OPT stands for 可选实践培训 and is a 12-month temporary employment authorization that provides an opportunity for F-1 students to apply knowledge they acquired in their programs to work experience in their major field. OPT job employment must be related to the students program of study and cannot exceed 12 months. Students can participate in OPT one time at each academic level (associate, 单身汉, 硕士或博士).

请尽早申请. 你可以在课程结束前90天申请. 你不必等待工作机会. 你不需要工作邀请来申请OPT. You’ll need a job once you are approved for OPT so we recommend if you don’t have employment when you apply you begin, 认真, 申请后再找工作. 给美国海关三个月的处理时间.S. 美国公民及移民服务局(USCIS), 再加上收集文件的额外时间, 与DSO会面并邮寄给USCIS. 在获得OPT批准之前，你不能工作.

You may submit your application to USCIS as early as 90 days before your program end date and up to 60 days after your program end date (Your program end date is the last day of your final semester, 包括期末考试周, 根据 校历). Please note that your OPT application must arrive at the USCIS Service Center within 30 days of the OPT I-20 issue date or the request will be denied. We strongly encourage you to apply for OPT three months prior to your program end date. Although USCIS will accept your application up to 60 days after your program end date, 在申请被批准之前你不能开始工作. A delayed application may result in delayed work authorization and/or loss of full OPT eligibility (12 months) due to the three-month processing time by USCIS.

请仔细阅读以下说明. Although we provide information, the OPT application is your application. We don’t approve the application or have the authority to influence the process. 如果有人要求提供信息或纠正问题, we’ll notify you of the request but it’s your responsibility to respond. Please note that if you choose to travel it could be difficult to respond to requests from USCIS about your application.

USCIS will send you a receipt notice (I-797 Notice of Action) confirming receipt of your OPT application, 指定“收货日期”和指定案件编号. Carefully review the notice to make sure your name is spelled correctly. 如果不是，请立即联系您的DSO.

一旦你收到你的收据通知, you can track the status of your individual case using the case status search feature of the USCIS website. You may use the case number on your receipt notice to check the status of your application online. It’s normal for your case status to say “initial review” for most of the two- to three-month processing period.

USCIS会批准或拒绝你的OPT. If approved, they’ll mail your 就业 Authorization Document (EAD) to you. It takes on average three to five months for USCIS to process an OPT request. You may not begin employment until USCIS approves the OPT application and you’ve received your EAD. 授权OPT日期会在你的工作许可证上.

Warning: You must report your practical training/employment to SEVP using the SEVP Portal. Students will receive an email from SEVP on the first day of their OPT authorized work period with information on how to access the SEVP Portal. It’s the responsibility of the student to enter their employer information into this government system. Students who don’t report their employer information will have their OPT authorization and F-1 status terminated by SEVP after 90 days of unemployment. Students are notified about the Portal on the first day of OPT authorized work as listed on their EAD card. A terminated SEVIS record cancels OPT authorization and requires a student to leave the U.S.

你必须每六个月向COA和DSO报到一次. 这被记录在SEVIS中，是一项联邦政府法规. 收到OPT学生信息表后, COA DSO将把您的就业信息输入SEVIS. We’re required to complete that step twice: once at the start of your OPT and once at the six-month mark. You must check your COA email during your OPT for correspondence from a DSO. You cannot be unemployed more than 90 days — at 91 days your OPT is terminated along with your record in SEVIS.

Workshops are offered each semester roughly three and a half months before graduation. 查看您的电子邮件以获取有关OPT研讨会的信息.

请携带以下物品:

• 填妥并签署的I-765表格(纸质版). Students wishing to complete the online I-765 can do so during their DSO meeting
• 护照、签证或I-797A表格复印件
• I-94的复印件
• 两张30天内拍摄的2寸x 2寸护照照片
• 过往工作许可证的副本(如适用)
• 寄往美国的支票或汇票.S. 国土安全部，410美元

请求与DSO会面. 在您的OPT会议期间，您的DSO将创建并签署OPT I-20. 学生将在提交OPT时附上签署的OPT I-20.

If you don’t have employment confirmed for your OPT then begin seeking employment opportunities. After you receive your 797C receipt form, please email a scanned copy to your DSO. 一旦OPT被批准(或拒绝), the student will need to bring their DSO a copy of their I-797A approval form and EAD card. Students will need to enter their employment information into the SEVP Portal.