To be eligible for OPT, international students must meet certain requirements:

• You must have been in F-1 status for a minimum of 1 academic year.
  • If you want to do a study abroad program outside of the U.S. (for less than 5 months), you are allowed to count the time spent abroad toward the academic year requirement. (Consult with an ISC advisor before studying abroad outside the U.S.)
• You become eligible for an additional 12 months of practical training when you change to a new degree program at a higher educational level.
• Students only become eligible for Post-OPT once they have finished all substantive coursework, which does not include thesis or comprehensive exams. Students are not allowed to take courses while on Post-OPT, except if they only have the thesis or comprehensive exams to complete and are required by their academic department to enroll in 799-A, 799-B, or 799-C .

Students can only qualify for Post-OPT once they have finished all regular coursework for their degree. Students may apply for Post-OPT before or after their thesis or comprehensive exams are complete, depending on each individual student's situation. For assistance in determining when to apply for Post-OPT, please consult an ISC advisor. 

Graduate students on Post-OPT can be registered in 799B or 799C at CES but do not have to be registered in any courses (either at SDSU or CES) for immigration purposes. A student in this situation would only have to register in 799B or 799C for academic purposes so that, by SDSU policies, they can graduate at the end of the semester. 

Students on Post-OPT are not allowed to take courses at SDSU or CES other than 799A, 799B, or 799C since, to qualify for Post-OPT, they should have already completed all substantive coursework for their degree. 

Courses Replacing Comprehensive Exams

Graduate students that wish to take courses instead of comprehensive exams (ex. Computer Science) cannot be on Post-OPT because they are not allowed to take substantive courses while on Post-OPT.

They are also not allowed to take the comprehensive exam replacement course through CES alone since this does not maintain their F-1 status and academic program. They would have to either take the course through SDSU or take the course through CES and be registered in 799C at the same time.

Students in this position can maintain their program (on I-20) and are eligible to apply for Pre-OPT if they wish. 

Required OPT Application Workshop

The ISC has transitioned to virtual application workshops. Attending this workshop is required for all students who wish to apply for OPT.

At the virtual workshop, you will begin the process of applying for OPT, review your immigration responsibilities while on OPT, and have your I-765 application reviewed by an advisor. The ISC will issue you a new OPT I-20 after you request it. The OPT I-20 will be mailed to you, and you will then include a signed copy with the OPT application and documents which you will mail to USCIS. The current average USCIS processing time for OPT applications is 3-4 months; however processing could take longer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

When to Apply

• No more than 90 days before the date of completion of your program, and
• No more than 60 days after the completion of your program 

OPT Virtual Workshop Dates

Please check the calendar below to find a date and time that is convenient for you. A maximum of 10 students may attend each workshop.

• International Student Services Calendar

OPT Virtual Workshop Registration & Confirmation 

Advance registration is required to attend an OPT Virtual Workshop by 3:30 PM the day before each workshop. To request a space, please complete the OPT Virtual Workshop Registration Request form. Confirmations will be sent by email the evening before each workshop. If the maximum capacity has been reached, an email will be sent that we are unable to confirm you for the date requested. You would then need to submit another registration request for a new date.

Preparing for the Workshop

Step 1: Watch the ISC's OPT video

This video explains the OPT application process, traveling while on OPT, your immigration responsibilites, and other important information.

Step 2: Complete and gather the required documents

At the end of the workshop, an advisor will review your completed I-765 Application. Please type the I-765 Application. You can use the ISC's OPT I-765 Application Application Guide for Pre-Completion and Post-Completion OPT to complete the fields that are required on this form. 

The following documents will be used to complete your I-765 and will also be mailed to USCIS with your application:

• Copy of your valid passport biographic page
• Copy of your most recent F-1 visa
• Printed copy of your most recent I-94
• Copies of all SDSU I-20's with CPT authorization (if applicable)
• Copies of all I-20's with different SEVIS number (if applicable)
• Copy of EAD card and I-20 for that OPT authorization (if applicable)

Step 3: Set up Zoom on your device

Workshops are conducted via Zoom. You will need a camera and microphone, which are included on many phones, computers and tablets. Please ensure that Zoom is set up and functioning properly in advance.

Step 4: Join the meeting on time

Students must plan to join the meeting on time, as it will not be possible to enter after it has begun. 

Step 1: Request an OPT I-20

• Request a new OPT I-20 by completing the ISC's OPT I-20 Request Form. 
  • For Summer graduates and graduate students who need to apply for OPT, your "Requested OPT Start Date" can be any date from August 20, 2020 to October 17, 2020

Step 2: Mail the Application Documents to USCIS

After receiving the OPT I-20 from the ISC, use the ISC's Document Checklist and Mailing Instructions to confirm you have all the documents required to mail your application to USCIS.

Below are links to documents listed in the Document Checklist: 

Employment must be in a job or internship that is directly related to your major field of study on page 1 of your I-20.  If the relationship between a job and your field of study is later questioned by USCIS or another U.S. agency, the burden of proof will be on you to explain the relationship.

Types of employment allowed during Post-OPT include:

• Paid employment: You may work part-time or full-time.
• Multiple employers: You may work for more than one employer at a time and also change employers during OPT.
  • Short-term, multiple employers: Students in a performing arts major and certain other majors may work for multiple short-term employers. Keep a list of all employment with the dates, employer name, address, the job you did, how it related to your field of study, and hours or average number of hours doing the job. This list is important in case you need to provide documentation of your OPT employment or to prove eligibility for future U.S. immigration benefits. Employment must average a minimum of 20 hours per week over the period of one month in order to not count towards your unemployment.
• Contract employment (1099 employment): This is where you perform a service based on a contractual relationship. Keep records showing the duration of the contract periods and the name and address of the contracting company.
• Self-employment: You may start a business and be self-employed if you obtain and keep records of all required business licenses for San Diego/California/U.S. Your business must be directly related to your field of study.
• Employment through an agency: You may work for an employment agency.
• Unpaid employment/internships/volunteer work:  You may work as a volunteer or unpaid intern as long as it does not violate U.S. labor laws. At the end of your unpaid internship or volunteer work, ask the company for a letter that includes your name, the dates of your work, the job you did, and hours or average number of hours per week. This letter is important in case you need to provide documentation of your OPT employment or to prove eligibility for future U.S. immigration benefits. Work must average a minimum of 20 hours per week over the period of one month in order to not count towards your unemployment.
  • See below to learn about unpaid employment/internships/volunteer work on Post-OPT.
• These do not apply to the OPT STEM 24-Month Extension.

For students with authorized Pre-OPT, you are limited to a maximum of 20 hours per week of OPT employment when school is in session. You may work more than 20 hours per week during official school breaks and over the Summer.  

For students with authorized Post-OPT, it is the OPT employment that maintains your legal F-1 immigration status. It is important for you to remember the following: 

• Students cannot have more than 90 days of unemployment beginning on the OPT start date on your Employment Authorization Document (EAD). The unemployment count is cumulative.
• If a student works less than 20 hours per week, it will count as unemployment.
• Students who exceed 90 days of unemployment will be in violation of their F-1 immigration status and must depart the U.S. immediately to avoid accruing unlawful presence, which could negatively affect any future U.S. visa or other other U.S. benefit application. There is no 60-day grace period. 
• Approved vacation and time off by your employer does not count as "unemployment" if you are still considered an employee of the company. 
• There is no limit to the number of hours a student may work per week.

Students are required to report all changes in employment and personal information within 10 days of the change in order to keep their SEVIS immigration records current.

Creating your SEVP Portal Account

After your OPT is approved and the OPT begins according to the start date on your EAD card, you will receive an email from do-not-reply.SEVP@ice.dhs.gov asking you to create your SEVP Portal Account. If you receive the EAD card before your OPT begins, the email will be sent after the start date on the EAD card.

Reporting Information to your SEVP Portal

The ISC advises all OPT students to plan carefully before leaving the U.S., especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn about travel and re-entry procedures.

Students on OPT are still in F-1 status and will need the following documents to re-enter the U.S. after a trip outside the U.S.:

• Valid passport
• Valid F-1 visa
• I-20 (signed within 6 months of re-entry on page 2)
• EAD card
• A job offer or proof of employment

Be sure to bring all of these documents with you so you will have them ready to show to officials when you re-enter the U.S.

Pending EAD Application

The ISC advises you not to leave the U.S., even temporarily, while your EAD application is still pending. If you do leave, you risk being unable to return to the U.S.