Optional Practical Training (OPT)

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Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Optional Practical Training is an opportunity for F-1 students to gain work experience to complement their academic program. All F-1 students are entitled to one year of Optional Practical Training for each higher degree they receive. OPT is available to F-1 students who have been lawfully enrolled on a full time basis for one full academic year at Franklin University.

Contact OISP

Contact Information

Phone: 614.797.4700
Email: oisp@franklin.edu

Address:
Franklin University
Office of International Students and Programs
201 S. Grant Ave.
Columbus, OH 43215
USA

Office Hours

Available virtually and by phone:
Monday - Friday: 9:00am - 5:00pm

Available in person by appointment only:
Monday - Wednesday: 9:00am - 5:00pm

All times listed are Eastern Time (ET).

Schedule An Appointment

Prospective Franklin students: click here to schedule an appointment with a member of the international admissions team.

Current Franklin students: click here to schedule an appointment with an international advising coordinator.

For in-person appointments, free parking is available in lot adjacent to the Paul J. Otte Center for Student Services. Notify the Welcome Center staff when you have arrived.

When scheduling a phone appointment, provide a U.S. phone number, and we will call you at the scheduled time. If you do not have a U.S. phone number, please schedule a virtual appointment.

When scheduling a virtual appointment, provide an email address you check regularly, and we will send you a link to a Microsoft Teams meeting. View Microsoft Teams instructions.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

To engage in OPT employment you must apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD card) from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) center having jurisdiction over your place of residence.

OPT employment must be related to your field of study. You may not begin OPT employment until USCIS approves the application and you receive the EAD card. There are two kinds of OPT, which have different requirements:

Pre-completion OPT is done while you pursue your degree
Post-completion OPT is done after you graduate. Note: Graduates of certain STEM programs are eligible for a 12-month extension of post-completion OPT.

To be eligible for either of the OPT options, you must:

Have been lawfully enrolled on a full-time, face-to-face basis for one full academic year (two terms)
Be currently maintaining F-1 status
Plan to work in a field directly related to your major area of study, which can be volunteer related
Not have previously completed 12 months or more of OPT at your current degree level

For pre-completion OPT, you must:

Continue to maintain F-1 status by enrolling full time, unless you are on your approved break term
Plan to work part time (up to 20 hours per week) while school is in session or full time (more than 20 hours per week) during your approved break term
Note, pre-completion OPT does take away from your post-completion OPT time

For post-completion OPT, you must:

Apply no more than 90 days before the end of your program (your graduation date) and before the end of your grace period (60 days after you complete your program)
Plan to work full-time (more than 20 hours per week) in a job related to the program of study listed on your I-20

STEM Post-Completion OPT Extension

The 12-month OPT work authorization may be extended for an additional 24 months for graduates of certain Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs:

To be approved for the STEM extension, the employment must meet specific requirements, including having a training plan.

Students will need to speak with their employer early about continuing employment on the STEM extension, as the employer must be enrolled in the federal E-Verify program and commit to providing you a training program that directs relates to your STEM degree.

The student and the employer will be required to complete a training plan form to submit when applying for the STEM extension. Review important information here.

You may continue to work for 180 days after your OPT end date if your STEM extension was properly filed within a timely manner. The standard OPT 90-day limit on unemployment will be extended an additional 30 days when your STEM extension is approved.

You must report all name, address, employment, or training plan changes to OISP within 10 days of any changes. While on STEM OPT extension, you will be required to validate this information every 6 months and submit a self-evaluation of your training plan every year to OISP.

Learn How to Navigate OPT:

This section of the OISP blog provides resources and activities to help you learn more about applying for OPT, securing legal employment on OPT, maintaining your status while on post-completion OPT, and the end of your post-completion OPT period. This information is broken into four modules, listed below.

To fully prepare yourself for the OPT experience, please read the resources provided and use the practice activities to get feedback and support from OISP.

It is recommended that you complete Module 1 at least one full term before you plan to graduate and complete Module 2 by the beginning of the term you plan to graduate. Module 3 should be completed after you submit your OPT application and by the time your OPT application is approved. Module 4 should be completed at least 90 days before your OPT end date.

Module 1: Am I eligible for OPT?

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

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