Happy Spring Quarter! As many of you prepare for your graduation, you may be considering applying for OPT. Applying for OPT can feel daunting and stressful, so here are some tips from ISS to help you prepare for your application.
Apply early!
Spring is the busiest season for USCIS. Applications can take several months to process, so if you are able to, we highly recommend that you apply early. Post-completion OPT does not require a job offer to apply, so you can get a head start even if you don’t have a job lined up.
Use our OPT Calculator to determine your application timeline.
Receive your I-20 before submitting the I-765.
The most frequent denial reason we see is due to students applying without an OPT I-20. Make sure you receive your OPT I-20 from ISS before applying to USCIS. You can request this through MyISSS.
NOTE: Due to our processing system, you may find that your request status is “approved” but you don’t have your I-20 yet. This is standard. You will not receive an I-20 until your request is in “completed” status. You will receive an email from us once your I-20 is ready.
And Remember, once you get your OPT I-20, you have to apply within 30 days. The absolute deadline to apply is 60 days after your I-20 end date.
Choose your start date carefully.
“How should I pick my start date?”
This is a question we hear a lot, and the answer really depends on the student.
You can pick any start date that is within 60 days of your I-20 end date. If you have a job lined up after graduation, you may want to pick a start date that aligns with the start date of your job. If your CPT internship is transitioning into a full-time position, you may want your OPT to start as early as possible (the day after your program end date). However, if you want to give yourself plenty of time to look for work, you may want to choose a later start date.
There’s no single correct answer, and it really depends on each individual student. Just remember, you can’t change your start date once you submit your application, and you won’t be able to start working until the approved OPT start date on your EAD card.
NOTE: Your 90 days of unemployment on OPT will start on your approved EAD start date.
Check out our website!
We have many resources on our website for students applying for OPT. Some of the helpful resources include our OPT video series, the OPT calculator that summarizes important application dates based on your I-20 end date, our new and improved I-765 guide for the online application, and a lot of the frequently asked questions that we receive about the OPT application process.
Attend an OPT Information Session!
We host OPT information sessions every quarter. We just had one of our spring quarter sessions last Friday, but our next session will be on Friday, May 16 from 3-4pm. The information session will be on zoom, and there will be time to ask questions to an ISS advisor. You can register for the session through our events calendar.
If you have any questions about your OPT application, don’t hesitate to contact ISS or stop by our drop-in advising hours.
We hope you all have a great spring quarter, and for those of you graduating after spring, congratulations! You’re almost there!