OPT (Optional Practical Training) lets you work in your field, usually for 12 months after each degree level.
Ask your DSO to recommend OPT in SEVIS. You get a new I-20.
File Form I-765 with USCIS (fee $470 online, $520 paper), from 90 days before to 60 days after your program end date, and within 30 days of the DSO recommendation.
Wait for the EAD card. You may not work before the start date on the card.
You do not need a job offer to apply. Your job must be related to your major.
Regular OPT: no more than 90 days without work in total.
STEM OPT extension: 60 more days, so 150 days in total over both periods.
Work of 20 hours a week or more in your field counts as employed. Track your days carefully.
Students with a degree in an approved STEM field (science, technology, engineering, math) can extend OPT by 24 months.
The employer must use E-Verify and sign a training plan (Form I-983) with you.
File I-765 before your OPT ends, up to 90 days early.
If you file on time, you may keep working for up to 180 days while it is pending.
During OPT you report in the SEVP Portal (an account from SEVP sent to your email). Update it within 10 days of a new employer, a job end or a new address. STEM OPT students also report to the DSO and do a check-in every 6 months.
J-1 students use academic training instead of OPT. Your RO approves it in writing, not USCIS. It is usually up to 18 months, or up to 36 months for postdoctoral training. Apply before your program ends.
In October 2026 the government proposed large new fees for OPT. It is only a proposal; current rules still apply. Ask your DSO for news.
Starting work before the EAD start date.
Forgetting to report a job in the SEVP Portal.
Losing count of unemployment days.
Traveling abroad while unemployed on OPT without talking to the DSO.