Optional Practical Training (OPT) is for undergraduate and graduate students with F-1 status who have completed or who have been pursuing their degrees and are permitted by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to work for, at most, 12 months or up to an additional 24 months with an extension on a student visa for practical training in their field of study.
All students must complete the tutorial and certificate through Blackboard before the Office of Global Services (OGS) will accept your OPT application.
For more information regarding OPT and to begin the application process, please review the Office of Global Services OPT Tutorial in Blackboard.
OPT I-20 Application Process
- Review the Office of Global Services OPT Tutorial on Blackboard. To access and self-enroll in the course, please use the instructions found .
- Complete the OPT Tutorial quiz and save a copy of your certificate of completion.
- Pay the $100 OPT administrative fee within the ISSS request.
- Submit an "Initial OPT Request (12 Months)" within the ISSS Portal. As part of your request, you will be asked to provide your Academic Advisor's details for them to complete an electronic confirmation.
OPT Workshops
Workshops will be done virtually and in-person for the Fall 2023 semester. The dates for the virtual sessions and the in-person sessions are listed below. Please note that the same material will be covered in the virtual and in-person workshops.
Fall 2023 Workshop Schedule, VIRTUAL:
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Tuesday, September 12th, 2023 - 12:45pm - Workshop Recording
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Tuesday, October 17th, 2023 - 12:45pm - https://tinyurl.com/bdertt2r
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Thursday, December 1st, 2023 - 12:45pm - https://tinyurl.com/mpftc6sb