OPT is OptionalPracticalTraining, which is an off-campus work permit granted to F-1 students by the US Immigration Bureau, so that F-1 students can apply for OPT successfully in 2-3 months. There are two main forms of OPT: Pre-Completion and Post-CompletionOPT. Most graduates need to apply for the latter, that is, Post-CompletionOPT, which refers to the OPT that foreign students apply for after completing their studies. Applicants must use it within 14 months after graduation. If F-1 students do not apply for OPT within 6 days after graduation, they will have to leave the United States. At the same time, the Immigration Bureau also refuses to accept any application more than 6 days after graduation. The graduation date is based on the date displayed on I-2. If F-1 students have found a job within the validity period of OPT, they can successfully apply for H1B work visa.

then, applying for OPT usually requires materials

1. I-765 application form with complete information and signature.

2. Two passport photos.

3.I-94 copies of both sides.

4. all copies of I-2.

5. Copy of passport.

6. Copies of all previously applied EAD cards.

7. application fee.

after preparing the above documents, the applicant needs to mail them to the US Immigration Bureau. It should be noted that since the US Immigration Service has several immigration centers in the United States, each center is responsible for receiving OPT application materials from the corresponding state. Therefore, please pay attention to the immigration center corresponding to your state. For example, if the international student's address on I-765 is in new york, New Jersey, Connecticut or Pennsylvania, please mail the application documents to the Texas Immigration Center. Moreover, according to the regulations of the Immigration Bureau, different mailing methods are selected, such as USPS and FedEx, and the receiving address of the Immigration Bureau is also different. Therefore, whether the applicant mails the materials himself or the school helps to mail the materials, the correct mailing address must be determined in advance.

In addition, the applicant should also pay attention to the fact that generally, the longest time from the receipt of the application materials by the immigration office to the completion of the trial does not exceed 9 days. If it is more than 9 days, the applicant has not received the approval notice and EAD card from the Immigration Bureau, and has not received any supplementary notice. The applicant must be vigilant. It is best to consult the immigration lawyer, contact the relevant immigration service center, apply for expedited processing, or apply for an EAD card for a temporary transition period, so as to avoid the danger of leaving the country due to omissions in the application process.

Finally, I would like to remind you that no matter what year and month the applicant filled in at the beginning of the application, he can't start work until he gets the official EAD. If you find that the start time on the EAD card is different from the start time on I-2, please consult the immigration lawyer immediately, contact the immigration bureau and submit an application for amendment.