Carnegie Mellon University
Office of Enrollment Management  ›  Office of International Education  ›  Employment  ›  F-1 Students  ›  Optional Practical Training (OPT) & STEM OPT Extension  ›  Instructions For Completing Form I-765

Instructions For Completing I-765 Form

The Form I-765 has been available for F-1 students to submit electronically via USCIS account since April 2021. Electronic submission is reliable and we recommend that you use it when applying for OPT authorization.  

If you have an exceptional situation that requires you to submit a paper I-765, follow the instructions below. You can download the I-765 Form from the USCIS website and complete it as a form-fillable PDF or if needed you can hand legibly write the information in black ink.

Check the 1.a box: "Permission to Accept Employment."

#1 Name: Type or write your name as it is listed on your passport.

#2, #3, #4 Other Names Used: Leave this blank unless you have had a legal name change with an updated passport.

#5 U.S. Mailing Address: This must be an address where you can receive mail for at least the next five months into the future. Governmental Mail is not forwarded. If the EAD is sent to an address with a "forwarding order," or if you cannot receive mail at the address you used on the I-765, then your EAD will be returned to USCIS. Put both your name on the inside and outside of the mailing address mailbox. You should also put a notice on the inside of the mailbox saying, "do not return the priority mail."

#6 If your mailing address is the same as your physical address, then check yes and skip to question #8.

#7 Physical Address: Enter the address where you currently live in the U.S. – only – if it is different from the information entered in #5.

Note: If you indicate a physical address on the I-765 that is not located in Pennsylvania, then refer to the I-765 instructions on the USCIS website for which lockbox your application should be mailed.

#8 Alien #: If you have an A-Number, enter that information. If not, or if you lost this information, then you can leave this blank.

#9 USCIS Account: Leave blank.

#10: Gender: List gender as shown in your passport.

#11 Marital Status: Enter current marital status.

#12 Have you ever before filed an I-765 before:

  • Check yes → if you have filed an I-765 Form with USCIS in the past.
  • If that does not apply to you → then check no.

#13.a Has the SSA ever issued you an SSN: Check yes or no.

#13.b If you answered yes to 9a: Then enter your social security number.

#14, 15 (If you do not have an SSN) Do you want the SSA to issue you an SSN:

  • If you check no → Skip to #18.
  • If you check yes → Answer questions 15, 16.a to 17.b.

#18.a Country of Citizenship or Nationality: Enter your passport’s country – if more than one – use the one listed on your I-20.

#19.a, 19.b, 19c, Place of Birth: Enter your place of city/state/country of birth (if you do not have a state/province, then leave it blank).

#20 Date of Birth: Remember to write this in the U.S. date style format (mm/dd/yyyy)!

#21.a I-94 Number: You can find this I-94 website.

#21.b Passport Number: Enter most recent passport number.

#21.c Travel Document: Leave blank.

#21.d Country that issued your passport/travel document: Enter your passport’s country (the one listed on your I-20).

#21.e Passport Expiration Date: Enter most recent passport expiration date (mm/dd/yyyy).

#22 Date of the last arrival into the U.S.: Check the POE (Point of Entry) Stamp in your passport. Do not check I-94 "Travel History Page."

#23 Place of your last arrival into the U.S.: Check the POE (Point of Entry) Stamp in your passport. Do not check I-94 "Travel History Page."

*#24 Status of last entry: For most, it will be "F-1 Student" (*This could be different if you changed your status inside the U.S.).

#25 Current Immigration Status: Input "F-1 Student."

#26 Current SEVIS Number: Find this on your immigration document.

#27 Eligibility Categories: Fill out as follows. For summer or part-time OPT PRIOR to graduating: ( c ) ( 3 ) ( A ) skip questions #28 through #31.b.

#1.a to 2 Applicant’s Statement: Check as it applies to you.

#3, #4, #5 Contact Information: Enter in U.S. phone numbers and a personal email address.

#7.a, 7.b Certification: Sign and date the I-765 in dark blue ink. Sign within the box – do not go outside the box.

If this applies to your situation, fill in as applicable or if this doesn’t apply to you, draw a diagonal line across each page you are not completing, and write "NA" next to your line.

Note: Page 5 requires your signature – do not draw a diagonal line across that page

Complete this section only if you have been approved for CPT and/or OPT, and/or you have used a different SEVIS ID in F-1 status in the U.S. in the past. If you need to complete this section because one or more of these apply to you, please complete item 1. For each of the items listed above, complete one box in Part 6. We suggest using the following to complete the Page number, Part Number, and Item number, as this information is required specific to Category (c)(3)(C) (per the I-765 instructions, page 4):

  • Page 3, Part 2, Item 27
    • We suggest this format – see an example in the OIE Pre-Completion OPT PowerPoint:
      • CPT Authorizations:
        • Degree level (Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D.), Full-Time or Part-Time, CPT, with Employer Name: Start date to End date (You can find your CPT details on the I-20 that was approved for each period of CPT).
      • OPT Authorizations:
        • Degree level (Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D.), Pre-Completion OPT, Start date to End date (You can find your OPT details on the I-20).
  • Page 3, Part 2, Item 26
    • Previous SEVIS ID Number(s):
      • Degree level (Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D.), Program Start Date – Program End Date, SEVIS ID: N00…. (You can find your SEVIS Number in the top right-hand corner of your I-20)