For students in their final semester of coursework, we recommend applying for Post-Completion OPT ASAP. U.S. government OPT processing time has sometimes been as long as 4-5 months and OIA cannot anticipate any upcoming changes. Currently we have been seeing processing within 2 months, but we cannot guarantee that will continue.
Before you apply, you are required to watch our OPT Workshop and read the below webpage in full.
Optional Practical Training (OPT) is an opportunity for F-1 students to engage in off-campus training or employment directly related to the field of study, for up to twelve months. The application involves a first request to OIA for an OPT recommendation I-20, and a second application to USCIS (I-765) for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD).
For off-campus internships or work experience prior to graduation, we recommend Curricular Practical Training (CPT) so you can save your OPT. OIA generally recommends F-1 students use their twelve months of OPT after graduation. This is called Post-completion OPT.
This page covers standard post-completion OPT following completion of studies.
Students are eligible to apply for post-completion OPT when:
– currently holding active F-1 status
– enrolled consecutively on same SEVIS ID I-20 for the past two semesters
– in final semester of required coursework
Students must
– apply for OPT recommendation I-20 first
– file USCIS I-765 within these deadlines:
within 30 days of OIA recommending the OPT (do not wait this long)
no earlier than 90 days before the end date of your final semester
no later than 60 days after the end date of semester (do not wait this long)
We recommend applying for OPT as early as possible in case there is any issue with your application which may cause delays in receiving your approval from USCIS.
F-1 students are eligible for additional OPT when you advance to a higher degree level. For example, if you already had twelve months of Bachelor’s level OPT, you would become eligible for twelve months of OPT when you move up to the Master’s level. If you already had twelve months of Master’s level OPT, you would be eligible for additional OPT following advancement to a Doctoral degree.
Students in STEM-eligible degrees still need to apply for post-completion OPT first, as it is required to be on post-completion OPT to file for the STEM Extension.
You must choose your own OPT start date within a 60 day range. when you are requesting your OPT recommendation with OIA. We know this is a challenge for many students. But it is necessary to request a start date at the beginning of the process and your requested dates will be printed on your OPT recommendation I-20.
Options for selecting your desired OPT start date
Summer 2025 final semester
OPT start date range: 08/02/25 – 09/29/25
Fall 2025 final semester
OPT start date range: 12/13/25 – 02/09/26.
Exception CEL students: 12/08/25 – 02/04/26.
The earliest start date is the day after the end date of your final semester of required course enrollment.
Pro: earlier permission to work if USCIS approves on time
Con: unemployment clock in SEVP Portal starts earlier
The latest start date is within 60 days after the end date of the final semester of required course enrollment. This is in relation to the 60 day grace period you receive post-completion.
Pro: more time after graduation to be unemployed
Con: won’t be able to start working earlier if you get an unexpected job offer
You will also need to specify the OPT end date for your request. You should request the full twelve months of post-completion OPT which is minus one day from the start date.
Example: 02/05/2026 – 02/04/2027
What if USCIS is slow to approve? You do have the option to pay for premium processing if you can afford that. However, many students may not be able to manage that extra expense and will need to wait for standard processing time, which can vary widely.
If USCIS still hasn’t approved your OPT prior to your requested start date, your actual OPT start date will change. They will give you the OPT start date as of the date they approve it.
You can’t start working on your requested start date if they haven’t approved it. Also, your unemployment clock will not start yet, until they approve it.
If they approve late, they may give you an updated end date as well, either for the full twelve months – or if it is very late, the end date will be a maximum of fourteen months after the end date of your final semester. That is one year plus sixty days.
If you requested the latest possible start date to begin with (the last day of the 60 after the final semester), that is the final possible end date already, so they can’t give you any more in that case if they are late.
In some cases, with this maximum of fourteen months end date and USCIS long processing time, if you apply very late, you will lose some of the twelve months available.
Part 1: Application to OIA for OPT recommendation I-20
Login to the OIA Student Portal to apply for OPT. All requests are found in your Control Center (3). Within the OPT request, the question marks icon by each field will show additional instructions. The OPT Workshop video also shows you the process.
Make sure you hit submit on the OPT request and then you should be able to see the request in your Control Center. You can monitor your request status in the OIA Student Portal request definitions are on the homepage when you login.
Please allow both your advisor/approver and OIA time to approve, as repeated inquiries delay processing. Both your advisor and OIA will review your degree audit. If your degree audit shows missing classes that need to be updated, you should ask your advisor to work with the Registrar to fix your degree audit, which will need to happen before we recommend OPT.
Once your advisor approves, the request routes as “submitted to” OIA. Our Designated School Official (DSO) will review your OPT application. If approved, we issue your OPT recommendation I-20 within 5 business days. Please monitor your Pratt email for notification of “complete” status, which means your new OPT recommendation I-20 is ready for download.
Your updated I-20 will show the OPT recommendation on page 2, and the start and end date you have requested. Please check page 2 to make sure the recommendation dates are correct. The program end date on page 1 should also be updated to reflect the end date of your final term. Please proceed with the I-765 application immediately thereafter.
Part 2: I-765 application to USCIS for EAD card
Your complete I-765 application needs to be received by USCIS within 30 days of your OPT recommendation I-20 being issued.
Contact OIA@pratt.edu if you are delayed in filing the I-765 beyond 15 days to request a new recommendation. Be aware late submission will cause complete denial of the OPT without any option to fix it. We strongly recommend filing your I-765 application right away after you receive your OPT I-20.
Your I-765 application must be received by USCIS no later than the 60th day after the end date of your final semester, as listed on your OPT I-20, and within 30 days of the OPT recommendation date. We highly recommend filing earlier than this to avoid losing your OPT through unexpected delay.
ONLINE I-765 USCIS APPLICATION LINK
USCIS now offers premium processing of the I-765 if you want to pay for the approval to come more quickly. If you are interested in this please go to USCIS’s I-907 information.
To file online you should have:
– OPT I-20 from OIA (with your signature at the bottom of page 1)
– debit or credit card to pay the I-765 application fee to USCIS
– a recent passport-style photo scan, that does not match your visa or passport photo
– passport biographical page scan
– F-1 visa scanned, it is ok if it is expired
– most recent I-94
– if you previously had OPT, a scan of the front and back of your previous EAD card
– if you previously had CPT, your CPT I-20(s)
– if you previously had another SEVIS record with a different SEVIS ID number, a copy of that I-20
IMPORTANT: The USCIS Code for Post-Completion OPT is (c)(3)(b). Make sure you select Post-Completion on your I-765 application (NOT pre-completion OPT, not STEM).
The address used for your I-765 application is important. USCIS will be sending important documents there (snail mail). The documents are receipt notice, any special request for evidence, and eventually your EAD card (employment authorization document). It has to be a U.S. address but does not have to be your residential address.
OIA does not receive updates on your USCIS I-765 case, only you, so you need to monitor your case status carefully for updates.
A few weeks after you submit the I-765 application, you should receive an official I-797 receipt notice in the regular mail to the address you specified. Please check your case status online as well as your physical mail frequently in this time period.
If you do not receive the physical receipt notice, you should contact USCIS. It is important to troubleshoot why you did not get the notice in the mail, since your EAD card will be eventually also sent to you the same way. It becomes a big issue if the EAD card doesn’t arrive to you. If you need to change your address contact USCIS immediately.
Sometimes USCIS will issue a “request for evidence” which is an individual special request on your case. You will need to carefully track for this case status and make sure you read the letter that comes to you as it will have special instructions with a deadline. If you get one of these and do not reply by the deadline with the information they need, your OPT will be denied.
Travel while OPT is pending is possible if you have your I-797 receipt notice, but also comes with some concerns. Please review the ICE guidance on our main OPT Travel page.
It’s important to regularly monitor your USCIS case status to know when they approve it. That means your EAD card is in production and will be in the mail to you soon. If they were late on approving and your requested start date has already passed, this will determine your actual OPT start date and when your unemployment clock starts.
We always appreciate students telling us how long their entire approval process took so we can help advise other students. Please let us know your experience at OIA@pratt.edu and include whether you used premium processing or not.
Shortly after your OPT is approved, you should receive an email from ICE regarding your SEVP Portal activation, including checking your spam. If you can’t find the email or you need to reset your login/password, you need to troubleshoot with their listed methods to access the SEVP Portal directly.
You will need to access the SEVP Portal regularly during your OPT period, as this is where SEVP/ICE is tracking whether you are appropriately engaged in training or not. It is extremely important to access the SEVP Portal and review your unemployment clock. You need to report appropriate training in your SEVP portal to stop the clock.
Working on OPT: Do not start working before you have your EAD card, even unpaid, because that is unauthorized employment.
To start working during OPT, you generally will need to provide your employer:
– EAD card (in your hand, and the start date must have been reached)
– OPT recommendation I-20
– most recent I-94
– valid passport
On post-completion OPT, you may engage in many and multiple types of training/employment, provided the work is directly related to your program of study:
Regular paid employment: Employment for at least 20 hours per week.
Multiple employers: You work as many hours as you’d like. Remember to keep a diary of where and who you’ve worked for as well as the dates you’ve worked for them.
Payment by multiple short-term employers: Artists may work for multiple short-term employers. You should maintain a list of all employment, including dates and duration.
Freelancing or Work for hire: This is commonly referred to as “1099 Employment”where an individual performs a service based on a contract. You should keep a record of the length of each contract as well as the name and contact information for each contracting company.
Self-employed business owner: You must have the proper business licenses and you should consult with an accountant familiar with non-immigrant visas.
Employment by an agency: You must keep proof that you worked at least 20 hours per week while employed by an agency.
Volunteers or unpaid interns: You may work as a volunteer or unpaid intern provided that you are not violating any labor laws. You should also keep documentation of where you are training and a diary of when and how many hours you’ve worked.
All employment or training during post-completion OPT needs to be kept up to date in your SEVP Portal, so you avoid accruing excess days of unemployment. All new employment or training should be reported by you in the SEVP Portal within 10 days of the position start date.
You are able to have multiple employers in your record and you can update the following information on your own:
– change certain employer information, like dates of employment
– add new employers
– delete employer, if employment never occurred
– update your physical home address
– update your mailing addresses
– update your telephone numbers
On OPT, you are required to report in the SEVP Portal if any of the above information changes, within 10 days of the change.
Please note OIA Portal and SEVP Portal are two separate things. OIA Portal is for requesting things OIA can do like Early Exit (end your status) or Transfer-Out (study at another school).
OIA cannot see your SEVP Portal ourselves. Your SEVP Portal is between you and the U.S. government (SEVP/ICE). The SEVP Portal is for you to report that you are engaging in appropriate OPT training. If you have technical difficulties it is your responsiblity to troubleshoot following ICE/SEVP procedures.
Since OIA cannot see the SEVP Portal, if you move addresses or change your contact information, you should update it in OnePratt as well as reporting the change in your SEVP Portal. That way we can contact you if needed.
Students on OPT can have no more than 90 days of unemployment total during their twelve months of post-completion OPT. After the start date of your approved OPT EAD card has passed, each day that elapses including weekends, counts as an unemployment day on the 90-day clock, until you have a job or training listed in your SEVP Portal. You can see the number of days SEVP/ICE thinks you are unemployed in your SEVP Portal once your OPT begins.
We highly recommend that you do not accrue the full 90 days of employment at the beginning of your OPT. You should keep some unemployment time available as a safety net, in case something unexpected happens later in your twelve months of OPT. Unpaid training or collaborative work that is resume-worthy may be a way to “stop the clock,” provided it is directly related to your field of study.
Your SEVIS record may be automatically terminated by SEVP/ICE if your Portal reaches 91 days of unemployment. Therefore it is critical that you are accessing your Portal regularly and updating it with your employment or training information. Use the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) as a resource as needed in your job search.
If you reach 91 days of unemployment during the approved OPT period, your valid F-1 status automatically ends with no grace period. You are advised to depart your OPT/ F-1 status immediately at that time, or earlier.
Please submit the Early Exit request in your OIA Portal in that case, so that we can end your status in a neutral manner. You also have the option to Transfer-Out to a new school to study, and you should do so prior to reaching your unemployment maximum.
Due to the high cost of healthcare in the U.S., it’s strongly recommended that you maintain health insurance coverage at all times.
If you’re currently enrolled in the Pratt Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), please note that your coverage will end shortly after graduation. Make sure to check your specific coverage end date and plan ahead to avoid any gaps in coverage.
If you secure a job that provides health insurance, that’s great news. However, until then, it’s important to protect yourself by maintaining continuous health insurance coverage while in the U.S.
As an international student on an F-1 visa, you can purchase health insurance from an external provider that meets visa requirements. There are many options available from different insurance companies. Please note that the Office of International Affairs (OIA) cannot recommend a specific plan or provider.
Upon the end date of your OPT EAD card, you no longer have employment authorization under post-completion OPT.
You have a 60 day grace period after the EAD card ends, in which you are eligible to:
– depart the U.S. and exit your F-1 status
– change your status to another visa type in the U.S.
– transfer your F-1 status to a new academic program
If you are departing the U.S. or changing your status on time with the end of your OPT, no action is needed with OIA.
If you have an H-1B petition accepted and need assistance from an OIA DSO for an H-1B Cap Gap Extension, please email us.
If you have a STEM-eligible degree and wish to apply for Extension with appropriate E-verify employment, you have to apply for recommendation and file I-765 prior to the end of your Post-Completion EAD card. Please review the STEM extension process. You cannot file for STEM extension during the 60 day grace period.
Please contact OIA if you have any questions on these matters, as we remain here to help you throughout your Post-Completion period. As a reminder, we do not provide immigration advising on our reception telephone and the methods to reach us are on the OIA Homepage. Also, remember the Center for Career and Professional Development at Pratt (CCPD) remains available to you permanently as a Pratt alumnus.