OPT Application Information

OPT Application Information

USCIS online account OPT application instructions and information

Please reference the sections below when preparing to apply for OPT.

Required Documents

The documents that you are required to upload to the USCIS online account OPT Application are:

• 2x2 photo

• Form I-94, which can be obtained here.

• Previous Employment Authorization Document. (If applicable)

  • If you do not have a former EAD, you should upload a copy of the photo page of your passport here.

• I-20s with former CPT or OPT details, if applicable. You should include previous degree level CPT and OPT here if available. If you do not have these documents available, see “Additional Information” below.

• Form I-20

  • This is the I-20 you will receive from ISS at the time of your OPT meeting. DO NOT upload a previous I-20 without an OPT recommendation from the last 30 days on page 2. The I-20 must be signed by an ISS advisor and by you. You can use a digital or handwritten signature.

Step-by-Step Instructions for My.USCIS.gov

Please follow these steps when applying for Post-completion OPT in the USCIS online account:

• Log in to my.uscis.gov and create an account by hovering over "Sign In" and clicking on "Create Account"

• Once you have logged in to your USCIS online account, click on the "My USCIS" option/image

• Select "File a form online"

• Select "Application for Employment Authorization (I-765)"

• Review the information on the next two pages about the application and security, and then click "Start"

• For "What is your eligibility category?"

  • Select Post-completion OPT, Category C3B

• For "Reason for applying"

  • Select Initial permission to accept employment

• Have you previously filed Form I-765?

  • Check No if you have not previously applied for work authorization with an I-765

  • Check Yes if you have previously filed an I-765 (provide evidence)

• Is someone assisting you with completing this application?

  • Check No 

• Complete the "About You" portion

  • Your Name

  • What is your current legal name?

  • Have you used any other names since birth?

  • Your contact information

  • How may we contact you?

  • Daytime telephone number

  • Email address

• For the question, "What is your current U.S. mailing address?" you may enter an address where you will be able to access mail after graduation or Denison's Global Program Office address:

  • Denison University, Center for Global Programs
    100 West College St.
    Granville, OH 43023

• For the question, "Is your current mailing address the same as your physical address?," select "No" and enter the following:          

  • 100 West College St. (Your residence Hall and room #) 

  • Granville, OH 43023 

  • Change the red text above to your Slayter box number

• For, "Describe yourself," respond to the following questions:

  • What is your gender?

  • What is your marital status?

  • When and where you were born

  • What is your city, town or village of birth?

  • What is your state or province of birth?

  • What is your country of birth?

  • What is your date of birth?

• For "Your immigration information," respond to the following questions:

  • What is your country of citizenship or nationality?

  • What is your Form I-94 Arrival-Departure Record Number? You can access your most recent I-94 here.

  • When did you last arrive in the United States?

  • Date of Arrival (as listed on I-94) 

    • This is listed on the "Travel History" of your I-94 which you can obtain here. 

  • Place of arrival (airport) (this is listed on the I-94)

    • This is listed on the "Travel History" of your I-94 as a three-letter code which is called a port of entry code. You can find which city the port of entry code is associated with here.

  • Status at last arrival

    • Select F-1

  • What is the passport number of your most recently issued passport?

  • What is your travel document number (if any)? (You will likely leave this section blank)

  • What is the expiration date of your passport or travel document? **Pay attention to the format on your passport as the my.USCIS.gov Portal's form is MM/DD/YYYY (month/day/year) and your passport may be DD/MM/YYYY (day/month/year)

  • What country issued your passport or travel document?

  • What is your current immigration status or category?

    • Select F-1

  • What is your Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) Number?

    • Take a look at the top left of your most recent I-20. Your SEVIS ID is listed there, and it starts with an "N." 

• Complete the "Other Information" portion of the application:

  • What is your A-number?

    • Check “I do not have or know my A-Number.”

• What is your USCIS Online Account Number?

  • Check “I do not have or know my USCIS Online Account Number.”

• Has the Social Security Administration (SSA) ever officially issued a Social Security Card to you?

  • If yes, enter your SSN in the appropriate space. If not, indicate "no."

• Do you want the SSA to issue you a Social Security card?

  • If you do not have a social security number or do not have your card, you should check “yes.” You will need to complete the required information so that the SSA can issue you a social security card.

• Complete the "Evidence" portion of the application by uploading the following documents as requested:

  • 2x2 photo

  • Form I-94, which can be obtained here.

  • Previous Employment Authorization Document. (If applicable)

    • If you do not have a former EAD, you should upload a copy of the photo page of your passport here.

  • I-20s with former CPT or OPT details, if applicable. You should include previous degree level CPT and OPT here if available. If you do not have these document available, see “Additional Information” below.

  • Form I-20

    • This is the I-20 you will receive from ISS at the time of your OPT meeting. DO NOT upload a previous I-20 without an OPT recommendation from the last 30 days on page 2. The I-20 must be signed by an ISS advisor and by you. You can use a digital or handwritten signature.

• Complete the "Additional Information" portion of the application

  • If you have previously authorized CPT or OPT, you should do the following:

    • Section: Evidence

    • Page: Previously Authorized CPT or OPT

    • Question: Previously Authorized CPT or OPT

    • Additional Information:

      • Type of previously authorized practical training (CPT, OPT, etc.) and whether CPT or OPT was part-time or full-time

      • Dates of previously authorized practical training

      • Application status (approved, denied, or withdrawn)

      • Degree Level (bachelors, masters, PhD, etc.)

      • Receipt or Card Number if known (only if you have had previously authorized OPT)

      • Example: Full-Time/Part-Time CPT Authorization Approved for Bachelor's Degree in [Major] at [Company] from [Start Date] to [End Date]

• If you have had a previous SEVIS ID number, add this information:

  • Section: About You

  • Page: Your immigration information

  • Question: What is your Student and Exchange Visitor Information

  • Add the SEVIS number and degree level.Sample: Previous SEVIS ID: N0012345678, Bachelor’s, F-1

• Review and Submit

• Review your application

• Read and agree to the “applicant’s statement”

• Digitally sign

• Pay the application fee on pay.gov

• Submit your OPT application

Post-Submission Information

Your USCIS online account will reflect the status of your application (received, approved, etc.). Copies of the receipt notice and approval notice will be added to the "Documents" section.

Please disregard any estimated processing times reflected on this portal. Unfortunately, these estimates are often inaccurate. You may also see a message indicating your case is taking "longer than usual" - this is unlikely to be the case.

USCIS advertises their average processing times here. To find the most recently released information, follow these steps:

• Select "I-765 | Application for Employment Authorization" from the "Form" dropdown.

• In the "Form Category" dropdown, select "Based on a request by a qualified F-1 academic student [(c)(3)]"

• For "Field Office or Service Center," select "Potomac Service Center"

• Click "Get Processing Time"

In the past couple of years, average times have often been in the 2-3 month range. Unless your case is well beyond that (4-5 months since applying), it's likely your application is processing normally. The Processing Times site linked above includes a way for you to check whether or case is considered "outside of normal" and therefore eligible for you to file a Case Inquiry.

Should you decide that you would prefer not to wait for your case to continue processing along the normal timeline, you may file Form I-901 to request Premium Processing. This is completed in the USCIS online account, and results in a decision from USCIS within 30 days (often less than the full 30).

EAD card production is only requested after the OPT has been approved. It is not unusual for cards to take 1-2 weeks to arrive after an approval notice is received in the mail. USCIS will provide the USPS tracking number for the card in your USCIS online account.

Health Insurance

We highly recommend that international students currently on OPT or STEM OPT work authorization maintain active medical insurance coverage while living and working in the United States. Health care in the U.S. can be extremely costly, and having a comprehensive insurance plan helps protect against unexpected medical expenses. You will first want to check with your employer to see if your position is eligible for medical insurance benefits. If not, two insurance providers that many international students have successfully used are ISO and GeoBlue. You can explore plan options and enroll directly through their websites: ISO OPT Plans and GeoBlue for Inbound International Travelers. We encourage students to review each provider's offerings carefully to choose the plan that best fits their needs.