ISSS hosts chat sessions on CPT and OPT via Zoom. This is an opportunity for students to drop in and discuss their CPT/OPT questions with an International Student Adviser (ISA), as well as connect with other students who are also interested in off-campus employment. Below are the scheduled chat sessions with direct links to the Zoom room. 

Fall 2024 Dates:

Tuesday, October 29 - 4:00 pm

Tuesday, November 12 - 9:00 am

Tuesday, December 3 - 4:00 pm

Thursday, December 12 - 9:00 am

In Person Workshops

CPT/OPT 101

Learn about the CPT and OPT process, eligibility, which forms to fill out with RGlobal, procedures, important dates, and filing your OPT application with the USCIS.

• Thursday, November 21
  • 2:30pm - 4:30 pm
  • Academic Building 2400

Eligibility: Requirements

F-1 students eligible for OPT are: 

• In F-1 status for at least one academic year

• In good academic standing

• Maintaining legal status

• Authorized for less than 12 months of full time CPT

  • F-1 students who have used one year or more of full time CPT are no longer eligible for OPT

  • Use of part-time CPT does not affect eligibility for OPT

Please note that you do not need a job offer to apply for OPT.

Previously used OPT: F-1 students may only be authorized for a maximum of 12 months of full time OPT during or following each advancing degree level. If you have already been authorized for OPT at the same degree level for which you are now applying for OPT, you are not be eligible for OPT at that same degree level again. 

The highest level of OPT that can be used is PhD. If you have already been approved for PhD level OPT, you are not eligible for any other OPT at any degree level. 

Example 1: You are currently pursuing a master’s degree at Rutgers. You also previously earned another master’s degree in the US. You already applied for and were approved for OPT based on that previous master’s degree. In this case, you will only be eligible for another period of OPT at the next advancing degree level (Doctorate), if applicable.

Example 2: You used OPT at the bachelor's level in the past. You now just finished a Master's. You can apply for OPT based on this Master's because it is a higher degree level than the bachelor's, and you have not already used OPT at the Master's or PhD level. 

If this situation applies to you, contact our office before moving forward with your application: isss-students@global.rutgers.edu

Eligibility: Duration

F-1 students may be authorized for a maximum of 12 months of full time OPT during or following each advancing degree level. Part-time pre-completion OPT accrues at a rate of 50 percent (e.g., six months of part-time OPT counts as three months of the total).

Some students may be eligible for a STEM OPT extension after completing the initial 12 months. Please check with our office to see if you are STEM eligible. 

Application Process 

1. Complete the Post-Completion OPT Workshop (for post-completion OPT) or the Off-Campus Employment Workshop (for pre-completion OPT) on the RGlobal portal (under Workshops on the left-hand menu).

If you are applying for pre-completion OPT, you will need to email our office to ask for a link to the e-form group on the RGlobal Portal.

2. Prepare your Post-Completion OPT application using ONE of our tutorials:

• tutorial to apply to USCIS online (last updated July 12, 2024) OR 
• tutorial to apply to USCIS by mail (last updated July 12, 2024)

Contact an adviser if you are applying for pre-completion OPT.

WARNING - please read the entire tutorial BEFORE taking any action on your application! Do not submit your application on the USCIS website until we have given you the new OPT I-20!

3. Submit the Post-Completion OPT e-form group via the RGlobal portal (under F-1 Practical Training). These e-forms will include:

• Confirming your academic coursework/degree completion with your academic school
• Reviewing your OPT application materials
• Scheduling an optional appointment with an International Student Advisor, if you have additional questions about the process. You may instead choose to join Quick Question Advising. Our advising services are here.

4. Receive a new I-20 with OPT recommendation from our office

5. Submit your complete OPT application to USCIS

6. Wait for your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card to arrive in the mail

When to Apply

Pre-completion OPT applications can be submitted to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) up to 90 days before the proposed OPT start date. The application must be received by USCIS within 30 days of the date an international student adviser enters the OPT recommendation into SEVIS.

Post-completion OPT applications can be submitted to USCIS up to 90 days before the degree requirements completion date and up to 60 days after the degree requirements completion date. The application must be received by USCIS within 30 days of the date an international student adviser enters the OPT recommendation into SEVIS.

Once your I-20 expires (check the new program end date on page 1 of your I-20 after applying for OPT), you cannot work until you have the EAD card and the start date has arrived. The new program end date on your I-20 is your last possible day to work on-campus OR on pre-approved CPT. 

OPT PROCESSING TIMES

F-1 students who applied for OPT may face delays in receiving their EADs (employment authorization documents). F-1 students are not permitted to begin working until they get their EADs. They cannot travel outside the US and reenter without their EAD and a job offer. Lengthy wait times may result in loss of opportunities or jeopardize a student’s legal status in the U.S. In previous years, OPT applications have taken an average of 2-3 months to be processed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). 

Follow these links for more information on processing times:
-- Check USCIS Case Processing Times 
-- Contact USCIS for a status update (if your OPT/STEM application has been pending for more than 90 days)

Once an OPT application goes to the USCIS, Rutgers has no control over the progress of the application. We would like to advise all our students who are considering applying for OPT, to plan well in advance.

OPT applications can be sent to the USCIS up to 90 days before the end of a student’s coursework, and for up to 60 days after. This means that with enough advance planning, a student can apply in a timeline such that they receive their EAD card in time and can begin working according to their plans. It may also help to inform potential employers about the possibility of a delay in receiving work authorization. Finally, it is important to note that students still have legal status in the U.S. during the OPT adjudication period as long as they filed in the correct time frame.

Premium Processing is now available for OPT I-765 applications

USCIS provides the option for you to have your OPT application adjudicated within 30 calendar days from the date of request. Adjudication could be an approval, request for evidence, rejection, or denial - it does NOT guarantee you an approval.

Premium processing is NOT mandatory. This is a personal decision you need to make based on your situation. You should carefully review all information the USCIS Premium Processing webpage and the normal USCIS Processing Times webpage before making your decision. 

Need more help?

Feel free to contact an international student adviser during our advising hours or via email us with any questions or concerns.

For job search tips and resources, please visit Career Exploration and Success. 

For a further overview of the basics of OPT, please see the USCIS page here. 

Proof of Employment

When approved for OPT, an F-1 student receives an EAD (employment authorization document) card displaying the relevant validity period. Employment is authorized only after you receive your EAD card, and you may begin work on the start date listed on your card. 

Keep documentation of your OPT employment history for your own records. You might need it for future benefits applications. The immigration regulations do not specify what documents are “proof of employment”. Examples of employment documentation could include:

• Offer letter from your employer
• Letter from your supervisor on official letterhead that confirms continued employment (or internship/volunteer service)
  If the connection between your field of study and your employment/practical training is not obvious, it might be helpful for the letter to explain how your practical training relates to your studies.
• Payment records
• Timesheet/activity log for unpaid practical training experience. Please be sure to review our page on unpaid work/volunteering to to make sure you are aware of other labor laws impacting these experiences. SEVP also has a helpful page on this. 

OPT Reporting Requirements

Please Note: USCIS issued a new policy guidance on September 30, 2019, titled, “Practical Training: Determining a Direct Relationship Between Employment and a Student’s Major Area of Study”. The guidance explains that students are responsible for providing a description of how their job duties relate to their major area of study. It also provides examples of a direct relationship with the course of study. You can learn about the guidance in detail here.  

If you move while the application is pending, you MUST tell our office via OPT Data Update e-form AND USCIS directly via their Address Update options. Failure to do so can result in your card not being delivered correctly.

Using our OPT Data Update e-Form via the RGlobal portal, you are required by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to inform Rutgers Global–International Student and Scholar Services about:

• All changes of U.S. address, phone number, and email address
• Any legal name changes
• The name and address of every OPT employer you have
• If your employment with any OPT employer is terminated or interrupted, the date of such termination or interruption

There is a 10-day regulatory deadline for reporting each item on the list above. Schools are then required to report this information to DHS via the SEVIS database. Please use the OPT Data Update Form Tutorial for detailed OPT reporting instructions.

Students on active post-completion OPT will receive an email regarding the SEVP portal. However, Rutgers Global - International Student and Scholar Services asks that you continue to submit all OPT information updates using the OPT Data Update e-Form via the RGlobal portal.  You should still create an SEVP portal account to review your information in SEVIS.

Permitted forms of employment on pre and post completion OPT:

• Regular paid employment in a position directly related to the student's program of study. For post-completion OPT, the work must be for at least 20 hours per week. Students may work for multiple employers, as long as it is directly related to the student's program of study.
• Payment by multiple short-term employers. SEVP says that "Students, such as musicians and other performing artists, may work for multiple [...] employers (gigs). The student should maintain a list of all gigs, the dates and duration."
• Work for hire. SEVP says, "This is also commonly referred to as 1099 employment where an individual performs a service based on a contractual relationship rather than an employment relationship. If requested by DHS, students should be prepared to provide evidence showing the duration of the contract periods and the name and address of the contracting company."
• Self-employed business owner. SEVP says, "Students on OPT may start a business and be self-employed. The student should be able to prove that he or she has the proper business licenses and is actively engaged in a business related to his or her degree program."
• Employment through an agency. SEVP says, "Students on post-completion OPT must be able to provide evidence showing they worked an average of at least 20 hours per week while employed by the agency."
• Volunteers or unpaid interns: SEVP OPT Policy Guidance states that, "Students may work as volunteers or unpaid interns, where this practice does not violate any labor laws. The work should be at least 20 hours per week for students on post-completion OPT. A student should be able to provide evidence, acquired from the student's employer, to verify that he or she worked at least 20 hours per week during the period of employment."

A Note on Self-Employment

Students who choose to report self-employment (e.g. freelancing, work for hire, self-employed business owner) during periods of Post-Completion OPT must obtain the proper business license. When applying for future employment authorizations (e.g. STEM OPT Extension, H1B, etc), USCIS may request students who were previously self-employed to submit tax ID information, business license, and other information such as contracts obtained or work performed.

Unemployment During OPT

During the initial 12-month period of post-completion OPT, no student (including STEM students) may be unemployed for an aggregate of more than 90 days. If a STEM student receives a 24-month extension, the limit on unemployment is raised to an aggregate of 150 days, applied to the entire 36-month period during which the student is on post-completion OPT.

Unemployment days start counting from your approved OPT start date (as indicated on your EAD card). To stop accruing days of unemployment, you must report (via the OPT Data Update e-form) your employment to Rutgers Global.  

Full-time employment is considered more than 20 hours per week. Students authorized for post-completion OPT may work part time (20 or less hours per week) or full time (more than 20 hours per week). However, students will continue to accumulate days of unemployment in SEVIS when working 20 or less hours per week. 

There is no unemployment limit for students authorized for pre-completion OPT.

International Travel During OPT

• Traveling abroad between submitting an OPT application and before receiving the USCIS receipt notice, or when waiting for a STEM extension EAD (after initial EAD has expired) could result in the loss of OPT and denial of readmission to the United States

• While on post-completion OPT or an extension, regulations allow F-1 students to re-enter the United States to resume employment
• While on OPT, please note that an F-1 visa application may be a high risk application and the chances of denial could be greater than normal

For more information on travel and visas, please visit our Travel and Visa Information page.

Special Note about Marijuana/Cannabis/CBD Industry

Please note that while there have been advancements in the legalization of marijuana in some states, it is still a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act and use of marijuana in any form is illegal under federal law.

Our office therefore cautions students to be wary of employment opportunities that exist within this industry, as it can potentially be viewed negatively towards immigration. We recommend consulting with an attorney if you have concerns.

Resources:

• Unless You're a Citizen, Legal Marijuana Isn't for You

• Marijuana can disqualify you for citizenship

• Legal Colorado Marijuana Workers Denied Citizenship Over Work

End of Post-Completion OPT Authorization

Your OPT authorization ends when you start another degree program, when you change to another status, when you use the work benefit of a different status, if you have used too many unemployment days, when your EAD card expires, if an a STEM extension request is denied, or if your H-1B cap-gap extension is denied. Learn more about OPT extensions.

If you change to H1b at any time, please let our office know as soon as possible. If the Change of Status was showing on your SEVIS record, it could auto-complete.

After the successful and full completion of the OPT period, F-1 students have a grace period of 60 days within which to depart the United States, transfer to a new school or program, or apply to change your legal status (if eligible). If you are eligible for the 24-Month STEM OPT Extension, USCIS must receive your application before the expiration of your initial 12 months of OPT.

If you experience bias or discrimination at the workplace, you can use the following resources to address the issue. 

1) Contacting your employer's Human Resources department

2) General overview of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the workplace

3) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission