OPT Filing Deadlines for Pre-Completion OPT and Post-Completion OPT

(1) Pre-completion OPT. You may apply for pre-completion OPT up to 90 days in advance of the requested employment start date.  USCIS will reject/deny an OPT application that is receipted more than 90 days before the I-20 program end date.

(2) Post-completion OPT. For post-completion OPT, you may file your application up to 90 days prior to your I-20 program end date. It is also possible to file your application up to 60 days after your program end date, although it is risky to wait until late into your 60-day grace period to file the OPT application. For example, If your OPT application is rejected for errors, the OPT application window may have already elapsed and you may not be able to re-apply.

Also, even if you choose a requested OPT start date which is late into your 60-day grace period, you can still apply for post-completion OPT at the beginning of the application window, in order to receive the EAD card sooner.

(3) You must file your OPT application with USCIS within 30 days of the date the OPT I-20 is issued. You can confirm the date your OPT I-20 was issued by viewing the “DATE ISSUED” section on page 1 in the “School Attestation” box.

It is your responsibility to ensure your OPT application will be received by USCIS no more than 30 days after the DATE ISSUED. We urge you to submit your application well before you get close to the end of this 30-day window. Applications submitted to USCIS more than 30 days after your OPT was recommended will be denied by USCIS.

Please consult Links to an external site. an advisor with the International Center if you are getting close to, or have already exceeded 30 days after the OPT I-20 was issued, and you have not yet mailed your OPT application to USCIS.