Many students apply for OPT so that they will be able to gain practical experience in the field they have studied at UTEP. OPT allows students to build their résumés and also to easily transition from the F visa to a work visa.

During OPT, you must work at a job which is related to your major during OPT.

You must also work at least 20 hours per week. There is no maximum limit to the hours you may work, just a minimum.

You may use OPT to work in a variety of positions: internships, part-time positions, full-time positions, seasonal work, etc.

 

How to Qualify:

To qualify for OPT, you must meet the following criteria:

• Be in F-1 / F-3 status
• Have at least one academic year of F status (2 semesters, summer not included)
• Be ready to graduate
• Have used less than 12 months of full-time CPT during your current degree level

If you are an F student participating in the English Language Institute, or if you are studying at the non-degree level, you are not eligible for OPT. This is because you do not have a declared major.

You may apply for OPT up to 90 days before the end of your last semester, and up to 60 days after the semester ends.

If you are working on finishing up a thesis, dissertation or final project, it may be difficult to determine when you will actually graduate. In this case, it is best to consult your project advisor to help you determine the date.

If you will finish your thesis / dissertation / project in the middle of a semester, you may use the project completion date as your program end date. This would allow you to start your OPT in the middle of a semester, if you like. However, it is most common to use the last day of finals of your graduating semester as the program end date.

 You may apply for OPT for each degree level you have studied. For example, you may complete a bachelor’s degree and do OPT for bachelor’s level, then complete a master’s degree and do OPT for the master’s level.

If you intend to apply for multiple periods of OPT, it is best to begin with studying at the lowest degree level and working toward the highest: associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral. OPT is not usually approved for someone who has already had OPT at a higher degree level and then completes a degree at a lower level and requests OPT for the lower degree level.

 

How to Apply:

To apply for OPT, follow these steps:

• Attend the OIP OPT employment workshop.
• Apply for graduation.
• Complete the OPT application form.
• Make copies of your current I-20.
• Make a copy of your passport (bio page only), visa, and I-94 (front & back).
• Submit your application at the OIP front desk.
• Get 2 passport-sized photos (OIP can take them for you if you like; cost is $10, and you can pay by check or money order).
• Purchase a money order or fill out a personal check in the amount of $380 to “Department of Homeland Security.”
• Go back to OIP five business days after you turned in your OPT request. The front desk will assist you in preparing your application packet.
• Mail your application to the US CIS lockbox in Dallas, TX.

 Please note that OPT is different than CPT. For CPT, OIP will give you the authorization you need to work. For OPT, OIP recommends you to the federal government, and the US CIS service center decides if you will be approved or not.

You do NOT have to have a job offer to apply for OPT. However, it is a good idea to be actively searching for a job so that once your OPT period begins, you can start working as soon as possible.

OIP will not recommend you for OPT if you do not meet the requirements. OIP is not authorized to recommend someone who does not qualify; plus, it would a waste of your money.

 

Choosing an OPT Start Date:

By federal law, your OPT must end within 14 months of completing your degree requirements. For this reason, the start date you choose for your OPT must be within 60 days of the end of your graduating semester. These dates are determined by the academic calendar at UTEP and your graduation date as listed in Goldmine.

When you apply for OPT, your I-20 expiration date will be shortened to the last day of finals in your graduating term. This date is called the “program end date.” Your I-20 program end date is the last date that you may work on-campus or on CPT until your OPT begins.

• Fall 2011 graduates: December 9, 2011
• Spring 2012 graduates: May 11, 2012

Your OPT may begin as early as the following day, or as late as 60 days after. You should choose the start date that is best for you and most logical in terms of when you are submitting your application (US CIS typically processes OPT applications within 2-3 months of receipt).

• Possible OPT Start Dates for Fall 2011 graduates: December 10, 2011 – Feb 7, 2012
• Possible OPT Start Dates for Spring 2012 graduates: May 12 – July 10, 2012

It is good to request an early start date when:

• You are currently on CPT and want to transition to OPT without an employment gap
• You have a job offer and the company wants to you start working right away
• You think you will find a job soon and that the company will want you to start working right away

It is good to request a later start date when:

• You need time to search for a job
• You want a vacation between graduation & OPT
• You are applying for OPT after graduation

 

Once OPT Begins:

Once you are approved for OPT, you will receive an “Employment Authorization Document,” or EAD card. This is commonly known as the OPT card. The card will state the dates that you are authorized to work. Do not work before the start date of your card or after the end date on your card unless you have some other type of legal work authorization.

Your OPT authorization period will begin on the start date listed on the card, even if you aren’t working yet. If you are unemployed for the first month, then you only have 11 months more to work, since you used up the first month looking for a job.

Please note that US CIS will not always authorize you for the OPT start date you requested. This occurs when the US CIS official approves your application after the OPT start date you requested. In this case, you will not know the start date of the OPT card until you actually receive the card in the mail. This situation is one of the disadvantages of applying for OPT late in the semester or after graduation.

OPT is intended to be used for working in the United States.

During your 12 months of OPT authorization, you are allowed a maximum of 90 days of unemployment. You should try to be employed for the entire 12 months of OPT, if possible. If your OPT has started and you still don’t have a job, you should be spending your time searching for one!

During your OPT, you must report your employment to OIP. You need to fill out the OPT Notification Form every time you obtain a new job, end a job, or add an additional job, plus every 6 months of OPT. To access the form, click here.

You must also continue to report any changes in your residential address to OIP within 10 days of moving. Download the Change of Address form.

If you decide to begin another degree at a different academic level during your OPT, once you begin classes for the new degree, you will lose your remaining OPT authorization. You will also lose your remaining period of OPT if you transfer to another university.

If you begin a degree AT THE SAME LEVEL of the one you completed before starting your OPT, then you do not lose your remaining OPT period. In this case, you may continue using your OPT while beginning the new degree, and a new I-20 is not required until your OPT ends.

 

After OPT Ends:

After your OPT ends, and assuming you have maintainted your immigration status during OPT (not accrued over 90 days of unemployment), you have a 60-day grace period. The grace period is a time for you to prepare to either depart the United States or to find another way to remain here legally.

If you intend to remain in the US, you should begin making plans for this before your grace period begins. For example, if you are going to apply for another degree program, you should begin this process several months before your OPT ends. Graduate applicants often wait several months to be admitted to a program.

Ways you can remain in the U.S. legally:

• Be admitted to another academic program in the US (either before or during the grace period). The new academic program must begin within 5 months of the end of your OPT. If remaining at UTEP, you must be admitted & receive your new I-20 prior to the 60-day grace period ending. If transferring to another US school, you must be admitted & have your SEVIS record transferred to the new school no later than the end of the 60-day grace period.
• Apply for a change of status and be approved for another type of visa, such as a work visa.

If you have not found a way to stay legally in the US by the end of the grace period, you must leave the United States. If you remain past the end of your grace period, you are violating your immigration status.

 

OPT 17-Month Extension

If you have received a US degree in a STEM field (science, technology, engineering or mathematics), you may be eligible for a one-time OPT extension of 17 months. This extension is to be used after you have used your first 12 months of standard post-completion OPT.

The US government decided to grant the OPT extension in order to help US employers retain foreign workers. Many students apply for the H-1b work visa during the initial 12 months of OPT and not everyone is granted the visa the first time they apply. The OPT extension allows students to continue working for their current employer and provides more chances to apply for the H-1b visa.

 

To qualify, you must meet the following criteria:

• Have a degree in science, technology, engineering or math
• Have a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree
• Be in F-1 / F-3 status
• Currently be on standard post-completion OPT
• Work for an employer who is enrolled in the E-Verify program

 

To apply for the OPT extension:

• Complete the OPT Extension Application  at OIP (this includes the application form as well as Form G-1145 and Form I-765)
• Submit your UTEP transcript  and a copy of your current EAD card
• Make copies of your current I-20, visa, passport, and I-94 (front & back)
• Apply before your current OPT authorization expires
• Submit your application to OIP
• Prepare your check or money order for $380 to “Department of Homeland Security”
• Get two passport-sized photos of yourself
• Five business days later, pick up your OPT extension package and mail it to US CIS

 

While OPT Extension Request is Pending: 

If your OPT card expires while the extension request is still being reviewed, you are allowed to continue working (up to 180 days) until you have received the results of your application.

 

After Receiving OPT Extension Result:

If your application was approved, then you will receive a new EAD card for your OPT extension.

If your application was denied, then you may only work through the end of your original OPT. After that, you have a 60-day grace period (assuming you have not exceeded the allowable 90 days of unemployment), which allows you time to find another way to remain legally in the U.S. If you haven’t found a way to remain here by the end of the period, you must exit the United States.

 

During your OPT extension period, you must:

• Work in a job related to your STEM degree
• Work at least 20 hours per week for an E-Verify employer
• Continue to report your employment to OIP
• Continue to report any changes in your residential address
• Check in with OIP every six months by submitting the OPT Notification Form including your full legal name, SEVIS ID number (on the I-20), current mailing and residential address, name and address of your employer and date you began working for the employer.

 

A helpful resource for better understanding OPT is the SEVP “Policy Guidance 1004-03 Update to Optional Practical Training” found at http://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/opt_policy_guidance_042010.pdf.

For further information regarding OPT, please speak with an advisor at OIP.

 

Office of International Programs
203 Union East Bldg * (915) 747-5664 * oip@utep.edu * Hours: Monday-Tuesday 8-6 Wednesday-Friday 8-5