Processing time of this application is approximately 90 days from the date the U.S. government receives your application for Optional Practical Training.

If applying for Pre-Completion Optional Practical  (have satisfied one academic year of full-time), submit your application up to 120 days in advance of the desired start date of employment in a timely manner. Important! Optional Practical Training (OPT) applications require that you select a start date of employment at the time of application which is determined based on a job arranged or in mind.

If applying for Post-Completion Optional Practical, submit your application for OPT up to 90 days before their program end date and up to 60 days after your program end date. For processing purposes, applications must be submitted to IPC at least two weeks prior to the 60th day after your program end date.

Important! Optional Practical Training (OPT) applications require that you select a start date of employment at the time of application. Therefore, careful consideration must be made when selecting the start date of employment. For Post-Completion OPT the employment start date must fall within the period of 60 days from the end date of your academic program.

In order to best determine the start date of employment, please consider the following: Have you had any job interviews? Is there an employer requesting that you start working as soon as possible? When there is no employment in sight, some students decide to start employment as late as possible, within the 60-day time frame allowed by the U.S. government.

Bring to the International Programs Center at the front desk the documents listed below:

• Application for Employment Authorization (I-765) form filled out and signed by student
  • Sections 1-9 are biographical information
  • Section 10 is your I-94 Departure number listed in the upper left area of your I-94 card
  • Sections 12-15-Please find the answers to these questions in your I-94 card.
• For students applying for post-completion Optional Practical Training, in order to confirm graduation term, graduate students must submit a copy of the most recent (normally, the semester prior to graduation) study plan (or letter from academic advisor); undergraduate students must submit a copy of their degree evaluation form, located in the student records section of UNCGENIE. 
  
• Section 3 is your departure number listed in the upper left area of your I-94 card.
  
• Copy of SEVIS I-20 form (issued for curricular practical training) endorsed by designated official.
• Certification by Designated School (I-538) form complete and sign section A
• Copy of I-94 Card copy of front and back
  Departure number listed in the upper left area of your I-94 card.
• Passport ID page copy & visa page copy.
• Two photos that must be full-frontal face position,
  Write your name as it appears on your application and your I-94 departure number in the back of each photo. Please visit the following website to download the specifications for these pictures: US Passport Composition Checklist.
  • We recommend you present these specifications to the corresponding photographer, some places you could visit to obtain these pictures are: Kinko’s, CVS on Spring Garden St., or at Eckerds in the Four Seasons Town Center).
• $380.00 check or money order payable to Department of Homeland Security (This is subject to change)
  • Please ensure there are sufficient funds to avoid penalties and delays in processing time.

Select Pre-Completion OPT to print application package for Pre-Completion OPT
Form I-765 (A) to be used with Pre-Completion OPT.

Select Post-Completion OPT to print application package for Post-Completion OPT
Form I-765 (B) to be used with Post-Completion OPT.

Select 17-Month (STEMExtension) to print application package for 17-Month Extension (STEM Extension)
Form I-765 (C) to be used with Post-Completion OPT.

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