More than a million international students are studying at U.S. colleges and universities. For many of them, opportunities continue after graduation thanks to the federal Optional Practical Training program, known as OPT, which for decades has allowed them to temporarily work in the U.S.
Both recent graduates and current international students are eligible for OPT. There were 160,627 international students participating in OPT in 2023, according to Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) data.
That’s an increase of nearly 37% compared to 2022, “highlighting the continued interest of international students in gaining work experiences in their field of study within the United States,” says Jim Hicks, acting deputy assistant director for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, a division within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that collects information on international students in the U.S.
What Is Optional Practical Training?
Under OPT, international students can work for 12 months in a U.S.-based job related to their field of study.
“Optional Practical Training, overseen and administered by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, provides international students with an opportunity to apply their academic knowledge in real-world settings, which in turn enhances their skill sets and contributes to the innovation and competitiveness of our workforce,” Hicks says.
He says students engaged in OPT help strengthen the global standing of U.S. educational institutions and foster cultural exchange.
[Read: Campus Resources for International Students.]
OPT allows participants “to engage in hands-on experience: an internship or training, or a work opportunity that complements, supplements or extends what students are learning on campus,” says Miriam Feldblum, executive director of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group comprised of college and university leaders from across the U.S.
Feldblum says that while the number of OPT participants decreased during the COVID period, “the number of OPT participants rebounded this past year, and we anticipate greater numbers this year as well.”
There are two types of OPT for students on an F-1 visa: pre-completion and post-completion. Pre-completion OPT allows international students to hold a job during their studies, permitting them to work part time while classes are in session and full time during breaks. However, experts say post-completion OPT, which allows students to work part time or full time after graduation, is the much more popular option.
International students who earn degrees in science, technology, engineering or math fields from an approved program list — and meet a couple of other requirements — can apply for two additional years of work authorization, known as the STEM OPT extension.
Here’s what to know about OPT.
OPT Program Eligibility
International students with F-1 status who have completed at least one academic year of full-time studies at a college, university, conservatory or seminary can participate in Optional Practical Training.
OPT is available for each higher level of study. So, for example, a student can apply for 12 months of work authorization for a bachelor’s degree and later another 12 months for a master’s degree. Students in training programs to learn English as a second language are not eligible for OPT, Hicks notes.
“Most recently, updated guidance has included associate degree holders as being eligible for OPT,” says Jeet Joshee, associate vice president of international education and global engagement at California State University–Long Beach.
[READ: How International College Students Can Get On-Campus Jobs]
OPT should not be confused with Curricular Practical Training, which is part of a school’s curriculum. Students “must secure the training opportunity before CPT can be authorized,” unlike OPT programs, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Students should also be aware that “one year of full-time CPT eliminates a student’s eligibility for OPT,” per the DHS website.
Application Process for OPT
International students don’t need to have a job offer in hand to apply for OPT, experts say. They can submit their OPT application first and then search for jobs as they wait for the government to review their materials.
Students must complete a multistep application process to obtain OPT work authorization. They need an OPT recommendation from their school and must submit application materials, including a Form I-765: Application for Employment Authorization, to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Students should pay close attention to deadlines. There is a limited window of time during which F-1 students may apply for post-completion OPT: no earlier than 90 days before graduation and no later than 60 days afterward, according to the USCIS website.
“The most important thing students should know about OPT is to follow the strict timelines when to file for OPT and STEM OPT extension and which forms to submit, because USCIS provides no flexibility with their deadlines,” Joshee says. “Students should work with their school DSO to file for OPT on a timely basis.” DSOs, or designated school officials, are a college’s dedicated employees for overseeing enrolled F-1 students. Applying for OPT isn’t cheap. Applicants must pay a $470 fee to file the employment authorization application with the government, according to the USCIS website.
Colleges and universities may also charge a fee to students applying for OPT, as well as a fee to mail their application.
For a detailed explanation of the application process, students can visit the DHS Study in the States website.
STEM OPT Extension
International graduates who earn a STEM degree and participate in post-completion OPT can apply for a 24-month extension. Doing so involves additional steps that are not part of the regular OPT application process.
Some 122,101 students were engaged in the STEM OPT extension in 2023, according to data from SEVIS.
Students should be aware of additional requirements for STEM OPT programs. For example, students applying for the STEM OPT extension must work with their employer to create a formal training plan — via Form I-983 — as part of their application, Hicks says.
Stuart Anderson, executive director for the National Foundation for American Policy, a Virginia-based nonpartisan policy research organization, stresses the need for international students to make sure their role is clear and that they work with employers to properly categorize their job.
“Students should be communicating with the employer to make sure they’re entering the right information, that it’s consistent with how the employer is describing the job or would later describe the job,” Anderson says.
He adds that making a mistake on how the job is categorized may cause issues later if a student files for an H-1B visa to stay and work in the U.S. after completing an OPT program.
The Study in the States website offers a complete overview of the STEM OPT extension application process.
More from U.S. News
3 Ways International Students Can Maximize Campus Life
Hidden Costs for International Students in the U.S.
10 Ways International Students Can Pay for U.S. Graduate School
What to Know About Optional Practical Training Work Authorization originally appeared on usnews.com
