Optional Practical Training

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a post-graduation work authorization that permits F-1 visa students to gain work experience in their field of study while in the United States.

OPT is a type of employment benefit, and therefore, is not a visa. International students do not require sponsorship from the employer to engage in employment opportunities throughout the OPT period. SUNY Oswego international students interested in receiving OPT authorization must complete an application with the SUNY Oswego International Students Office.

ISSS Office hosts OPT in-person and online information sessions every semester, which you can view by selecting one of the options below. You can also visit U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for more OPT resources.

Watch the recorded information session videos
View the information session presentation slides
Watch the video on finding internships and jobs in the U.S.

Use the OPT Calculator below to learn when to start applying. Complete the OPT Final Meeting Eligibility Form below and submit your documents.

OPT Calculator OPT Final Meeting Eligibility Form

Here's what you can expect to find on this page:

Rules and Regulations: all information regarding important rules and regulations related to OPT
How to Apply: a thorough guide on how to apply for OPT, including all necessary documents and more.
Reporting Requirements: information about how to update your SEVP portal once you earn a job position.
Other Questions: frequently asked questions about OPT.
Employer Questions: frequently asked questions from employers about what is involved with OPT.

OPT Rules and Regulations

When can OPT students start working?

There are two conditions for OPT students to begin working:

When U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approves the F-1 visa holder's OPT application, they mail out the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card which looks like a Driver's License. Students must have the EAD card; and
OPT participants can start working on or after the “valid from date” on their EAD cards
Please note, participating in any form of post-graduation employment prior to receiving an EAD Card and before your EAD Card “valid from date” is considered unauthorized employment and can result in the termination of a student’s OPT work authorization.

How long does the OPT Authorization process take?

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)'s processing times can be found on the Check Case Processing Times webpage. Usually, it takes 3~ 5 months for USCIS to review the international student's OPT application Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization.

The ISSS office advises students to apply for OPT as soon as they meet the eligibility.

How many hours per week can an OPT participant work?

OPT participants are required to work a minimum of 20 hours per week. OPT participants must ensure that all employment hours are reported in their SEVP Portal.

What is the duration of time in which OPT participants will be eligible to work?

F-1 student visa holders who are OPT participants are eligible to work for a duration of 12 months from the program end date on Form I-20.

Specifically, OPT start (valid from date) and end date (card expires date) are noted on the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card- Employers may require the EAD card to confirm the dates that international students can work for the employer.

Please note that students who have graduated with an approved STEM Degree (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math) will be provided with the option to apply to extend their OPT period for an additional 24 months from the initial OPT end date.

Do I need to find an employer who's willing to sponsor me for my OPT participation?

No! OPT-approved international students are allowed to work in the States throughout the authorized OPT employment period. Therefore, employers do not necessarily need to sponsor you throughout the OPT period. That being said, STEM OPT-eligible students may want to find employment that meets STEM OPT requirements. Learn more about STEM OPT.

Also, students may want to find an employer who's willing to sponsor them after the OPT period, if that is something they are interested in.

What is the responsibility of the student who is interested in applying for OPT?

It is the student's responsibility to apply for OPT within 60 days from the graduation date. Within 90 days from the authorized OPT start date, the student must find employment that is directly related to their majors/programs.

When applying for OPT, students get to choose their possible start date. They must communicate this with their employer. USCIS determines the authorized OPT start date.

Note that an OPT application will be denied by USCIS, if a student travels internationally while the application is pending approval.

How to Apply

International students must obtain authorization for OPT to work after graduation. Students should coordinate with the ISSS Office to review materials and acquire a new OPT-recommended Form I-20 before applying online. Allow 5-7 days for the ISSS Office to review the required documents.

Step 1: Determine Your OPT Start Date

When applying for OPT, YOU get to decide your start date. This is the day when you can begin working, provided that you have received your OPT approval and Employment Authorization Document (EAD card) by that date. Please note that:

OPT can be applied for as early as 90 days before the graduation date.
OPT applications should be received by USCIS no later than 60 days after the graduation date. The earliestOPT start date that you can select is the day after your graduation date, while the latest OPT start date is 60 days after your graduation date. Since USCIS is expecting longer processing times, it is advisable to select the latest start date, unless you already have a job offer.
Use the Date Calculator to select your preferred start date.
Indicate your chosen date at the bottom of your OPT Final Meeting Eligibility Form, to be submitted to the ISSS Office, You can find more information about the form in Step 2(b).

Step 2: Complete Application Materials

Please note that all of the following application materials must be submitted to the ISSS Office in order to receive an OPT Recommended Form I-20.

Academic Advisor Recommendation Letter for OPT : Work with your academic advisor to complete and sign the recommendation letter. The Academic Advisor Recommendation Letter must be attached to your OPT Final Meeting Eligibility Form.
OPT Final Meeting Eligibility Form: Carefully review and sign the form wherever required, as it outlines your responsibilities as an OPT applicant, and provides OPT Health Insurance Information. Attach the recommendation letter.
OPT Photos: Review these Photo Requirements (PDF). Use Visafoto to ensure that your photo is a square 2x2 photo.
- On-Campus Photo Options:
  - The Compass, located at 145 Marano Campus Center, provides free professional photos during walk-in hours, Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm.
  - The ID & Dining Services Department, 504 Culkin Hall, provides photos for $5 USD. Appointments are needed ahead of time.
- Off-Campus Photo Options:
  - Review and print these Photo Requirements (PDF). Bring them to Kinney Drugs, Walmart, or another photo location.
- Ask the photographer if they can send you the photo image via email. If not, scan the photos to upload them to the online application. In case the online application shows an error, try taking photos with your phone. The system will notify you if they can accept the photo or not.

Step 3: Attend a Mandatory OPT Review Meeting

After students complete their OPT application, ISSS staff will review the materials. Once the review is complete and everything looks good, students will be invited to the OPT review meeting, which occurs on Thursdays at 3:30 PM. At this meeting, students will receive a new Form I-20 with their OPT request.

Upon receiving the new OPT recommended Form I-20, students should print it out and sign it with a pen. Then, scan the signed OPT-authorized Form I-20 and upload it to your online I-765 application. The online application process should be continued from page 20 of the attached instructions which you can find in the next step.

Step 4: Complete the Form I-765 Online

Students MUST submit the online OPT application AFTER they receive the new OPT I-20. If not, their applications will be REJECTED by USCIS. So, you can start completing the online application before the final review meeting, but make sure to stop before proceeding to page 20 of the instructions.

This guide, How to complete the online I-765 application, outlines the steps included in the I-765 Form.

Here are a few things you need to keep in mind for successful OPT filing:

If you’d like to provide an on-campus address, please use the ISSS office address, 116 Sheldon Hall, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126. We have found that the mail for graduated students is returned to USCIS, and USCIS will not resend returned mail.
If you know where you will be staying after graduation, you can provide that off-campus address.
NOTE: Students are subject to pay for the shipping to their addresses upon the EAD card delivery.
IMPORTANT: The arrival date to the campus is not the same as the arrival date to the ISSS office. From the date that it arrives in the campus mailroom, it will take 1-2 weeks to be delivered to each office.
For students who already wrote their on-campus addresses: If you move outside the campus after graduation, update your mailing address with both USCIS through the How to Change Your Address page and the U.S. Postal Service through the Official USPS Change-of-Address page.

CPT I-20: The application system will show you a warning message when you try to leave the CPT information blank. If you did not apply for CPT, you can move to the next step.

Step 5: Check the status of your OPT application

After you submit your form, you can track its status through your USCIS account. Sign in to your account often to check your case status and read any important messages from USCIS. Applicants can also download the app:

Android users, download Case Tracker for USCIS on Google Play (Currently, the app can be downloaded on iOS devices only)
iPhone users, download Case Tracker for USCIS on the Apple Store

I have been waiting to hear back from USCIS for a long time. What do I do?

After creating an account using the guide, How to complete the online I-765 application, you can view estimated case timelines. Log into your account and select your pending application. If you e-filed or linked one of the applicable forms to your online account using an online access code, you will see a myProgress tab for their application. The myProgress tab displays the estimated wait time until their case has a decision, along with a checkmark beside three milestones as they are completed:

Confirmation that the application was received;
Biometric services appointment (if required) has been completed; and
The decision on the pending case.

Note that estimates are based on historical patterns of cases with similar specifics. They are not guaranteed, cannot take into consideration all possible unique application processing delays, and may over- or underestimate the true processing time.

Applicants will still need to visit the public Check Case Processing Times webpage to determine if they are eligible to file an Outside of Normal Processing Times service request.

Reporting Requirements

Once you earn a job position, it is your Responsibility as an OPT approved-student to update your SEVP portal and report your employment.

IMPORTANT: Students are responsible for updating the employer information on SEVP portal. When changing employers, students should edit the end date for the existing employer and add a new employer to the record. Do NOT delete the previous employer, if you would like to change employers.

How do I access my SEVP portal to update my employment?

OPT-approved students will receive the SEVP portal activation email around their OPT start date. Please note that the email will be sent out to the email address that you provided in the OPT application. REMEMBER that the Help Desk will send you important communication regarding your OPT so it is critical for you to activate your portal account and have access to the portal.

If you have any issues with accessing the portal, please reach out to the SEVP Help Desk at 1-800-892-4829.

How do I report my employment?

OPT participants are required to report employment information on SEVP portal, including:

employer name,
start date,
full-time or part-time,
employer address.

When changing employers, students should edit the end date for the existing employer and add a new employer to record. Do NOT type the new employer information over the previous employer directly.

Also, students will be asked to fill a text field, titled "Relation to Field of Study: Explain how this job relates to the degree that qualified you/or this OPT."

I did not receive an activation email or I was unable to update my portal on time. What should I do?

If your OPT request has been approved but you haven't received the activation email one week before the OPT start date, please reach out to us at [email protected].

As per the OPT Acknowledgment Form, it is the participants' responsibility to update employer information to stop the unemployment clock.

If you already passed the work start date but forgot to update the portal, we can update the employment information for you. Contact [email protected] and provide the information below. Please plan ahead as it may take 3-5 business days to receive a reply.

Explain how employment is related to student's course of study
Employer Name
Job title
Employment start date
Employment end date
Full time/ Part time
Employer address

If you have any issues with accessing the portal, please reach out to the SEVP Help Desk at 1-800-892-4829.

Employer Questions Regarding OPT

What is the responsibility of an employer for a student who is interested in applying for OPT?

Since F-1 visa holders can apply for OPT work authorization before securing the position, students face sole responsibility for applying for OPT. With this, there is no action required from the employer or the hiring organization during the OPT application process.

However, it is in the employer's best interest to review the EAD card to confirm the student's eligibility to start working through OPT per immigration regulations.

Will there be any costs associated for an employer or organization that employs an OPT participant?

No! Please note that employing an OPT participant comes at NO COST to an employer or organization.

Similarly, employers are not required to sponsor OPT-approved students as they are authorized by USCIS to engage in full-time employment after graduation unless employers are willing to provide the employment-based sponsorship to the student.

My employee has NOT yet received their Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) card. Can they begin working?

Please note that all OPT applicants are NOT eligible to begin working until they receive their physical EAD card. Working without an EAD Card is considered unauthorized employment and can result in the termination of a student’s OPT work authorization.

As an employer, the SUNY Oswego ISSS Office highly recommends that you ensure your employee has their EAD in their possession AND the "valid from date" on the EAD card has occurred.

Is the OPT participant required to complete their entire OPT work authorization duration period with the same employer?

No. OPT participants are eligible to change employers throughout the duration of their 12-month working period as long as...

the position is directly related to the course of study; and
the position requires the student to work for at least 20 hours per week.

However, OPT participants must be mindful to ensure that they are updating their SEVP Portal within 10 days of any employment changes.

Can an OPT participant work for my organization at the same time as a separate organization?

Yes! OPT participants are eligible to work for more than one organization simultaneously as long as...

the position is directly related to the course of study; and
the position requires the student to work for at least 20 hours per week.

However, it is the OPT participant’s responsibility to update their SEVP portal with any changes to their employment.

In addition, the OPT participant must be sure to work a minimum of 20 hours per week for each position and a maximum of 40 hours per week between the two job positions combined. The OPT participant is not eligible to work two job positions if this would result in working over 40 hours per week in total.

Contact ISSS

116 Sheldon Hall
315.312.5775
[email protected]