Students applying for Pre-Completion OPT often have three initial questions:
- Do I need a job offer to apply for Pre-completion OPT? No. Students can apply even if they do not have an offer; this is general work authorization, not employer based
- Where do I apply? Students will request an I-20 with OPT Recommendation from ISSA and file the I-765 OPT application with USCIS
- When can I apply? Students cannot file their I-765 OPT application with USCIS more than 90 days before the requested authorization start date, but students can adjust that authorization start date to allow for more USCIS processing time.
Eligibility Requirements for Pre-Completion OPT
To be eligible to apply for pre-completion OPT employment authorization at the current academic level, the student must:
- be in valid F-1 status at time of the application
- have been enrolled full-time in the U.S. for at least one consecutive academic year
- not have completed OPT at this same academic level
- have less than 12 months of full-time CPT authorization at this academic level
- be present in the U.S. when filing
Students should be maintaining full-time enrollment for the duration of the Pre-completion OPT authorization period, and all authorization dates must end before the program end date listed on your I-20.
USCIS Filing Timelines for Pre-Completion OPT
Students must ensure USCIS receives the completed application:
- No earlier than 90 days prior to the OPT authorization start date their form I-20
- No later than 30 days after the student is endorsed for OPT by the Designated School Official (i.e. the ISSA advisor).
While Premium Processing is available for Pre-completion OPT, note that USCIS does not guarantee the expedited processing will be on your timeline.
Information about the Pre-Completion OPT Application process can be found here.
Employment during Pre-Completion OPT authorization period
All employment during the authorization period must be directly related to (1) the student's major area of study listed on their Form I-20 and be reported to ISSA or SEVP Portal. Available employment types can include:
- regular paid employment,
- payment by multiple short-term employers,
- independent contractor positions,
- self-employment,
- employment through an employment agency, or
- volunteer or unpaid internships, where no labor laws are violated.
If the student has applied for full-time authorization, then they must report more than 20 hours each week; if they have applied for part-time authorization, they can work no more than 20 hours each week.
It is the student's responsibility to maintain documentation of all reported employment and report all changes of employment within 10 days of the change. SEVP recommends that the student maintain evidence for each job documenting the position held, proof of the duration of that position, the job title, contact information for the student’s supervisor or manager, and a description of the work.
More information about responsibilities while on Pre-Completion OPT can be found here.