Optional Practical Training

Optional Practical Training is temporary employment available to F-1 students. The employment must be related to the student's field of study and commensurate with the student's education level.

There are two types of Optional Practical Training (OPT): Pre-Completion OPT and Post-Completion OPT. Pre-Completion OPT is temporary employment that takes place prior to the completion of a student's course of study. Post-Completion OPT is temporary employment that takes place after the completion of a student's course of study.

F-1 students may be eligible for up to 12 months of OPT per degree level. Upon completing the 12-month OPT period, certain F-1 students may seek temporary employment authorization through the STEM OPT Extension. Eligible students receive a 17-month extension, resulting in a maximum of 29 months of OPT. Only students with degrees in designated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degree programs are eligible to apply for a STEM OPT Extension.

For more information on OPT and STEM OPT extension, please visit:

• OPT Application Instructions and Forms (Forms & Handouts)

All students applying for Post-Completion OPT are required to complete one of the following workshops:

• Workshop: Optional Practical Training
• Online OPT Workshop

These workshops are intended to provide detailed information and to answer specific questions you may have about Post-Completion OPT. If you choose to complete the Online OPT Workshop, you must submit a copy of your completion confirmation e-mail with your OPT request to ISS.

Online OPT Workshop

The Online OPT Workshop relates ONLY to Post-Completion OPT. The Online OPT Workshop will take approximately one hour to complete.

Other Resources

• Please refer to the Frequently Asked OPT Questions page to find the answers to many questions about OPT.
• The Case-Based Learning Module includes OPT-related information on various topics such as travel, eligibility, OPT application timeline, EAD card, unemployment, and extensions to OPT.
• You can search for the latest OPT related emails sent by ISS within the ISS News Listserv Archive.
• Please refer to the F-1 OPT Regulation Updates page for information about recent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) updates related to OPT.

DHS Regulations

A DHS regulation is the official federal interpretation of a US law passed by the US Congress and signed into law by a US President. Federal regulations are written by the federal agency authorized to interpret a law. In this case, the F-1 visa regulations are interpreted by a unit within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responsible for policy development. Unfortunately, unlike a law, federal regulations can be changed quickly. Good evidence of that is the F-1 OPT STEM Extension regulation change for which schools had virtually no warning and which became effective immediately the day it was published in early April 2008.

• Interim Rules on Extending Period of OPT by 17 Months for F1 students with STEM degrees and expanding Cap-Gap relief for all F1 students with pending H-1B Petitions. (4/8/2008)

An SEVP Policy Guidance is a set of explanations compiled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the unit within DHS that oversees the SEVIS computer system. A SEVP Policy Guidance is an attempt to explain the latest version of SEVIS to users. Guidelines do not replace or override federal regulations. They are designed to help explain regulations.

• SEVP Policy Guidance: Updates to Post-Completion Optional Practical Training (4/06/2009)