Optional Practical Training

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is employment authorization for employment opportunities that are directly related to your field of study.

• If you are applying for Post-Completion OPT, all work must stop after the program end date listed on your I-20.  You may only resume employment once your OPT has been approved, you have your EAD card in hand, and the start date on the EAD card has arrived. 
• You do not need to be receiving academic credit to be eligible.
• OPT is granted for a maximum of 12 months per degree level. (You can do OPT in your field of study for 12 months after you graduate from UND.)
• Students in certain STEM degrees may be eligible for one 24-month extension of post-completion OPT.
• The filing fee is non-refundable.
• USCIS must receive and log all OPT applications within the 30 days of the OPT recommendation.
• USCIS must receive and log all Post-Completion OPT applications no later than 60 days after the program end date listed on the OPT I-20 and STEM extension applications before the original OPT expires. Applications not logged by USCIS adjudicators within 60 days of the program end date will be denied.
• Once granted OPT, you must report all employment changes within ten days of the change. This may be done through your SEVP Portal account (which will be created once your OPT is approved) or UND's OPT Reporting Form which will have an advisor update your information.
• STEM students have additional reporting and evaluation requirements.

Type of OPT

You may be approved for Pre-Completion or Post-Completion OPT. Certain students are eligible to extend Post-Completion OPT if they have degrees in STEM fields.

Post-Completion OPT

• Full-time for all students during the year immediately following completion of the program
• Applications for post-completion must be submitted no earlier than 90 days before the graduation date and no later than 60 days following graduation. We strongly recommend submitting earlier rather than later.

Pre-Completion OPT

• On a part-time basis while pursuing your program
• Full-time during summer break period
• Full-time for students who have completed all requirements for their degrees except for the thesis or equivalent (may also qualify as post-completion)

STEM Extension OPT

• Students who have completed degrees in STEM-designated fields may qualify for an extension of 24 additional months. To determine if you qualify, check the six-digit code that follows your major on your I-20. If that code appears on the STEM list, you may apply for a STEM extension with an E-Verify Employer.
• See the USCIS STEM Extension Page for full details
• See the International Center's STEM Extension Information for full details about the process at UND.

Application

Before beginning an OPT Application, it is highly recommended students review or attend the UND's OPT Information Session. A recording of a recent session is available below:

OPT Information Session

To begin the application process, please follow the instructions below. You must first receive an OPT recommendation from an International Student Advisor before applying. OPT authorization is granted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and you will be required to pay a filling fee to USCIS.

After Submitting Your Application

• You should receive a receipt with a receipt number about two weeks after USCIS receives your application. You can use this number to check the status of your application
• Applications typically take 90 days to be processed, though they can take longer, especially for pre-completion OPT. Please consider this in deciding when to apply
• Expedited processing is not available
• Even if your OPT is approved, you are not authorized to work without a valid EAD card in hand.

OPT Approved

• Once OPT has begun, students are granted a total of 90 days of unemployment while on initial OPT.
  • Students who have successfully filed for a STEM Extension are granted an additional 60 days of unemployment (totaling 150 days during the 36-month OPT period).
• If you have received employment, you must report all changes, including employment, to USCIS or to the UND International Center within 10 days. You may report employment through either your SEVP Portal or complete the OPT Reporting Form.
• STEM students must continue to update their I-983. If nothing changes students must complete the form every six months to verify their information is correct.

Preparing for Your STEM Extension

STEM Applicants Only

• To apply for a STEM OPT Extension, please complete the STEM OPT Extension Application
  • Once you submit the form, an International Student Advisor will reach out to you with the updated STEM OPT Recommendation I-20 within 2-3 days.  You must wait to apply for your STEM extension through USCIS until you have the updated I-20.
• Please see the International Center's STEM Extension Information for full details about the process at UND.
• A successfully filed application for the 24-month STEM OPT extension prior to the expiration of the current EAD, permits students to continue employment until the OPT extension is processed or until 180 days has passed, whichever is sooner.
• Once your STEM OPT has been approved, you will be required to send 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24- month validation reports to the International Center.  To do this, please complete the STEM OPT Validation Report