Optional Practical Training (OPT) application season starts soon!

Are you planning to use Optional Practical Training (OPT) to work in the U.S. after you graduate this spring? Be sure to apply early.

OPT applications are processed (or "adjudicated") by USCIS, and the processing times typically hover around 3 months. This means you have to plan ahead and apply as early as possible if you want to work in the U.S. soon after you graduate this May.

Seniors graduating in May 2023 are eligible to apply for OPT as early as February 27, 2023. Whenever possible, it is best to prepare your entire application in advance of this date, so that you are ready to submit it to USCIS as soon as you are eligible.

There are lots of ways to learn more about applying for OPT:

Check out the OIS's Post-Completion OPT information page for more information and application instructions.
Drop in for one of our OPT workshops to learn more and have your questions answered. (The first OPT workshop is Thursday, Jan. 19, at 2pm via Zoom for those who would like to start perparing their OPT applications over break!)
Email us or book an appointment if you want to discuss OPT sooner, or one-on-one.

Remember, you do not need a job in order to apply for OPT.

And, if you are applying for OPT and need help with USCIS's OPT filing fee of $410, submit the OPT Filing Fee Grant Request Form. Students who receive financial aid from the College are prioritized for this grant.

We're here to help. Don't hesitate to reach out!

Amherst College

Office of Immigration Services

(413) 542-5971 | ois@amherst.edu

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