Optional Practical Training

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Overview

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is temporary employment that is directly related to the student’s major area of study. Students can apply to receive up to 12 months of OPT employment authorization before completing their academic studies.

WUST is compelled to follow all SEVP and DHS regulations regarding OPT and the STEM extension.

Student Eligibility Requirements:

To be eligible for OPT students must:

Have been enrolled on a full-time basis for one academic year (pre-completion) OR
Graduated (or will graduate) from their program of study (post-completion)
Attended or attending a Department of Homeland Security approved college or university.
Please remember that secondary schools and language schools are not eligible for OPT.
Not have been absent from the United States for more than 5 consecutive months.

If you do not meet all these requirements, your OPT may be denied.

When to Apply

Eligible students are recommended to apply and file for post-completion no earlier than 90 days prior to your program completion date and no later than 60 days after the program completion date.

Application Procedure

To apply for OPT, students must complete the following:

Complete the OPT Request Form available on our website.

To complete the form, you will need to collect and upload the following documents:

Copy of your Passport (must be valid for at least 6 months).
Copy of your most recent I-94.
Copy of your most recent F-1 Visa page (Visa stamp on your passport) or F1 status approval notice.
All previous CPT I20s from your current program level (if any). All pages of the I-20 must be uploaded in a one pdf format (Signed and Dated)

If you did not participate in CPT, you can just provide your active I-20.

Electronic passport style photo (2-inch x 2-inch with a white background, face and shoulders looking straight, no hats nor glasses). Make sure your photo is approved on this link. Must be uploaded in a JPG or PNG format.

Once the application has been reviewed and approved by the OPT Review Committee, the I-20 with the recommendation for OPT will be issued by a DSO.

You will be required to pay the $195 processing fee through the Finance office before approval.

Once you have the I-20 with the recommendation for OPT, you will be ready to submit your application online with USCIS.

Please remember that you cannot submit your application with USCIS before receiving this I-20.
You must also sign and date this I-20 before submitting the application. Initial OPT request I-20s are processed within 5-7 business days.
The application must be received by USCIS within 30 days of the issuance of the I-20. Please keep in mind that you must file your OPT application (I-765) with USCIS before the end date of your grace period.

To submit your I-765 online you must:

Create an online account with USCIS (If you already have one, you can use it).
Choose the “Application for Employment Authorization (I-765)” Form.
Choose “Post-Completion OPT – (c)(3)(b)”.
Select “Initial permission to accept employment”.
Follow instructions and complete the form.

Initial OPT Request Fees

$195 Application fee paid to WUST.
$470 Application fee paid to USCIS.

While your OPT application is pending

Track your case frequently by singing to your USCIS account.
If you are mailing address changes, immediately update your address through your USCIS account and by submitting the Update Contact Information request form.

Approval for OPT

As soon as your OPT is approved and becomes effective, you will receive an email from SEVP with a link to create an online account that allows you to update your physical home address, mailing address, telephone number, monitor and update your employer information. You must create the account within 14 days of receiving it and it’s optional.

IMPORTANT! Students must report all employment and any employment changes to WUST within 10 days of the change by submitting the OPT - Student Employment Verification request.

Important Things to Know

It may take up to 5 months or more for USCIS to process your OPT application
If you receive “Request for Evidence (RFE)” from USCIS that requires documents directly from WUST, you must submit the RFE request.
If your driver license is expired, you will not be able to renew it or start working until you receive your Employment Authorization Card (EAD).
You may not change the OPT start date you requested after you have filed your application with USCIS.
You only have 90 days of unemployment during the 12-month OPT period, if you exceed it, you will be automatically considered out of status.
Any questions or inquiries related to OPT, must be directed to [email protected]

Frequently Asked Questions

Once the application has been received by USCIS, it can take up to 5 months or more to receive the OPT EAD card. However, processing times are different for every student and therefore vary.

Students can choose to pay for USCIS Premium Processing when submitting the I-765 form.

No. You do not need a job offer to apply for the 12-month initial OPT authorization.

No. Once the student has graduated, they may move and search for jobs anywhere in the United States. It can be remote or on site.

Yes. Students can change their employer at any time. Any changes to employment must be reported to the university within 10 calendar days. To report a change in employment, please fill out the OPT/STEM OPT- Student Employment Verification.

When applying for post-completion OPT, your start date must fall within the 60-day grace period after your program completion date. This date is only a suggestion, so keep in mind that USCIS can change the recommended date. Your actual start date will be mentioned on your EAD card.

It is the program end date mentioned on your I-20. You can find this date on the first page of your I-20.

Yes, on the I-765 form, you will have the option to request a Social Security Number if you do not already have one.

No, once the application has been received by USCIS, no changes can be made to the OPT recommendation or request.

No, not necessarily. Students can engage in either paid or unpaid employment as long as it's directly related to their field of study and meets certain requirements.

Yes, you can work more than one job at a time while on OPT as long as you are working at least 20 hours per week per employer.

WUST is certified to operate by SCHEV. Accredited by ACCSC.

This institution is approved to offer GI Bill® educational benefits by the Virginia State Approving Agency. “GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/"