Post-Completion OPT

Post-completion OPT is Optional Practical Training you participate in after finishing your degree of study. As with Pre-Completion OPT, Post-Completion OPT needs to directly relate to your major field of study.

As an F-1 student, you may be eligible for 12 months of full or part-time off-campus employment using OPT with an Employment Authorization Document (work authorization) approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Most students use their 12 months of OPT eligibility to work after they graduate, which is Post-Completion OPT.

Applying for Post-Completion OPT

1. Self-enroll in the OPT Canvas course and pass the mandatory quiz as part of the OPT request process. 
2. Submit the Post-Completion Optional Practical Training Request e-Form in the MyOIE portal to request an I-20 with a recommendation for OPT. Remember to attach the Academic Advisor (pdf) form to your e-Form submission. 
3. Apply for Post-Completion OPT authorization with USCIS. Refer to the OPT Canvas course for details. Students are also welcome to reference our I-765 instructions and our sample I-765 when preparing their applications.

Note: When you graduate, you will lose access to the Canvas course once your Andrew email accounts have been transitioned to alumni accounts (approximately three months after graduation). Plan ahead so that you have completed all necessary steps before this.