F STUDENT VISA--Regular Optional Practical Training
STAPLING OR CLIPPING YOUR APPLICATION
WILL DELAY PROCESSING.
Immigration defines Optional Practical Training (OPT) as employment which is directly related to your degree, but which is not a part of your academic curriculum. This training is taken after graduation. A maximum of 12 months may be authorized for regular OPT; however, you may be eligible to apply for a STEM extension, which adds another 17 months to your OPT. (Click on the STEM extension link above for more information.)
To qualify for regular OPT, you must meet all of the following requirements. No exceptions can be made.
-
You must have been enrolled full-time in F-1 status for the two previous semesters and have maintained your visa status with required enrollment.
-
Undergraduate students must have a 2.0 GPA and graduate students need a 3.0 GPA.
-
You must be applying for training that starts after graduation.
-
You must submit your application up to 90 days before the end of your current academic program or within 30 days of the last day of exams in your final semester.
-
You must have a passport valid for at least six months into the future.
- You must also attend a workshop.
To receive an OPT I-20 from ISSS, please submit the following items to ISSS. Be sure to leave NO BLANK SPACES ON YOUR PAPERWORK. If something does not apply to you, please write "N/A" (not-applicable). All paperwork should be submitted on 8.5" x 11" paper. Copies of documents should be regular-sized, one-sided and legible.
-
Request for OPT: FormsThe top three sections are to be filled out
online by you. The fourth section is to be filled out (by hand) by your GPD (graduate students) or Chief Departmental Advisor (undergraduate students). The address on this form must be your
current U.S. address.
- I-20s
Please bring photocopies of both pages of ALL forms issued to you by ODU and any other school. Do not include the middle page with all of the regulations or copy both pages of your I-20 onto one piece of paper.
-
I-765 Form
The address provided on this form is the one to which you would like your receipt and EAD (OPT card) sent by Immigration. If you will be moving, you may give a friend's address. Government mail cannot be forwarded--even if you complete the address forwarding card with the U.S. Postal Service. This form must be signed in BLUE ink and filled out online; handwritten forms will not be accepted.
-
Check
It should be made out to "USCIS" in the amount of $340. Write "OPT" in the memo section, along with your SEVIS ID number. We cannot accept money orders.
-
Copies of Your Passport & BOTH SIDES of Your I-94
The copies should indicate the following information: name, picture, date of birth, passport expiration date and most current visa stamp. Please do not include any other pages from your passport, including permanent address pages, etc. All copies should be 8.5" x 11". Copies should be clear and legible to ensure Immigration does not reject them.
-
Copies of Any Previous EAD cards.
If you had OPT at a lower academic level, you must include copies of the front of the card in your application.
-
Two (2) pictures
On the back, write your name and SEVIS ID number. Immigration will reject any pictures not meeting the following requirements:
- frontal picture with full head
- height of head should be 1 inch to 13/8 inches
- eyes should be between 11/8 inches and 13/8 inches
- no shadows, marks, splotches, or discolorations
- white or off-white background (not gray)
Once you have submitted ALL of these items, your application will be processed by the ISSS office, and, if you meet all of the requirements, you will get a new I-20 within our posted processing time with your requested regular OPT dates on the last page. Please note that the latest possible start date is 60 days after the expiration of your I-20.
Graduation Certainty
You must be absolutely sure that you will graduate when you submit your OPT application. If you are not sure, remember that you can request OPT within 30 days after graduation.
Application Status Checks
Status checks cannot be done in person or over the phone--no exceptions. E-mail requests will be responded to as quickly as possible and only once the 10-business day processing time has been completed. Please know that we are processing your paperwork as very quickly as possible.
Holds
Be sure to have removed all registration holds (including health insurance, Accounts Receivable, library fine or parking fine holds). These must be gone from your record on LeoOnline before processing can continue. Please respond to the e-mail sent to inform you about the hold once the hold has been removed from your record.
Processing Times
Complete applications (i.e. all forms submitted and holds removed) can take up to 10business days for processing once received in the ISSS office. Immigration is currently taking three full months for processing; please plan accordingly. YOU MAY NOT WORK UNTIL YOUR EAD ARRIVES.
Health Insurance
While you are on OPT, you are an F-1 visa holder, so you are eligible to continue with the student insurance you have maintained while in classes. If, however, your company offers health insurance, we recommend that you consider that as an option because the coverage will likely be much more comprehensive. You are not required to submit proof of your insurance coverage to ISSS while on OPT.
Travel on Regular OPT
Once you have sent your application to Immigration, you must have your EAD in your hand if you wish to re-enter. Do not make travel plans until you are certain your OPT has been approved (although an approval shown on the Immigration web site does not mean your card will arrive quickly; it can take a couple of weeks). Your I-20 will need a signature that is less than six months old. In addition, you should not leave the country if you have your EAD but are still looking for a job. You will need to bring a letter from your company to verify your employment; it is also advisable to bring your three most recent pay stubs if you have been working. For additional information, see our Travel Reminders. Travel signature requests take up to five business days to be processed.
New Visa
Please see the Travel Reminders forr information on necessary documentation to obtain a new visa stamp. You will get an F-1 visa as OPT participants hold a student visa.
Address Updates
While on OPT, you are still affiliated with ODU because you are on an I-20 issued by ISSS and our office endorsed your I-20 for OPT. Therefore, your visa status and ODU require that you keep the following three addresses current at all times: SEVIS U.S. address, SEVIS Home Country address and your "Permanent" address, which is usually your SEVIS U.S. address.
Membership to ISSlist
You are still responsible for reading the ISSlist listserv messages, as important announcements are made there.
Changes to Your Visa Status
If you change your visa status, a scan or fax confirming this (your I-797 or new visa) is needed to update your file.
School Transfer
Your OPT becomes invalid on the date you transfer to a different school. If you do not use your entire 12 months of OPT, you must contact Immigration via the 800 number at the bottom of your OPT receipt.
Degree-Seeking Status
You may take one or two classes as a NON-DEGREE student while on OPT; it is fine to take classes that would help your performance in your work. Should you choose to become a degree-seeking student, your OPT is cancelled.
Correspondence from Immigration
Immigration will send you a receipt two to six weeks after your application reaches their office; it will go to the address on your I-765. On it, you'll have a number you can use to check your application status. If the government needs more details about your application, they will send you a Request for Evidence (RFE), which is usually two blue sheets of paper. There is a deadline on the first page by which you must reply. Please scan (preferred method), copy or fax (757.683.6198) legible copies to ISSS so that we can be sure you submit everything necessary. DO NOT MOVE WHILE YOU ARE WAITING FOR YOUR OPT APPROVAL/RECEIPT. Immigration mail will NOT be forwarded to your new address.
Employer Information
Information about how you should or shouldn't be taxed can be found here: IRS Publication 519. Also, we have created a brochure specifically for employers who are not as familiar with OPT and employment of F-1 visa holders.
OPT Employment Updates
The OPT law changes indicate you must do several employment updates. The most critical are the updates done every six months. IF YOUR UPDATE IS NOT RECEIVED BY ISSS, YOUR SEVIS RECORD AND, THEREFORE YOUR OPT WILL BE TERMINATED BY IMMIGRATION WITHOUT PRIOR NOTIFICATION.
