Optical Practical Training

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is temporary employment for practical training directly related to the student’s major area of study (8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(10)(ii)).

All F-1 students (except IEP- only F-1 students) are eligible for one year of full-time OPT per education level (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) as long as the next education level is higher than the previous one.

Any OPT request is submitted to and reviewed by, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). F-1 students cannot begin working until they receive the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and have reached the start date listed on the card and no employment offer is required to apply.

There are three types of OPT

Pre-completion OPT
Post-completion OPT
STEM-extension OPT

OPT Submission Form

Pre-Completion OPT

Available to F-1 students prior to their graduation
Authorized for a period requested by the student, but no longer than the program end-date during application
If it is authorized during the fall or spring semester, the F-1 student can work no more than 20 hours per week
If it is authorized during the summer semester, the F-1 student can work more than 20 hours per week
Any time used as pre-completion OPT is deducted from the one year of full-time OPT.

Post-Completion OPT

Available to F-1 students after their graduation
Applications need to be submitted no more than 90 days before their graduation date and up to 60 days after their graduation date. The requested start date must fall within the 60-day grace period
No more than 90-days of unemployment can be accumulated throughout the entire OPT period

Eligibility

Be in legal F-1 immigration status
Be a full-time student for at least one academic year

For more information about Optical Practical Training, please arrange an appointment with Immigration & Advising Coordinator at the Office of International Engagement.

In order to apply for authorization to engage in OPT, gather following documents in .PDF format

Have OPT recommendation from the Immigration & Advising Coordinator prior to filing I-765
- Your application will be automatically declined without the recommendation
- Link to I-765 application will be provided via email by the Immigration & Advising Coordinator
Provide a passport-sized picture. Photos must not be more than 30 days old
Your most recent I-94
Your passport page that shows your picture and personal information
Your visa
Your I-20 (include the one with your CPT authorization)
Any previous Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued to you
Funds to pay USD $410 online to U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Important Notes

Your receipt notice will come within 30 days of USCIS receiving your application
You can track the status of your application at www.uscis.gov (with your receipt number)
Approval/denial should come within 90 days of mailing your application packet
It will be best for the student NOT TO TRAVEL OUT OF THE COUNTRY while your OPT application is pending
YOU MAY NOT BEGIN WORKING UNTIL YOU RECEIVE YOUR EAD CARD!

For more information about Optional Practical Training, please arrange an appointment with Immigration and Advising Coordinator at the Office of international Engagement.

STEM OPT

Available to F-1 students who majored in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) fields and are currently working on post-completion OPT
This extension gives the student an additional up to 24 months of employment authorization and F-1 status
A new work authorization request must be submitted to USCIS and a new EAD will be issued if USCIS approves the request
F-1 students on STEM-extension OPT can accumulate no more than 120 days of unemployment throughout the entire post-completion and STEM extension authorization period
Students participating in a STEM OPT must be validated every six months.

To validate your STEM OPT

Complete the STEM OPT Validation Form [PDF]

Students interested in the STEM extension need to read the following information

Make an appointment with Immigration & Advising Coordinator after reading the information above.

Important Information

The work must be directly related to your major field of study and it must be appropriate for someone with your level of education
Work may be full- or part-time (at least 20 hours/week) and may occur anywhere in the United States
You will retain F-1 status even though you have completed your studies and are working full-time
OPT is viewed as an “extension” of the program of study you have completed. It allows you to apply the theoretical knowledge you have learned to a practical work experience.
You may travel as long as you are holding an unexpired EAD, a valid F-1 visa, a Form I-20 that is endorsed with an OPT recommendation, and proof of employment
Proof of employment should be a letter from an employer verifying that you are currently working. Without such evidence, it is possible that the immigration officer at the port of entry may not allow you to reenter with your F-1 status to resume OPT. (Note: The Immigration and Advising Coordinator must have signed your Form I-20 within the last 6 months in order for you to re-enter in OPT status).[1]
Traveling internationally and re-entering the U.S. with a pending OPT application can be risky. If you need to re-enter the US after your EAD card has been issued, the expectation when you go through customs is that you have the EAD card in hand upon entry
If your F-1 visa stamp is expired, it may be difficult for you to obtain a new one based on your OPT permission. In this case, you should not plan to travel outside the U.S. without first discussing your case with the Immigration and Advising Coordinator.
For all types of OPT, F-1 students must report changes in employment, address, or contact information to the Immigration and Advising Coordinator (via email) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (via the student portal) within 10 days of the change.
After you complete your OPT, you must: (1) depart the U.S.; (2) apply to continue in another educational program at the University of Northern Iowa or another school; (3) change to another nonimmigrant status; or (4) if you graduated in a STEM major (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics), you may qualify to extend the OPT for the STEM Extension

To help with your training opportunities you check out the links below

Social Security Number

Any international students who are employed are required to obtain a social security number (SSN).

To qualify for a SSN the student must

Receive a job offer
Schedule appointment with the Payroll Accountant in Business Operations - bring a copy of the job letter
Wait for the Immigration and Advising Coordinator to contact you when your documents are ready to take to the social security office.
Pick up your documents from the Office of International Engagement
Take those documents to social security office
3121 GreyHound Drive
Waterloo, Iowa 50701