Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a benefit and extension of F-1 student status for those who have completed at least two academic semesters in the United States in F-1 status and who have earned a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from Cornell . It lets you apply what you learned in your degree program to off-campus work in your field of study. F-1 students must be in the U.S. to file Form I-765 for OPT.
Unlike Curricular Practical Training, which you can only use if you are still pursuing your degree, OPT is available to you both before and after graduation. Most students, however, use their OPT after graduation. To support services for the growing population of international students on F-1 OPT and OPT STEM extension, a service fee is charged: $150 to apply for OPT, and $250 to apply for OPT STEM.
Please review important information provided by USCIS on how to avoid OPT/STEM OPT processing delays at DHS, CIS Ombudsman Tip Sheet (revised Sept. 2023).
OPT is only available for each higher level of study. For example, you may have 12 months for a bachelor's degree and another 12 months for a master's degree. You are eligible for only one OPT per level of study (e.g. master's), even if you have two degrees.
USCIS will accept Form I-907 premium processing requests from F1 students when their Form I-907 is filed concurrently or for a pending a Form I-765 employment authorization application.
The Form I-907 premium processing timeframe is 30 business days after USCIS receives all prerequisites for the adjudication. USCIS will accept both online and paper filings of Form I-907 for these F-1 EAD applications. Please locate the correct filing at at the USCIS fee website.
You can use some or all of your 12 months of OPT during your course of study—or you can save the full 12 months for after you graduate. Here are the ways you can use OPT while you are still a student:
You can receive at least 12 months of full-time OPT when you complete a degree program, unless you used some or all of your OPT while still a student. The amount of OPT you used as a student is deducted from the allowable 12 months of post-graduation OPT.
Apply for OPT no more than 90 days before finishing your degree. If you are an advanced Ph.D. student, apply no more than three months before the end of your registered student status.
If you intend to leave the United States even for a short time after graduation, remember to apply for OPT before exiting the country. If you depart without applying for OPT, you will no longer be eligible to receive it.
You must be on post-graduate OPT to apply for OPT STEM extension. If you are a recent graduate with a degree in an approved science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) field, you can apply for a STEM extension of your F-1 OPT. The extension will allow you to work in the United States for an additional 24 months. Learn more about the F-1 OPT STEM extension.
Are you a Cornell international student thinking about applying for OPT? This video will help you get started. Watch the Getting Started video.
Your OPT employment needs to be in your degree field. While you are on OPT, your time unemployed may not exceed 90 days total. Below are the types of employment you can have during the 12-month post-graduation OPT period.
Walk through the first four steps of your OPT application with this video. Watch the Apply for OPT (Steps 1-4) video.
You will need to choose a start date for your OPT card. This is important: you may not change this date after you apply for OPT.
You are allowed to pick a start date anytime within 60 days of the end of your program (your graduation date or the end of exams). If you are a Ph.D. student, there is more leeway in determining your program end date. Please talk with one of our advisors.
Choose your end date according to your academic status:
| Undergraduate | Master's | Doctoral |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation Date | Graduation Date | Graduation Date |
| Thesis Submission Date* | Defense Date* | |
| Last Date as Registered Student* | Dissertation Submission Date* | |
| Last Date as a Registered Student |
*Note for graduate students: If you are ineligible (as per Graduate School guidelines) to register for the summer semester, your I-20 program end date will be the end of the spring semester. If this is the case, you will not be a student over the summer and will not be eligible for on-campus employment and other student benefits.
Pay the nonrefundable $150 OPT service fee (NetID login required to access). You will be asked to upload a screenshot or PDF of your purchase confirmation in the form request in Step 3.
Request an I-20 updated with a recommendation for OPT from International Services. Pay the service fee and complete the OPT I-20 request form through the myStatus portal. Cornell Tech students: Please navigate to the Cornell Tech header within your myStatus Portal to locate your OPT I-20 request form.
You must wait to receive your OPT I-20 before filing your OPT application with USCIS.
Your new I-20 will include an International Services advisor recommendation for your OPT. You will sign this new 1-20, and submit it with your application to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Request your updated 1-20 form no earlier than three months before the end of your program or your registered student status, if you are an advanced Ph.D. student, and no later than the last day of your grace period.
We process these requests and create the form in five business days.
To get your new 1-20 with a STEM extension, go to the F-1 OPT STEM extension page, and follow the directions.
You must be in the U.S. to file form I-765. Effective April 1, 2024, USCIS is implementing a new I-765 filing fee .
There two options to apply for OPT. Choose only one of these options.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) now offers online submission of your OPT application! Follow the directions on the USCIS online application portal. You will need to create an account with USCIS after choosing "File Online" from the USCIS I-765 page.
If you choose paper filing, download the I-765 form from the USCIS website. Follow these instructions for filling out the I-765 form. Important: Choose a mailing address for question 5.a where you know can safely receive mail. Do not choose International Services or a Cornell department.
Keep a copy of your completed I-765 for your records. If you want to receive electronic notifications about your application, also fill out the G-1145 form.
Walk through the last four steps of your application with this video. Watch the Apply for OPT (Steps 5-8) video.
You will need your I-94 arrival record that was created when you entered the United States most recently. You will need your passport in front of you to retrieve your record. Go to the "get most recent I-94" tab, and download the page it generates after entering your passport information.
You will need two brand-new passport-type photographs. These must have been taken within the last 30 days. Photos that you have previously used for a visa or passport are not permitted.
If applying by mail (hard copy mailing), do not cut the photos. USCIS will trim the photos to their preferred dimensions. Clearly write your name and your U.S. admission record number (from your I-94 arrival record) lightly in pencil on the back of each photo. Put the photos in an envelope and attach it to the front of your I-765.
When applying online, follow the USCIS online portal instructions to complete your submission. Do not submit anything by mail!
When applying by mail only, send all documents by certified mail with a return receipt, so that you have a tracking number and proof that USCIS received your application. You can also use a courier service like FedEx or UPS.
Send all documents to the following address:
USCIS Chicago Lockbox
U.S. Postal Service (USPS)
Attn: I-765 C03
P.O. Box 805373
Chicago, IL 60680-5374
FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries:
USCIS
Attn: I-765 C03 (Box 805373)
131 South Dearborn - 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517
I-765/I-907 Premium Processing
If you are requesting premium processing services for Form I-765, you must also file Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service.
Before you file the Form I-765/I-907 package, check our How Do I Request Premium Processing page to ensure that the requested eligibility category is eligible for premium processing.
U.S. Postal Service (USPS):
USCIS
Attn: I-907
P.O. Box 805501
Chicago, IL 60680
FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries:
USCIS
Attn: I-907 (Box 805501)
131 South Dearborn, 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517
Make sure your OPT application reaches USCIS no more than 60 days after your graduation date and no more than 30 days after the date on which International Services created your 1-20 with the OPT recommendation.
USCIS will deny your OPT application if you miss this deadline.
It can take up to three months for USCIS to process your OPT application and issue an OPT card. This card is also called an employment authorization document (EAD). Do not begin working until you receive your card. If you do, you could jeopardize your immigration status. Once your case is under way, USCIS will send you a notice of receipt (I-797) in the mail. Please read the notice carefully as it contains a lot of important information. When you have the receipt notice, you can begin to track your case status online.
If it has been more than six weeks since your application reached USCIS and your case still has not been receipted, you can email the USCIS “lockbox” at lockboxsupport@uscis.dhs.gov.
If you want to travel before graduation, you should be able to reenter the United States without the EAD card, as long as the date of your graduation is at least one month away. Read more about travel while on OPT.
Yes, you can travel while on OPT after graduation. Learn more about travel on OPT.
