I-94 number, including the last two digits.
Question 11. If you have never filed Form I-765 before, select No. Please note that Question 11 extends into the
second column of questions; if you select “No” in the bottom of Column 1, you may leave the next three
questions above Question 12 blank.
Question 12. This is the date stamped on your Form I-94 – the date you last entered the United States.
Guide to Selected Form I-765 Questions
Question 13. This is the U.S. city where your plane first landed in the United States, even if you had another
connecting flight afterward. If you drove across the U.S. border, list the appropriate U.S. port of entry.
Question 14. If you entered the U.S. in F-1 status, write “Student.” If not, write the appropriate status in which you
entered the country.
Question 15. If you are in valid F-1 status, write “Student.”
Question 16. If you are filing for post-completion OPT, the code is (c)(3)(B).
If you are filing for pre-completion OPT, the code is (c)(3)(A).
Question 17. Leave this blank unless you are filing for the 17-month extension.
Sign your name in the “Certification” area and type your telephone number and the date you completed the form.
If you prepared your own form, do not write anything in the area marked “Signature of Person Preparing Form, If
Other Than Above.”
Sample Completed Form I-765 Fields
Communicating with ISSS While on OPT
If you become employed, change employers, or become unemployed, you
must notify ISSS by completing the “OPT Employer Information Form” in the
ISSS Forms Library.
The OPT Employer Information Form is here:
http://www.kent.edu/globaleducation/opt-employer-information-form
If you move to a different city or change your local address, you must update
your information in FlashLine: http://www.kent.edu/sites/default/files/how-
to-update-your-address-in-flashline.pdf
Report any change in the above information within 10 days.
