INTL STUDENTS: Post-graduation employment information
F-1 Post-Completion Practical Training
Are you completing your program this semester and interested in seeking employment after you graduate? You may want to apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT), i.e. work authorization in your field of study. OPT requires an application to, and authorization from the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), and can take up to 3 months to be processed.
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
You are eligible for up to 12 months of OPT following completion of your degree program. The application is a two-step process:
1. You must first apply to the ISSO for an OPT recommendation to be processed in your SEVIS record and printed on a new I-20
2. After obtaining the I-20 for OPT and application instructions from the ISSO, you must send the application to USCIS. The OPT application must be RECEIVED by USCIS before the completion date on your I-20. A job offer is NOT required in advance of application.
Application period and timing
You may request a start date of OPT authorization within a 60-day period.
The 60 days begins the day after completion. For example, if you are graduating on May 17, you can request a start date from May 18 through July 16. OPT cannot be extended beyond 12 months. The earliest you can apply is 120 days in advance of your requested start date (unless this is your first year in F-1 status. In that case, you may not apply more than 90 days in advance of completing the spring term).
For detailed information, refer to
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/isso/visa/F-1/F-1_PT_post_completion.html
