To be eligible for Post-Completion OPT, you must... 

• Watch the OPT Workshop.
  
  
• Complete all credit requirements for your degree program at Rowan University, excluding thesis/dissertation requirements.
  
  
• Submit an OPT I-20 request via Terra Dotta and receive an updated I-20 with an OPT recommendation.
  
  
• Apply for and receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from USCIS.

• Employment must be directly related to your major/field of study.
  
  
• You are permitted a maximum of 12 months of full-time OPT employment authorization for each degree level pursued in the U.S. (bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate).
  
  
• You are required to file the I-765 via USCIS’s website and pay the application fee.
  
  
• Employment cannot begin until you receive approval by USCIS and your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) is in-hand.
  
  
• If the start date printed on the EAD card is in the future, employment cannot begin until that date.
  
  
• If you have been on full-time CPT for 12 months or more, you are ineligible for OPT.
  
  
• You, as the OPT applicant, are solely responsible for the filing of a timely, complete, and accurate OPT application and for carefully reading and following all instructions from the IC and USCIS. Before submitting to USCIS, carefully review the entire OPT application (including the new I-20).

The earliest date you can apply for OPT is 90 days before the program end date on your I-20. The latest date you can apply for OPT is 60 days after your program end date, also known as your grace period. It is recommended that you apply earlier rather than later, unless you are unsure if you will graduate/pass your final courses (see below).

If your I-20 end date is in the future but you have completed your course requirements, your I-20 program end date will be shortened.

Please watch our OPT Workshop for detailed instructions on the application process.

All OPT I-20 applications must be submitted via the OPT I-20 request found in Terra Dotta.

If you have doubts about whether you will graduate, do NOT file an OPT application. It is extremely difficult to withdraw an OPT application once submitted and impossible to withdraw if it is already approved. If you fail to graduate, you are not eligible to work under OPT even if it is already approved.

Do not file an OPT application with USCIS until you receive a new I-20 with an OPT recommendation from the International Center. If you file without receiving an OPT I-20, your application will be denied by USCIS.

File the complete OPT application with USCIS within 30 days after the date the DSO issued the OPT recommendation, or before the end of your 60-day grace period, whichever is sooner. If you file your I-765 more than 30 days after receiving your OPT recommendation I-20, or after the 60-day grace period, your application will be denied by USCIS.

If you leave the U.S. during the 60-day grace period after completing your degree program and did not apply for OPT, your OPT eligibility will end.

You are required to be employed in your field of study during OPT, and you are required to submit employer information to the International Center to update your SEVIS record and provide you with a new I-20. The maximum period of unemployment is 90 days and begins counting down from your EAD start date. If your OPT is not approved by the date you requested, it will be approved to start at a later date and the unemployment clock will not start until the approved start date.

It is recommended that you keep personal records of all your employment. In the future, you may be asked to provide proof that your employment during OPT was in your field of study, proof of start and end dates of employment, number of hours worked, etc.

Whenever you gain new employment, or if your current employment changes, you must submit an update to the International Center within 10 days! This can be done via the Terra Dotta OPT Employer Update request.

You are also required to maintain up-to-date physical and mailing address information via Self-Service Banner. All changes of address must be reported via Self-Service Banner within 10 days.

On OPT, your job MUST be related to your field of study. Full-time employment for OPT purposes is 20 hours or more per week – it does not matter if your offer letter says part-time, so long as you are working 20 hours or more weekly.

The following types of employment are allowed on Post-Completion OPT:

• Any paid work
• Unpaid work
• Internships
• Self-employment
• Starting your own business
• Gig work
• Freelancing
• Work for hire
• Contract work

Traveling abroad while your OPT application is pending with USCIS is extremely risky and could result in the denial of your application. If this happens, you will be denied entry to the U.S. on F-1 status.

If you travel abroad on an expired F-1 visa, you will need to apply for a new visa. Visa applications for F-1 visa holders on OPT can be considered high-risk for denial. Please plan accordingly.

As always, you must receive a Travel Signature on your I-20 before leaving the U.S. Please request a Travel Signature 2 weeks prior to your travel via Terra Dotta.

Your OPT authorization will terminate under the following circumstances:

• You request a transfer to a new school
• Start a new degree program at Rowan
• Change to another status (such as H-1B)
• Your EAD card expires
• Your STEM Extension application is denied
• If on the H-1B Cap-Gap Extension, if your H-1B petition is rejected