Who is OPT for?
If you will finish your degree this May, and will no longer be a student at NYU, you can work in the US for up to 12 months after graduating if you have
Post-Completion OPT. If you are completing a degree in a STEM field, you may be eligible for an additional 24-month extension of employment authorization:
STEM OPT after your Post-Completion OPT.
If you are an F-1 student who wants to work off-campus
before graduation, you have two options: apply for
CPT (Curricular Practical Training) or
Pre-Completion OPT. If you've been offered an internship position related to your major, and your program has an internship elective or a fieldwork requirement, look into applying for CPT. Otherwise, you can look into pre-completion OPT. You do not need a job offer to apply for OPT. To understand the difference between CPT and Pre-Completion OPT, visit our website to get the basics, come to our Off-Campus Employment Options webinar happening on
February 3, or view our previously recorded
Off-Campus Employment Options webinar (you must login with your NYU netID and password for access), and
schedule an advising appointment if you have further questions.