NYU Silver OPT, Licensing, & Job Searching FAQ for International Students

You can start applying for your OPT 90 days before either your proposed employment start date if you are applying for pre-completion OPT or 90 days before your program completion date if you are applying for post-completion OPT. You will first need to apply for your OPT I-20 with OGS which can take up to two weeks. OGS handles all NYU OPT applications and works as fast as possible to issue OPT I-20s. If your I-20 is ready before the 2 weeks processing time, we will let you know. Once you apply for the EAD with the US government it can take 3-5 months for them to reply. Check the US government processing times. [You must select "I-765" for form type. For Field Office or Service Center, most of our students' applications go to the Potomac Service Center.]

It is best to plan ahead and apply as early as possible because the US government only rarely expedites applications (see USCIS expedite criteria). For December graduates, that means you should apply by mid September; for May graduates, by mid February. By applying early, you can avoid the risks that come from an OPT request being denied after the grace period has ended. In addition, delaying your application will not allow you to stay longer in the US.

You do not need a job offer at the time you apply.

It is important to carefully select the dates you request for your OPT because you will not be able to change these dates after you apply. If you are applying for pre-completion OPT, you should select the date that is your desired start date of employment. Keep in mind that it can take up to 3 months before you will be able to start working. If you are applying for post-completion OPT, your start date should be one to sixty days after your completion date.

For example, if your completion date is May 20, your OPT can start anywhere from May 21 at the earliest and July 18 at the latest. However, if you think it will be challenging to find a job, you should select a later start date to ensure you do not waste your OPT time. Keep in mind if you find a job before this date, you won’t be able to start working until you have the EAD card in hand and the OPT period has begun.

Once your OPT begins--see the start date as listed on your Employment Authorization Document (EAD), the card you’ll receive once your OPT is approved--you have a total of 90 days of unemployment during your OPT. If you cannot find a job within 90 days of the start of your OPT, then you must make plans to depart the US immediately or change to some other status in the US. Keep in mind that the 90 days of unemployment is for the entire OPT period. This means that if you use up 60 days of unemployment time looking for a job in the beginning, you only have 30 days of unemployment time for the remainder of your OPT period. You can also review the government's policy guidance on OPT.

Your job should be directly related to your NYU major. In other words, you must be able to make a strong connection between your job and what you studied at NYU. If you can’t make that connection, then you should not be working at that job for OPT.

Often a job posting or advertisement will include the kinds of degrees the employer believes will be well suited to the advertised position. Having a copy of that job ad is helpful for your documentation that the job is connected to what you studied. You can also get a letter from your job supervisor indicating how your degree is essential for your position. It helps to keep copies of these documents so that if the US government ever wanted to see proof of how you were keeping your status legal while on OPT, you would have easy and ready proof to provide to them. You can also review the government's policy guidance on OPT.

Please also see our information on post-completion OPT employment types.

Can I have more than one employer while on OPT?

Remember, your OPT is not linked to one employer; this means that you can have more than one employer while on OPT as long as every job you have is directly related to your major. You can also review the government's policy guidance on OPT.

Is there a limit for how many hours I can work on OPT?

There is no limit as to how many hours you can work. You can also review the government's policy guidance on OPT. You should work at least 20 hours a week in total to avoid accruing unemployment days. Any and all employment must be directly related to your major field of study.

Remember, your OPT is not linked to one employer; this means that you can have more than one employer while on OPT as long as every job you have is directly related to your major. You can also review the government's policy guidance on OPT.

There is no limit as to how many hours you can work. You can also review the government's policy guidance on OPT. You should work at least 20 hours a week in total to avoid accruing unemployment days. Any and all employment must be directly related to your major field of study.

Licensure requirements vary among states and are determined by your state’s licensing board or agency. In some states, you don’t need a license to work as a social worker in a limited capacity. However, there may be restrictions on your scope of practice, and you might not be able to professionally identify yourself as a social worker. Moreover, certain fields of practice may require a license for employment.

The licensing application process varies depending on the state, but generally can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Research the requirements for the state you are applying for licensure in as early as possible to prepare and gather any materials needed to complete the application process.

Do I need a social security number to apply for a license?

Depending on the state you are applying for licensure in, you may be able to skip the question regarding social security number when applying. For example, in New York, you are not required to answer this question on the licensure application.

When registering for the licensure exam, which is a requirement for licensure in most states, ASWB does ask for a social security number on the online registration form. As advised by ASWB, if a student does not have a social security number, they would need to mail in a registration form instead of registering online.

As part of your OPT application, you may apply for a Social Security Number (SSN). If you apply for the SSN as part of your I-765 application, you will receive the SSN card about 2 weeks after you receive your EAD.

How do I apply for a license?

Different states have different requirements. For the Tri State area, review our licensing guide or utilize our licensure support form. For information on applying for licensure in other states, visit this link. 

Do licenses transfer between states/countries?

Licenses do not transfer. You will have to apply and fulfill the specific requirements for the state you plan to practice in. However, you do not need to take the exam more than once. You can transfer your exam score for a fee of $40.

Can I have licenses in more than one state?

You must apply for licensure in each state where you plan to work. You can have licenses in multiple states. However, you must apply for and maintain each of your licenses, which may have different requirements depending on the state.

Depending on the state you are applying for licensure in, you may be able to skip the question regarding social security number when applying. For example, in New York, you are not required to answer this question on the licensure application.

When registering for the licensure exam, which is a requirement for licensure in most states, ASWB does ask for a social security number on the online registration form. As advised by ASWB, if a student does not have a social security number, they would need to mail in a registration form instead of registering online.

As part of your OPT application, you may apply for a Social Security Number (SSN). If you apply for the SSN as part of your I-765 application, you will receive the SSN card about 2 weeks after you receive your EAD.

Different states have different requirements. For the Tri State area, review our licensing guide or utilize our licensure support form. For information on applying for licensure in other states, visit this link. 

Do licenses transfer between states/countries?

Licenses do not transfer. You will have to apply and fulfill the specific requirements for the state you plan to practice in. However, you do not need to take the exam more than once. You can transfer your exam score for a fee of $40.

Can I have licenses in more than one state?

You must apply for licensure in each state where you plan to work. You can have licenses in multiple states. However, you must apply for and maintain each of your licenses, which may have different requirements depending on the state.

Licenses do not transfer. You will have to apply and fulfill the specific requirements for the state you plan to practice in. However, you do not need to take the exam more than once. You can transfer your exam score for a fee of $40.

You must apply for licensure in each state where you plan to work. You can have licenses in multiple states. However, you must apply for and maintain each of your licenses, which may have different requirements depending on the state.

The job search is a process that can take several months. Even before you begin applying to roles, you need to do research on agencies, make connections to gain insights and information, identify open positions you are interested in, prepare your resume and write cover letters, and much more. When you begin applying for jobs, this may involve waiting to hear anything back, going through several rounds of interviews, and going through reference and background checks — all processes that require time. If you’re applying for multiple positions, these processes can easily add up to several weeks to a few months in order to successfully land an offer. Therefore, we recommend you take these factors into consideration and give yourself ample time to plan and prepare depending on your needs, goals, and priorities.

No, you do not need a license to start job searching. You can always discuss this with potential employers as different agencies vary on their requirements for licensure. For example, while some employers are more stringent, others may require that you get your license within 6 months upon offer of employment.

No, you do not need OPT to start job searching. If you wait until you receive your OPT approval letter, you have a limited time to find a job. We recommend that you start the job search process while you are filling out your OPT application or 3-4 months before you receive your OPT EAD card. This will give you enough time to identify opportunities, apply for several roles, to go through rounds of interview processes, etc. Additionally, you can always negotiate your start date with your employer.