OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING

Purpose:
This handout is designed for students in F-1 status. It provides information on a type of employment that is available before and after you complete your studies (for a maximum of twelve months).

Definition of Optional Practical Training
Optional practical training is designed to provide you with an opportunity to gain actual employment experience in your chosen profession for a maximum of one year. Its purpose is to complement your academic work. You can receive 12 months OPT per progressive degree. Optional practical training falls into three categories:

(1) full or part-time employment during annual vacation if you are enrolled and intend to register for the next session;

(2) part-time employment (20 hours per week or less) while school is in session;

(3) full-time employment after you have completed your degree. Please note that an application for full-time post completion opt is a certification that you have met all your degree requirements for your major.

Eligibility Requirements: The work must be directly related to your major field of study and it must be appropriate for someone with your level of education. You need not have a specific job offer to apply for optional practical training but be aware that you cannot recover portions of the optional practical training period that you may have spent searching for employment.

If you have accumulated 90 days of unemployment your status will be terminated. The work must be full-time and may occur anywhere in the United States. To be eligible to apply for optional practical training, you must have been in lawful, full-time student status for at least one academic year, and you must submit your application so that it reaches the Vermont office of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) no later than 60 days of completion of your studies. Students enrolled in English language training programs are not eligible for optional practical training.

Application Deadline:
You must apply to your international student adviser no more than 90 days before you complete your studies no later than 60 days after completion.

If your international student adviser recommends that you be allowed to participate in practical training, you must then submit an application for an “Employment Authorization Document” (EAD) to the USCIS Eastern Service Center in Vermont (which has jurisdiction over our area). USCIS must receive the application no more than 90 days before completion of studies or the date you want to begin working and no later than 60 days after completion.

Importance of the actual date you complete your program of study:
USCIS regulations refer to the date you complete all requirements for a program of study, not to the date you participate in graduation ceremonies and receive a certificate or diploma. The service recognizes that many students, especially graduate students in thesis or dissertation programs, may complete requirements for a degree any day during the year. This means that the last day of an academic term may not be the date you complete your program requirements.

Part-time vs. Full-time optional practical training:
Both part-time and full-time optional practical training count towards the twelve-month total you have. Part-time training (20 hours per week or less) counts at one-half the full-time rate. For example, if you work for 10 hours per week for two months, you will have used one month of optional practical training. It does not matter how few hours you actually work – any amount less than 20 hours counts as part-time and will be deducted at that rate.

Making a decision regarding participation in optional practical training:
You are allowed one year of optional practical training for each progressive degree. For example: if you are admitted to a PHD program and then decided you do not wish to complete the degree, but would rather obtain another masters degree; you are not entitled to an additional year of OPT. You are permitted to use your OPT time in any increments you want but you should plan carefully.

Authorization may not be rescinded or deferred:
Once authorization to engage in optional practical training is granted, and the EAD is issued, and the start date passes, it may not be rescinded, canceled, or deferred. This means that after optional practical training is authorized by USCIS, unexpected delays in completing the program, inability to find an appropriate job, or loss of a job may reduce the time you have available for work.

Actual Date Optional Practical Training employment may begin:
You may not begin work until both the following requirements are satisfied:

(1) you have obtained an EAD from the USCIS

(2) the date is reached when the EAD authorizes employment to begin.

It is required that while on OPT you notify ISSS of your current employer no later 90 days after OPT start date. In addition you must verify your status every six month thereafter. Please note you must notify your DSO within 10 days of any changes to employment, name changes, address and contact information.

Please send an email containing the company name and address to: jmarsali@stevens.edu

Change of employer after post completion practical training has been authorized:
You may change employers after you have begun authorized employment provided the new job is:

(1) directly related to your major field of study.

(2) appropriate for someone having your level of education.

Travel Outside the United States:
Reentry provisions of the regulations require students in optional practical training to present:

• Form I-20, endorsed for travel by the international student adviser “within the last six month.”
• the “Employment Authorization Document” (EAD).

"Employment Letter", as well as the usual passport and visa requirements.

Students who do not meet these requirements may not be allowed to reenter the United States. In addition, if you are coming back to the United States after completion of studies and you do not already have a job, you may have trouble entering the United States, especially if a long period of time has passed since you completed your studies.

To obtain a travel signature while on OPT you need:

• A ISSS Request form
• A valid OPT I-20
• A copy of an unexpired EAD card
• A employment letter with an E-Verify Identification Number