Forms for OPT:
The following forms (PDF files) can be read and filled-in using Adobe Acrobat. Please review and add data to the forms below, print them and bring them to the appointment. If you think you have made a mistake on the form, you can always complete a second form at your appointment.
Some sections of the forms are best left blank until your appointment (and can not be filled in on your computer.) Other sections have been set up for you to add your information prior to printing. However, you must bring the actual forms to your HIO appointment. The forms should be signed in BLUE ink.
You must provide a valid U.S. return mailing address on Form I-765. Errors in the address are the most common cause for delay or failure to obtain OPT authorization. It is advisable to use an address at which you will be able to receive mail for up to five months from the date of application. If your residential address is likely to change in the near future, it is recommended that you list your department or a friend's mailing address using the "Care Of" or "C/O" mailing format. "Mail Forwarding" with the U.S. post office, or University Mail Centers, is not permitted with U.S. Government mail, so any mail concerning your OPT application would be returned to USCIS if you no longer reside at the address you provided.
Choosing Dates for OPT:
You must complete the Date Verification Form prior to your appointments with the HIO advisor. You may choose any dates for OPT, using the criteria listed below. Often it is wise to extend the beginning and ending dates slightly because making changes to dates after the application has been entered into SEVIS may not be possible.
- For summer work, you may choose dates for OPT anytime between final exams, and the start of classes in the Fall.
- Graduating students may choose any start date for OPT between graduation ** and as late as 60 days after graduation. The work authorization period of OPT must begin no later than 60 days from graduation, whether or not the student is actually employed.
- Graduating students who have never used OPT prior to graduation will be able to choose an OPT end date that is 12 months from the start date.
- Graduating students who used OPT prior to completion of their degrees should deduct that time from the total 12 months.
** In some cases graduating students may choose the completion of all academic requirements as their completion of studies date, or the earliest start date of OPT.
Photographs
You are required to submit two U.S. passport-size photographs with your application. You may obtain these photographs before or after your HIO appointment. See the USCIS photo specifications in the link below. If you submit a photograph that does not meet these specifications, USCIS will request new photographs, which could cause a significant delay in the OPT approval process. It is recommended that you write (without damaging the photo), or attach a label with your name on the back of the photos, so that if they are separated from your application, the USCIS officer will be able to match the photos to the application.