Follow the steps below for guidance on how to apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT). Reminder: Do not submit your OPT application to USCIS until you have received your Form I-20 with your OPT ...

F-1 students with STEM degrees in fields listed on the ICE STEM Designated Degree Program List may be eligible for the OPT STEM Extension. F-1 students with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, ...

What is the OPT STEM-Extension? The Optional Practical Training STEM Extension gives students an additional 24 months of OPT authorization if they have a U.S. degree in an approved science, technology ...

WASHINGTON, DC – Indian students form a vital part of the U.S. higher education system, with nearly 269,000 enrolled in 2024, marking a 35% increase over the previous year. They are second only to ...

Sign up to receive our email newsletter in your inbox. Like many international students, Andrew Fang (MSJ ’24) came to Northwestern hoping his degree would open ...

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is preparing a proposed rule that is expected to significantly change the Optional Practical Training program. The OPT program allows international students to ...

Many different types of employment are allowed while on the OPT STEM extension but there may be some types of employment that do not meet the USCIS guidelines. Unpaid or volunteer work is not allowed ...

In a confirmation hearing held earlier this year, U.S. Senator Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, called the Optional Practical Training program, which allows international students on F-1 visas to ...

A Reddit post from a distressed international student has once again brought attention to a growing concern among F-1 visa holders in the US: what happens when a STEM OPT extension is denied, even ...

The Supreme Court of the United States has declined to hear a challenge to a visa program that allows foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges and universities to work in the United States for ...