What Is an OPT Visa?
In this article, we explain everything about the OPT visa. Having work experience abroad looks impressive on your CV, but obtaining a work visa in the USA is challenging. The biggest obstacle is that the employer must sponsor your work visa. Additionally, you can only apply for an H-1B work visa once a year, and the process is more like a lottery than a fair application system. Fortunately, there are other ways to work in the USA!
Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a temporary work authorization designed for international students in the USA, serving as an internship opportunity in your future field of work. The program offers a great deal of flexibility, allowing you to work anywhere in the USA for one year. However, it is your responsibility to secure employment within your field of study.
Unlike a work visa, it costs nothing for an employer to hire someone with an OPT work authorization. OPT is therefore not a work visa; you maintain your F-1 student status while participating in the program.
Who Can Apply for an OPT?
There are two types of OPT: pre-completion and post-completion. To apply for pre-completion OPT, it is enough that you have studied at a U.S. college or university for one year. To apply for post-completion OPT, you must have completed (or be about to complete) a degree—at minimum an Associate degree, which typically takes two years of study.
Since OPT is designed as an extension of your studies, it is important that your employment directly corresponds to your field of study. For example, if you are studying marketing, your job should be within the same industry. You can apply for any position you want, but you must be able to justify a direct connection to your field of study.
How Long Can You Work For?
The work authorization is valid for one year. If your major is in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), you have the opportunity to extend your post-completion OPT work authorization by an additional 24 months after the first year. For other fields of study and for pre-completion OPT, the maximum work authorization is one year per participation.
You can apply for work authorization through the OPT program multiple times during your studies. For example, if you plan to pursue a Bachelor’s degree, you can apply for post-completion OPT twice: first after your Associate degree, and then again after you have earned your Bachelor’s degree.
Working Hours
With pre-completion OPT, you can work a maximum of 20 hours per week while classes are in session and full-time during breaks from your studies, such as summer and winter vacations. As a pre-completion OPT participant, there is no limit on unemployment days, since you are still considered a full-time student.
As a post-completion OPT participant, you must work full-time or at least 20 hours per week, and during the validity of the program, you can be unemployed for a maximum of 90 days before risking the loss of your authorization. You are not allowed to study while on post-completion OPT, but you can terminate your OPT at any time if you wish to return to your studies before the program ends.
Application Process & Cost for OPT
You apply through your school. As an international student at a U.S. university, you should already have a Designated School Official (DSO) whom you can contact. Your DSO acts as the liaison between you and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) during the application process. USCIS is the agency that handles OPT cases.
When applying, there is an application fee of $410, which is most easily paid through the USCIS website. Unfortunately, the application fee is non-refundable, even if your application is denied. It is important to keep the receipt, which you will then submit by mail along with the rest of your OPT application.
Planning
In your application, you can choose your desired start date for the work authorization, but you can begin working no earlier than the day after your program ends and no later than 60 days afterward. Make sure to plan your timeline carefully so that you have a job ready when the time comes. It would be unfortunate to receive a job offer too early if the employer is unwilling to wait for your work authorization to be approved.
From the time the application is submitted, the process usually takes between 90–120 days. It is worth submitting your application as early as possible to shorten the waiting time. It is also important that you have access to the mailing address you provide in your application. If there is a risk that you might need to move during the processing period, you can provide a friend’s or family member’s address.
Once You Have Been Approved for OPT
When your application is approved by USCIS, you will first receive a confirmation in the mail, followed by a physical work authorization card—the Employment Authorization Document (EAD), which looks like an ID card. Once you have received your EAD, you are free to start working! If you already have a job offer, the employer only needs to record your USCIS number, which is printed on your EAD card.
You will also receive login credentials from the authorities for a portal where you report your active employment. There, you indicate the job’s scope (full-time/part-time), describe your duties, and explain how the employment is related to your studies. If you are unsure how to complete the fields, you can contact your school representative for guidance.
When the Work Authorization Expires
After your OPT expiration date, you have a 60-day “grace period” to either leave the USA or change your status. If you want to continue studying in the USA after post-completion OPT, you need to revert your status to full-time student by transferring your F-1 to a new school or program. Your DSO at the school can assist you with this process.
Other Job Opportunities as a Student in the USA
