Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is temporary employment, which is directly related to an F-1 student’s major area of study. Students can apply with the USCIS to receive up to 12 months of OPT employment authorization after graduation. BYU-Idaho does not offer pre-completion OPT. You do not need a job to apply. You will remain in F-1 status during the application processing.

How to Apply

In your last semester, you will apply with the International Office first by filling out the OPT Request for the semester you are graduating on Sunapsis. This e-form will open and available for you to fill out a few weeks before the semester begins, however we do not begin processing them until 90 days before the last day of the semester.

Once you have been approved and received the required documentation from International Services, you will apply to the USCIS using their online I-765 application. Do not complete the I-765 application until you have the required documentation from International Services or they will deny your application and you will have to pay the fee again ifyou are eligible to reapply. The OPT recommendation in SEVIS expires after 30 days, so you should check with International Services that your OPT I-20 is still something you can use to apply for OPT with. If it has been more than 30 days since we recommended you for OPT, please request a new OPT I-20 by filling out a Replacement I-20 Request on Sunapsis.

We have created a walk-through video of the entire I-765 application for your convenience. Please keep in mind that some answers may be different for your personal circumstances. Once you complete your application, International Services would be happy to review it for accuracy for you. The video below shows how to email the PDF to us, or you can meet with an advisor to discuss it in more detail.

Timeline

Once you apply with the International Office, it usually takes 3-5 business days to receive the approval with your documents attached. Then, after submitting the I-765, it usually takes 3-5 months to obtain approval. There is an option to expedite the processing times with Premium Processing. You can learn more about requesting premium processing here. This expedites the processing time to 30 business days or less.

We advise students not to leave the United States between their program end date and when they receive their EAD card. Such travel is considered an abandonment of your application and you may be ineligible to reapply for OPT or reenter the United States under F-1 status. Once your application is approved, we recommend you wait to travel outside of the country until you have employment and that you take a letter from your employer with you stating that they expect you to return to the United States and return to work on a certain date.

After your I-765 application is approved, your EAD card should be produced within two weeks. Your EAD card will be mailed via U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Informed Delivery. The time frame in which you will receive your EAD card may vary, depending on USPS delivery times. We encourage you to track the delivery of your card. If you do not receive your EAD card within 30 days of approval, please visit e-Request - Self Service Tools (uscis.gov) for instructions on how to submit an inquiry.

You may begin working only once you have the EAD card in your hands, and the start date listed on that card. Getting the approval notice does not make you eligible to start working. Working outside of the dates listed on the EAD card is a violation of your status.

Fees

Please see the Fee Calculator page for the current filing fee for an I-765 application: https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055?form=i-765

Premium processing fees will be in addition to the current form fee listed on the website above.

Reporting Work

Once you have been approved for OPT and received the EAD card, you can begin working on the start date listed on the card. You must report the start of your employment within 10 days of when you start. You also must report anychanges in your employment, and any address changes within 10 days of when they happen. Every 6 months you are required to submit an employment update, even if nothing has changed since you last submitted one. You can report on your OPT by filling out the corresponding OPT Employment Update on Sunapsis under the tab “OPT.”

You have a total of 90 days of unemployment for the entire time you are on OPT. This is cumulative, meaning it does not restart every time you end a job. The 90 days start counting from the start date listed on your EAD card, (it does not include the time you are waiting for application approval). International Services will email you if you are getting close and invite you to meet with an advisor to discuss your options if this expires.

You will be authorized for full-time work on OPT, so you must be working 20 or more hours per week. You can have multiple jobs on OPT, and they must collectively be 20 hours or more per week. (Two 10-hour jobs would be fine). This is different if you are on a STEM extension.

Completing OPT

You have a 60-day grace period that begins after the end date on your EAD card if you complete your OPT. You do not receive this grace period when canceling your OPT, or for running out of unemployment days. Please schedule an appointment with an advisor to discuss your individual situation if you are not completing your OPT.

You have this grace period to do one of the following:

• Transfer Schools
• Leave the United States
• Submit a Change of Status application