What is OPT?
F-1 students who plan to work in the U.S. can apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT), a temporary employment authorization that provides an opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to a practical work experience off-campus.
- OPT is a benefit of your F-1 visa status and not a separate work visa or visa category.
- You continue to be in F-1 student visa status while you are on OPT and must abide by all F-1 regulations during your period of OPT.
- Yale remains your visa sponsor. Your employer does not need to sponsor you for OPT.
Timing Considerations
- Students are eligible for 12 months of OPT per degree level.
- OPT can only be used once per higher degree level even if you have multiple degrees per level.
- OPT must be used directly after graduation; it cannot be saved for later.
- You cannot start work until you have received your EAD and reached the start date on the card. If required to file an Extension of Status (EOS) in addition to filing for OPT, you cannot start work until both the EOS and the OPT are approved, and you have received your EAD and reached the start date on the card.
- PhD students withdrawing from the program may be eligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT) upon completion of a terminal master’s degree, if they have not previously used OPT at the master’s level. OPT can only be granted immediately following a semester where degree requirements, either courses or other requirements necessary for the conferral of the degree, are fulfilled.
- Petitioning for a master’s degree whose requirements were not completed in the same semester does not meet the eligibility requirements for OPT.
- The I-20 and F-1 record of a doctoral student who withdraws from their program to complete a master's degree will be adjusted to reflect the commencement date or the end of the final semester during which the master's degree requirements were fulfilled, whichever comes first. For example: a student that completes master’s degree requirement in the fall will have the I-20 shortened to the December commencement date (even if the degree will be conferred in May). In this scenario, the student may apply for OPT to USCIS as early as 90 days before the December completion date, or up to 60 days after the December completion date.
- Withdrawing from the doctoral program and being reclassified as Master’s student requires approval from GSAS and extensive coordination with your department and the registrar. Please consult with your OISS adviser as soon as possible if you are considering this option.
Eligibility
To be eligible for OPT, you must:
- Maintain valid F-1 student status at the time of application.
- Be enrolled full-time for at least one full academic year in the U.S.
- Be physically present in the U.S. when you submit your application.
- Intend to work or volunteer in a professional development opportunity directly related to the major field of study.
- Cannot have been approved for OPT at the same degree level from a previous degree.
Additional Considerations
- You do not need to have a job to apply for OPT.
- All work must directly relate to your field of study.
- Your employment does not need to be paid while on OPT.
- You can work multiple concurrent jobs and change jobs while on OPT.
- Students with degrees in a STEM field may be eligible for a 24-month extension of their 12-month post-completion OPT.