|
Authorization to engage in OPT employment is automatically terminated
when the student transfers to another school or begins study at
another educational level.
To
apply for OPT the student must bring to the Director, Office
of International Student Services, the following items:
1.
An I-538 with section A
completed.
2.
A letter from the academic
advisor indicating the current academic status of the student and the
expected date of completion of studies. BCIS does not view the
graduation ceremony as completion of studies; completion of studies
means completion of coursework or the date the final thesis is
submitted.
The
Director of Office of International Student Services will then review the documents. If everything
is in order he will complete section B of the I-538. In making a
recommendation for OPT under SEVIS, the DSO will update the student’s
record in SEVIS as having been recommended for OPT. A DSO who
recommends a student for OPT is responsible for maintaining the record
of the student for the duration of the time that training is
authorized. The DSO will indicate in SEVIS whether the employment is
to be full-time or part-time, and note in SEVIS the start and end date
of employment. The DSO will then print the employment page of the
student’s SEVIS Form I-20, and sign and date the form to indicate that
OPT has been recommended. The F-1 student will file with the service
center for an Employment Authorization Document, on Form I-765, with
fee ($340) and the SEVIS Form I-20 employment page indicating that the
DSO has recommended OPT.
The
student will submit the following documents to:
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Nebraska Service Center
P.O. Box 87765
Lincoln, NE 68501-7765
1. $340 bank check or money
order made payable to the " Department of Homeland Security".
2. A completed I-765.
3. A photocopy of the I-94
(front and back).
4.
A photocopy of the last EAD (front and back), if available and applicable.
5.
Two photos with a
white background taken no earlier than 30 days before submission.
They should be color, unmounted, glossy and unretouched. The photos
should be the same as those used for passports. Your head should be bare
unless you are wearing a headdress as required by a religious order to
which you belong. The photo should not be larger than 1 ½ X 1 ½
inches, with the distance from the top of the head to just below the
chin about 1 ¼ inches. Lightly print your name and your I94
number on the back of each photo with a pencil.
6.
Photocopies of the
identification pages from the student’s passport.
7.
A photocopy of the visa
stamp from the passport.
8.
The SEVIS I-20.
Forms I538 and I765 are available in
the Office of International Student Services or may be obtained through the
Dept. of Homeland Security web page -
http://uscis.gov/
Download Blank I538 Form -
I-538.pdf
Download I765 form-
http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-765.pdf
Applications for OPT must be made before the completion of the
student’s program of study. They may be submitted 90 days before the
completion date. OPT must be completed within 14 months of completing
the program of study.
Students can begin their employment only after they have received
their EAD from the USCIS.
Students who have received a job offer may request expedited
handling of their application. In order to do so they must include a
copy of their job offer letter with their application. Further
instructions are available in the Office of International Student
Services.
While expedited handling may be requested there is no guarantee that
Dept. of Homeland Security will in fact honor the request.
If
you have any questions concerning employment for F-1 visa holders
please contact the Director, Office of International Student Services.
|
Office of International Student
Services