How many opt can you get

Go to this website to see which address you should use. Ask the DSO if you are uncertain. Please note that the website will not give detailed information or an estimate of when your OPT may be approved, it will just tell you if it is received or pending, or approved. Also understand that once it is approved, it can take around 10 days to arrive at the DSO. The average processing time for OPT is currently months; it could happen faster or could take longer in individual cases, so apply well in advance.

In the very unlikely event that your application cannot be granted, you will receive an explanation for the denial. Likewise, if USCIS wants you to send additional or supporting documentation before they will proceed with your application, they will send a Request for Evidence letter to your home address.

Changing employers without notifying the DSO may result in termination of your status. Students who file an application for the month OPT extension in a timely manner the DSO recommends 90 days before their existing OPT expires will be able to continue employment while the extension application is pending until a final decision is made on the I OR for days, whichever comes first. You will still need to take your expired EAD card and also obtain a new travel signature from the DSO before you leave, a letter from your employer indicating you are still employed there, and proof of your OPT STEM extension application.

In order to re-enter the U. You should also carry a letter from your employer confirming you are or will be employed there under Optional Practical Training. Changes to any of the following must be reported within 10 days of the event.

To report, email the DSO. For the time being we encourage students to continue to contact the DSO to update this information in order to avoid conflicting information. Starting from the date your extension begins i. You should also schedule your reminders. The check-in must be done even if there are no changes to your situation. These check-ins are in addition to reporting within 10 days any changes that occur, as detailed in the previous section.

Please be aware that Homeland Security indicates students on extended OPT who fail to submit information within the 6-month check-in period will be viewed as violating status and F-1 status will be terminated. It is your responsibility to remember to do so at the proper time. You and your employer are required to submit an annual performance evaluation each year.

The last two pages of form I will be used for this and should be submitted to the DSO; courtesy email reminders will be sent to the email address you have provided, but you should also schedule your own reminders.

Again, failure to submit these evaluations may result in termination of your legal status. During post-completion OPT, F-1 status is dependent upon employment. Students may not accrue an aggregate of more than 90 cumulative days of unemployment during any post-completion OPT carried out under the initial month post-completion OPT authorization. Students granted a month OPT extension may not accrue an aggregate of more than an additional 60 days of unemployment during the month STEM extension period.

If all or part of the 90 days are unused after the month OPT, they may be used during the month extension period as well therefore a total of up to days may be possible during the month period. If you are unemployed for more than the permitted lengths of time you must consider your OPT to be immediately and automatically canceled and your F-1 status ended. Skip to main content. These will be explained in further detail on this website: Student must be currently participating in month OPT based on a bachelor's degree or higher.

Degree must have been earned from a U. Department of Education. Must be working for an employer participating in E-Verify. Student cannot have been authorized for more than one STEM extension previously. Student has accrued fewer than 90 days of unemployment time during the current period of OPT.

The new rule does permit eligibility for degrees previously earned. For example, this could mean that a student completes regular month OPT based on a degree in Art that they just earned. As long as the work being done during the STEM extension employment is directly related to Actuarial Science, then the student may be able to apply for the STEM extension based on that prior Actuarial Science degree instead of the recent Art degree.

Degrees earned outside the U. The degree must be bachelor's level or higher. It may be necessary for the DSO to communicate with your previous school in order to get the CIP code for that program. You cannot do the month STEM extensions back to back in consecutive periods of time. For example, you cannot do one period of month OPT and then immediately apply for the second period of month OPT. You must go back to school and receive a new degree at a higher level, and do another period of month OPT before you are eligible to again apply for a STEM extension.

How do I apply for the OPT extension? How do I fill out the I? The instructions below will help clarify how you should fill out certain parts of the form. For full instructions, see the "Instructions for Form I" on the I application website. Part 1. Reason for Applying Section 1a: Check "renewal of permission to accept employment" Part 2.

So confused! You should be eligible for 12 month OPT for sure. In general, the rule is that, if you have not used OPT in first masters, you can use it fully in second masters. I just graduated 1 month ago and I started working on OPT.

And also my H1B got picked today. Hello Chinnu, I am in almost similar situation as yours. Could you please help me with an update on your situation? Hello, I completed my M. S degree in Spring and have been working ever since. I have also got my H1b approved. Working down the lane I have realized that I have chosen the wrong Masters degree and would like to go back to school again to pursue the M.

S degree that I want to work on. My questions are: 1. I applied for my OPT, but then returned to India due to family issues. Later my OPT got denied for wrong date on the check. Now I am willing apply for my second masters in Construction Management. Will I be able to use the full quota of 12 month OPT? Thanks in Advance. In case you decide to pursue Masters, then you will be eligible for another OPT.

In general, any unused time period that you have not used on OPT in your first masters can be used in second masters period. I suggest you check with the school that you plan to get the degree to double check.

Hello Kumar, Your situation is almost close to mine. What happened? I worked 2 months and left to my country. I just completed another bachelors degree. Since it is in a different field and since I got that last OPT 10 years ago, am I eligible for another opt? Jared, Well, I am not sure how it works if you have passed 10 years. I suggest you check with DSO. I might get my new I from University B in a month or so.

I am currently waiting on my EAD Card. I have also applied for a PhD and should hear back from universities by the end of next month. Ideally, I want to work three months, then after I get a new I , go home for a month and then come back in time for my PhD.

In this case, how will my OPT status work and do you think, in general, this is a safe thing to do? I heard today from somebody that if I get a new I, I will be moved from OPT to student status, and therefore will not be allowed to work anyway Then I can go back home!

Sorry for all the questions, please help! Thank you! If you are either studying or working on OPT, you are on F1 status. I suggest you speak to DSO on the automatic conversion thing. Until the school starts, I do not think it should apply.

Travel can always be tricky during OPT…. Hi, I finished my master then applied for OPT and worked for only 3 months in summer. Hey i jus completed my masters in cs and applied for opt and got approved since 2 months and i am on opt now. Now i want to do second masters again from stem feild. Will my opt get cancelled automatic ally and can i use it after 2nd masters and subsequent ly obtain stem? Whatever OPT period is left, you can use it for second masters, provided it satisfies all the requirements.

You should check with DSO at the new school you plan to apply to avoid confusions. I finished my first Masters in Electrical Engineering in December I had used CPT for internships full time in summer, part time in last semester during that first Masters.

I am currently working on H1B visa. But will I get CPT? Hi Akash I am in same situation. Since you changed your major from Electrical to CS , did you got any issue during F1 stamping? As it was same level of course.

Appreciate your response. Now I am studying another in Master Engineering approved for the Stem extension program! Should I apply for the OPT again? Any suggestions!!!! Speak to DSO at the school you are you currently studying to get confirmation. Did you get to figure out if you are eligible for OPT extension after your second Masters degree?

What are your finding? That be helpful. Let me know. But after 3 months, I returned to my home country, and find a job there.

Now i want to apply another master program in the US, can i have an opt when i graduated? Lixue, You may not be eligible for claiming back 9 months of OPT as you have consumed only 3 of your total eligible 12 months.

I suggest you check and clarify with the DSO, when you apply to the program on this. Is that true? Koushik, Technically, you should be eligible for OPT.

I suggest you speak to the DSO of both the schools, where you are planning to apply and your current school. Dont listen to friends or even me. DSO is your best advisor. Eleven years later I am doing part time MBA. Half way through my MBA, I converted to full-time with an I20 starting winter semester with one year of course work Three quarters left. I have two questions. Can I use a CPT for internship in summer, given that I was one year partime student and only six months into the program fulltime?

Thanks in advance for your answer. Regards, YK. Yogesh, 1. You may be able to capture 6 months…but, I am not sure. I suggest you check with the DSO as they will be best person to confirm that.

This is tricky as well, it varies by school. Typically good schools require that you are in program for couple of semesters before doing CPT…but, there are always exceptions based on school. I suggest you check with DSO as well on this as rules vary by school.

I finished my first masters then got OPT and finished then applied to extensions used only 3 months of extensions, then went back for a PhD now I want to not continue my PhD and switch back to a second masters, do you think I get OPT at all. Well, Usually OPT for one level of degree and it can vary. I am not sure, if you can use the OPT extensions in second masters…technically OPT is for your area of expertise…if your second masters is in the same area, you may be eligible..

I suggest you check with the DSO of the school, where you are planning your second masters to get confirmation. Ninad, It depends on the reasons for denial and hard to tell. The general idea is that, if you have not used OPT, then you can leverage in second masters. I am a bit confused because many people say that i wont be able to avail my opt for second masters and many say i will be able to avail my opt after second masters because i couldnt use the opt the first time…..

You might get it! It happened the same for me. Regarding extension, please check with the DSO. I am in the same situation, do you remember what did you wrote in the application about previously received OPT? I mean there is a question specifically stating that you need to check if you had received OPT previously.