- When is the right time to Graduate ( August or December or May )?
- When Shall I apply for OPT?
Do you want to know answers for the above questions? Continue reading.
When to apply for OPT?
I have advised so many students and above question still remains. So, to help them understand, I’m putting together this small write up. Again to let you know, this is my opinion, it may not be applicable to all circumstances. Read this, understand the concepts and see how your situation applies and decide based on that. To get started, let me explain about OPT ( Optional Practical Training)
OPT (Optional Practical Training)
Optional Practical Training (OPT) is employment authorization which allows F-1 students to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to a practical work experience. You may be entitled to up to 12 months of optional practical training per educational level. If a student begins a new academic program at a higher level, the student is eligible for another 12 months of OPT Visa.
Universities will have set guidelines on How to Apply for Optional Practical Training. I strongly recommend students to find out the what is the process in your school and having that knowledge in advance, atleast 1 semester before you graduate will help you prepare accordingly.
OPT and H1B Visa Dates
Next query is, when to apply for OPT, whats the deal with H1B visa quota and how does graduation date affect my chances of getting H1B Visa? This is going to bit difficult to explain, but I will try my best to make it clear.
H1B Visa
H1B visa application can be filed from April 1st of each each for the H1B Visa quota starting from Oct 1st. i.e. companies sponsoring students can file H1B Visa from April 1st 2008 and that will enable students to work for that company from October 1st 2008, if H1B visa is approved.
As many of you will be aware, last year H1B visa in general category was filled on 1st day of application. More than 100,000 application was submitted on April 1st for available 65,000 visas. That resulted in lottery system. Students with Master’s degree will have additional 20,000 Visa’s. If general category is filled, then you will be considered under Master’s Degree quota. Many are believing it will be same scenario this year too.
Scenario: Graduation Dates
Lest assume you are planning to graduate in Summer ( August ) 2008. Students question will be, when shall I apply for OPT. Lets analyze the above situation.
Lets assume
Graduation Date : 15 – Aug – 2008
OPT Start: 15-Aug-2008, which means, you will receive new I-20 along with OPT Card, that gives students status and authorization to work.
OPT End Date : 14-Aug-2009 ( if you applied for 12 months )
In the above case, if students will have to find a job with a company who will sponsor H1b Visa before April 1st 2009. So, the company can file the H1B visa on April 1st. They also can file H1B visa later, if no more than 65,000 visa application is submitted on April 1st in general category and no more than 20,000 applications were submitted in Master’s Degree category. Lets assume, you found a job and company sponsored your H1B Visa and your application was submitted on April 1st and got H1B Visa approval to work from October 1st 2009.
But, the problem with OPT start date of Aug 15 2008 is, student will have the H1B approval only from Oct 1st 2009, but the work authorization is expiring on Aug 14th 2008. So, from 15 Aug 2009 to 30 Sep 2009, student don’t have work authorization. Which means, they cannot work in U.S. Some companies give them vacation, so they will go to India, or native country and work from local Office in India, some students stay in U.S. but cannot work for that time period.
To avoid that scenario, if student can apply for OPT start date of Sep 30 2008, then they will not have the above problem. Because, they can work in OPT till Sep 30 and H1B will start from Oct 1st. But, check with your school, if you can apply for delayed OPT start date, to make sure you will not be out of status. Usually OPT start date should be within 60 days of last day of the exam. If you graduate in the Spring of 2008, the last exam day is May 6. You can select a start date between May 6, 2008 to July 5, 2008.
Also, OPT must be applied before you graduate. Processing time for OPT card will take from 15 days to 3 months. I got my OPT card in 3 weeks time, some of my friends it took 3 months. It depends on the Application processing center.
Graduation Date : December
With graduation date of December, students will have less time to search for the job. You will have to find a job in from December to March, while students graduating in Summer will have Aug to March to find a job. You can do the Math for Spring graduation.
Again, it depends on the specific student situation and if you are worried on how to search for a job, visit my blog frequently, I will write about few techniques that will help you to get the job much faster.
If you have any questions, comments or need details for your specific scenarios, write a comment, I will try to help you. Again, this is general guidelines, every students situation vary. Decide wisely, when to graduate, so you can apply for H1B visa on time.
Health Insurance during OPT:
Usually students health insurance will expire on the day you graduate. I strongly advise students to carry health insurance all the times. If you looking for cheap student health insurance, you can buy coverage as low as $28 per month.
If any of your friends are planning to graduate, I would appreciate if you can forward this link to them. Having an idea about OPT, H1B Visa and Graduation dates in advance will help them to make informed decision which would have a great impact in their life.
Can I get an H1 visa if I’m currently on OPT after my associates degree.
My company is willing to sponsor me.
Hi,
I have an MS degree from Singapore. Currently, I am in the US with H4 visa. Now, if I do another Masters here, will I be able to avail OPT?
Please, let me know. Thank you.
Hi,
I am from India and i did btech there. Now I am on h4. to change my status I am planning to enroll in an associate degree in my nearby community college. Please let me know the pros and cons of doing associate degree after btech and please let me know whether there will be any difference in the OPT after associate program and OPT after Masters. I am planning to do associate program bcoz i can join in Jan and complete by nexxt Jan. For Masters I have to wait till August and then 2 yrs for getting job.
Thanks In Advance
I don’t think U can get OPT for Associate degree. U can only get it for Bachelors, Masters & PhD.
Hi,
Thanks for sharing this amazing knowledge with us. I have a quick question for you. Right now, I am an intern employee for a well-know company and they plan to keep me until October, 2012. I am graduating on July 26, 2012 from GMU so my CPT is due to July 26, 2012. Is there anyway to extend my CPT even though I graduate? Plus, I also applied for my OPT and my OPT starting day is July 27, 2012 so if I get my OPT by this time, I will completely fine. However, it seems like the processing time is very slow so I will not get it before end of August! I also added my offer letter in my application and called them and made a request to speed up my process. So, how can I fill the gap between my CPT and OPT or what are my options?
Thanks,
You cannot work without authorization (CPT or OPT). Which means, you are likely have to take a break between CPT and OPT.
I have an offer from Company A who has already filed an H1-B for me which has been approved. The change of status will take place on October 1, 2012. In the meantime I have an OPT which will get terminated on September 30, 2012 due to the COS. I have received an offer from company B which I want to take up. Is there a way to cancel the H1-B and reinstate my OPT starting October 1, 2012? Or is there a way the H1 transfer can take place without letting either of my employers know ?
Hi, my employer will file a h-1b petition for me on April 1st, with a request of change of status.
My tentative starting date is Oct. 1st. My questions is what if i cannot finish things up at school by my starting date and the h-1b visa is already approved and will be in effect on Oct. 1st. Suppose my employer agrees to give me couple of months of extension, can we make changes on my h-1b visa to accommodate this change?
Thanks so much, I hope I made my question clear to you…
Bo
I know that we are not eligible for a second master’s OPT. So what if have only used pre-completion OPT and not post-completion OPT in the first masters?
Hi ,
Im graduating in may 2012 majoring in finanace. I would like to apply for OPT when is it wise to apply for the OPT and how should i search for jobs or internships relevant to Finance. suggestions are highly appreciated.
Check out the career section in the blog to learn about job search.
Hi, I am going to graduate December 2011. Major is global technology management .I have a opt chance if I apply this week.I am totally confused.I have some concerns about finding a job and if I can not find a job in 90 days what is gonna happen? Am I going to lose my F1 visa? Also after 90 days if I can not find a job can I give up and continue to my education?
Also I have BS in engineering ,which major area I can look for,is it possible to find in my BS major beside global tech. Management?
Thanks in advance.
My case is a little different. I am currently on OPT and have an internship with a good organization. I am not sure if they will sponsor H1B. Assuming the worst case, what are my options? Are there any consulting companies that will be willing to sponsor visa? Kindly advice.
Hi,
I am currently studying at NYMC and this fall is going to be my almost last semester. Although, I will be left out with thesis, which I can accomplish till April 2012, and I will be graduating in May 2012. Also, I will be applying for PhD program for fall 2012 intake. The question is I wanted to do OPT from Jan till August, since I dont want to spoil that OPT period. If I get admission into Phd I will start my school from September, if not I can continue with OPT. So, I was wondering if Pre-completion OPT works in my case, and I can apply for OPT so that I can start my job in January (if I get one). I am confused how to approach, should I start with Precompletion OPT or should I wait till May… I’d appreciate your help!
thanks,
nishie
Hi,
I am currently studying at purdue university and my I- 20 expired in May 2011. I got my graduation extended to Dec 2011 and will be getting a new I – 20 this week. Would I still be eligible to apply for OPT before graduation as I will not be getting my old I – 20 reinstated and will be getting a new I-20 and will not be registered for classes for 2 academic semesters on that??
Thanks
i m still on f1 visa and my mba will be finish in december-2011. now if i find an employer who ready to sponsor me before complicting my mba..than can i apply for h1 visa and if i apply after my mba will finish than which month i can apply..?
replay please..
Hello, I studied in US 7 years ago a AAS degree in General Business but I didn't apply for the OPT, can I do it now??
Thanks for your help
HEELLLLPPPP
Hi there,
I have graduated with my bachelor's of Arts in Business Administration on May 15th 2010 from a college in New Hampshire. I got my OPT card on July 10th (Valid from July 7th 2010 to July 6th 2011). I moved to the NYC area, I had an outside sales job that I had to quit cause I couldn't make money, I have been living like will smith in "the purpose of happiness." I went to 18 agencies, 18 agencies that know I need a job bad, and only got one temp job for a week which has just finished. Can you guys confirm that what i need to do is find a company that will sponsor me for a H-1B visa in order to actually get a permanent job ? I have no network in NYC, all I do is go to agencies and tell them what i need and then never get any calls and when I call, they say the current market is very slow… are these websites what I need or are they scams?? http://www.h1base.com/storedetails.asp?prod=5 http://www.h1visajobs.com/
When i tell agencies I need companies that sponsor it kills me even more as it already is hard for them to find me something without this additional demand…
I never thought I would be in such a situation having graduated Cum laude and having done so many leadership positions while at my college… ridiculous…
Someone please help me find the right path, my college advisor is clueless…
Hi,
I had my AS degree in 2008 and BS degree in 2010. My OPT will end in Aug, 2011, and I plan to go back to school for a AAS. I am wondering if I can get another OPT after AAS, since I did not have OPT after my AS degree. I heard that only one OPT can be granted for each level of college degree. So if I did not use it after my first Associate Degree, does that mean I can get it after my Associate Degree of Applied Science?
Hi,
I just graduated from MBA last week. My employer sponsored my H1 B visa in June and we upgraded it to Premium processing on Sept 2nd. and I got RFE on Sept 15th. Now while my H1 B is in process can I apply for OPT?
Please reply, Urgent
You should apply for OPT. Check the OPT rules if you can apply after graduate.
Hi,
I am an international diploma graduate nurse. Currently, I got a job in OPT after Associate Degree. My OPT expires on june 2011. If my employer wants to sponser H1 B visa, will I be qualified for it. If yes, when is it appropriate to file for H1 b.
Thanks in advance!
Hello. I'm expecting to graduate in the 2011 summer.
Before I apply, do I have to have a job who will use me or do I apply for the OPT and then, find a job? And I'm majoring in Chemistry but in pre-dent. Can I work in dental clinic or does it have to be in Chemistry?
thank you
Hello,
I filed for my OPT in june and it's still in the initial review. I wanted my OPT to start on 14th August, but I have still not received it. I was wondering that once I receive my EAD, will it have 14th August as my start date for OPT or will it have the date when I actually received the card.
Thanks a lot.
Warm regards
Shraddha
Hey I am facing the same issur. I filed for NOv 15 and it is tsill in initial review. How long it did take for you?
Thank you for sharing your experience and giving us information. I graduated 31 of July 2010 and applied my OPT Oct/1 2010. I got ticket on July/12 and still didnt receive my OPT card yet. I'm getting worry about my OPT card (it takes alot of time). Is there any chance to know when decision will be made? When I check my case status from USCIS site, It tells me "Initial Review" status.
Dear Sir,
I guess the period for OPT ( Optional Practical Training) has been increased from 12 months to 29 months.
HI
I am on opt now and it will expire in march 2010.Before that i need to find a job with h1b .So can any one can plz guide me in getting h1b visa without a job and how i can get job within two weeks.
I will be very great full of you people.
March 2010 already passed. You must be out of status by now.
I am on F1 status and I am studying to have a Bsm in nursing.I just passed my nursing broad exams(RN) but i didnot study the nursing here i got evaluated by Eres and the gave me an associate in nursing. The texas broad approved me and now I am a licensed nurse.
Could I be eligible to apply for an opt eventhou i didnot study my nursing here in the US.
Thank you.
Hi Maureen,
OPT ( Optional Practical Training) is only available to those who pass out from U.S. Institutions. It is a sort of Work Authorisation before a person gets H-IB Visa.