To be eligible for OPT, you must: 

• Have been a full-time student for at least one academic year.
• Have completed, or are in the process of completing, final degree requirements (except for pre-completion OPT).
• Be in F-1 status at the time of application.

You are not eligible to apply for OPT if: 

• You have previously applied for, and been subsequently granted, 12 months of OPT at the same degree level,* or
• You have used 365+ days of full-time CPT.

You must be physically present in the U.S. to apply for OPT

Attempts to recover unused OPT are generally not possible. 

• Earliest Date to Apply: 90 days before your degree program completion date.
• Latest Date to Apply: 60 days after your program completion date. (Not recommended)

To calculate your application window, you can use an online date calculator.

Your OPT Recommendation Form I-20 is valid for only 30 days from the issuance date. 

• When you apply for OPT, you will need to choose your OPT start date.
• Your OPT start date can be any day during your 60-day grace period, from the day after your Form I-20 end date, to as late as 60 days after your Form I-20 end date.  
• You can use a simple date calculator to figure out the latest possible start date based on your Form I-20 end date.
  • Example: If your Form I-20 program end date is August 20th, 2024, your latest possible OPT start date will be October 19th, 2024

Your requested start date is based on personal preference. Some things to keep in mind when choosing your start date: 

• Do you want to start your employment immediately, OR do you plan on taking a vacation after graduation
• Will you need additional time to find a job, OR do you have a job that wants you to start as soon as possible? (Note: you do not need to start employment exactly on your EAD start date. You have 90 days of unemployment during OPT. See below section entitled "Employment and Reporting Requirements...")
• Major U.S. holidays and weekends.  Generally, students choose a Monday (or a weekday) for their OPT start date and avoid beginning around major U.S. holidays, such as Christmas or Thanksgiving. Most companies have employees start on a Monday, and do not hire around major holidays.

STEP 1: Read the information on this page carefully and attend an OPT Information Session to understand the complete OPT application process.  

STEP 2:  Apply for program completion in Workday and make sure that the program completion date on your Form I-20 is the same as your program completion date in Workday.  

STEP 3:  Pay the Bentley I-20 Maintenance Fee of $150 and keep a copy of your fee receipt.  The fee receipt is one of the documents that must be uploaded to your OPT Request Form.  Bentley students submitting an OPT application are required to pay a Form I-20 Maintenance Fee. This fee covers the cost of maintaining your record after you have graduated and are no longer paying Bentley tuition or fees. Students on OPT have full access to CISS and all of our resources (advising, record maintenance, tax software, and more) throughout their OPT period. 

STEP 4: Request an OPT Recomendation Form I-20.  Log into the CISS Portal, naviagate to the Control Center and submit the "OPT Request."   Submit this request only once you have reviewed all of the OPT instructions and have decided on your OPT start date.   

Upload: 

• A copy of your "I-20 Maintenance Fee Receipt"
• A copy of your most recent Form I-94

This video will guide you through how to submit an OPT Request through your CISS Student Portal. 

Processing this request can take 5-7 business days

Step 5: Obtain the OPT Recommendation Form I-20 from CISS.  You will be notified by email when your new Form I-20 is ready for download from the CISS Portal.  You can then go to your CISS Portal to find and download your Form I-20.  Print out the form and review it carefully to verify that the information is correct.  Sign and date the bottom of page 1. Your OPT recommendation and dates will listed on page 2 of your Form I-20.  

DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR OPT APPLICATION TO USCIS WITHOUT THE OPT RECOMMENDATION FORM I-20, AS IT WILL BE DENIED. 

YOU MUST BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE U.S TO APPLY FOR OPT.
 
Step 6: Prepare your documents and file your application with USCIS online. For additional guidance, please review our Tips for Filing your OPT Application.

• You will receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) once you have been approved for OPT.   
• This card will contain your personal information and OPT employment authorization dates.
• Make sure that your card contains accurate information, including your full legal name.

• You will use this card, along with your F-1 visa and OPT Form I-20, to prove your eligibility to work to work in the U.S. 
  
   Please contact the CISS for assistance if your EAD contains incorrect information, or is lost, damaged or stolen.

  When your OPT is approved, you will receive an email from SEVP on or around your OPT start date that will instruct you to set up your SEVP Portal.  It is important that you follow these instructions and set up your SEVP portal to report your address and employment information. 

Expediting your OPT/STEM Application- Premium Processing 

Applying for Premium Processing allows applicants to expedite their OPT/STEM OPT application for a fee. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has stated that the expected processing timeline for Premium Processing cases will be 30 calendar days.

USCIS will accept requests for Premium Processing filed with an OPT or STEM OPT application.

You can apply for Premium Processing with Form I-907 for a $1,685 fee. This is in addition to the $470 Form I-765 application fee.

Students are encouraged to apply for OPT early within their 90-day application window and to check the  USCIS Form I-765 processing times prior to submitting a Premium Processing request.

While you are not required to have a job to apply for OPT, you should have a job during your OPT period. You are permitted 90 days of unemployment from the start date of your OPT during the standard OPT period.  Bentley University has many resources available to you while you are engaged in the job search. We highly recommend that you utilize the Pulsifer Career Development Center, including CareerEdge, Interstride, and other international student resources.

As you search for a job and speak to prospective employers, Bentley CISS offers a guide for Explaining your Work Authorization, as well as a Guide for Employers.

To maintain your status while on OPT, you must follow the USCIS requirements and procedures noted below:

OPT Employment Must Be: 

• Directly related to your major field of study
• At least 20 hours per week (if working multiple jobs, must be a combined 20 hours per week)
• Can be classified as a full-time or part-time job, internship, self-employment, contract, or temporary position
• Paid or unpaid

Unemployment Limits

• You have a limit of 90 days of unemployment during your 12 months of OPT.  If you accumulate 90 days of unemployment, you will lose your employment authorization and your F-1 status.  If you are approaching your 90-day unemployment limit, please email the CISS at GA_CISS@bentley.edu for instructions on the next steps. 

Report Your Employment and Address Information
Once your OPT is approved, you will receive an email (to your Bentley email) from SEVP (do-not-reply.sevp@ice.dhs.gov) around the start date of your OPT with instructions on how to create your SEVP Portal account.  If you do not receive this email, check your spam or junk mail folder. Please set up your SEVP Portal as soon as possible.   While you are on OPT, you must report your address and employment information.  You should create your SEVP Portal to report your employment, but you can report your employment in two ways.

• Method 1: Report your OPT employer information by submitting the "OPT Employer Update" request in the CISS Portal.
• Method 2: Enter your OPT employer information in the SEVP Portal directly.  You can use the SEVP Portal to update your employment information.
   

Other Information Updates: 
Be sure to report any of the following changes to the CISS by emailing GA_CISS@bentley.edu within 10 days of the change:

• Legal name
• Personal local address

Traveling during this time should be undertaken with some caution for the following reasons:

• USCIS may send you a request for further evidence (RFE) on your OPT application. while you are away.
• You would want to make sure you have provided an accurate and current U.S. address both to CISS and on your OPT application.
• If your OPT application is approved while you are out of the U.S., you will be expected to have your EAD in hand to re-enter the United States.  USCIS can only send the EAD to a U.S. address.

If your OPT is pending and you are still a student (before your Form I-20 end date): You can travel outside of the U.S. and return.  You must carry the usual immigration documents with you, including:

• Passport valid 6+ months into the future
• Unexpired F-1 visa
• Most recent Form I-20 signed for travel in the past 12 months

If your OPT is pending and you are no longer a student (after your Form I-20 end date), you can travel outside of the U.S. and return. You must be cautious in this scenario as USCIS may send you notices about your OPT application. Check your USCIS account regularly for updates on your OPT application. If you have issues re-entering the U.S. at the port of entry, refer to the following information from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  You must carry the usual immigration documents with you, including:

• Passport valid 6+ months into the future
• Unexpired F-1 visa
• Most recent Form I-20 signed for travel in the past 6 months*
• Form I-797 Receipt Notice from USCIS
• Proof of employment (Recommended, although not required) 

During your approved OPT period, you can travel outside of the U.S. and return. You must carry the usual immigration documents with you, including:

• Passport valid 6+ months into the future
• Unexpired F-1 visa
• Most recent Form I-20 updated with OPT Approval and signed for travel in the past 6 months*
• EAD
• Proof of employment (Recommended, although not required) 

*Please note that Form I-20 travel signatures are only valid for 6 months during OPT.

If you travel outside of the U.S. while you are on OPT and your visa has expired, you will need to apply for a new F-1 visa to return to the U.S. and continue your OPT. If you need to apply for a new visa while you are on OPT, keep in mind that the purpose of the F-1 visa is for educational purposes, and that you must prove "non-immigrant intent" and/or have plans to return to your home country once your educational objectives are completed. 

To renew your F-1 visa while on OPT, contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your home country to inquire about the visa renewal process. You may be required to schedule a visa appointment, OR you may be able to submit the visa renewal documents by mail.

You must carry the usual immigration documents with you, including:

• Passport valid 6+ months into the future
• Unexpired F-1 visa
• Most recent Form I-20 updated with OPT Approval and signed for travel in the past 6 months*
• EAD
• Proof of employment (Recommended, although not required) 

For international students, Social Security Numbers (SSN) are used primarily for tax purposes. They do not serve as proof of employment authorization, but they are needed for your employer to pay you and so that you can pay taxes. 

Some students may already have an SSN from previous on-campus or CPT employment. In this case, you do not need a new SSN for OPT. Your SSN will remain the same for all employment in the U.S.

Each year, U.S. citizens and non-citizens alike are required to file taxes, generally due April 15th for the previous tax year. While the CISS does not give tax advice nor aid in tax preparation, we do offer resources each year, including access codes to tax preparation software, to help you prepare to file.

Refer to this general information and commons questions about filing taxes as an international student: Tax Information for International Students