Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization is the appropriate application for F-1 Optional Practical Training. The form, application fee, and supporting materials must be filed with the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) within your eligibility period.

ISO Filing Guides:  We strongly recommend that you consult the appropriate resource material below to prepare your application:

• Online: 12-Month Post-Completion OPT I-765 Guide
• Online: 24-Month STEM OPT Extension I-765 Guide

U.S. Mailing Address: The US Postal Service (USPS) cannot forward government mail if you move, so providing a reliable mailing address at the time of your OPT/STEM OPT application is crucial! If USPS cannot deliver mail to the address you used on Form I-765, your EAD will be returned to USCIS. Please review the information below:

• You must provide an address where you can securely receive mail for at least 6 months after applying for OPT/STEM OPT with USCIS.
• The USCIS online application portal may allow you to update your address if the authorization card has not yet been issued, but it is recommended that you provide a valid mailing address when you file the application, to prevent any delivery problems.
• The address you give to USCIS can be a friend’s or relative’s address. Alternatively, some OPT/STEM OPT applicants can use their employer’s address.
• Put your name on both the inside and outside of the mailing address mailbox. If you have listed a trusted friend or family member’s address for the mailing address on the I-765, please ensure their name is also displayed on the inside and outside of the mailing address mailbox.

Lastly, we recommend signing up for USPS Informed Delivery for the mailing address listed on your I-765 application in order to receive notifications of incoming mail before it is delivered. This is helpful in order to receive notification from USPS about the delivery of your OPT/STEM EAD.

Please use the USCIS Fee Calculator to confirm the current fee for Form I-765 at the time you file your application. To use the Fee Calculator, you will need to input the correct eligibility category: (c)(3)(B) for Post-Completion OPT or (c)(3)(C) for the STEM OPT Extension.

You’re required to submit a photo that meets US passport photograph requirements. Please review these requirements carefully as you obtain your photo. You should not be re-using photos from previous applications.

Passport-size photos can be taken and printed at many convenience stores (such as CVS).

As per USCIS, the “photos submitted to USCIS must be unmounted and unretouched. Unretouched means the photos must not be edited or digitally enhanced. The submission of any mounted or retouched images will delay the processing of your application and may prompt USCIS to require that you appear at an Applicant Support Center to verify your identity.”

You must submit a copy of your OPT or STEM OPT recommendation I-20. This document must be signed on page 1 and 2 by an ISO advisor, and must be signed/date on page 1 by you. You must obtain this recommendation from ISO before filing your application.

Please note USCIS must receive your application within a specific amount of time after your OPT or STEM OPT recommendation is issued:

• 12-Month OPT recommendations are valid for 30 days
• 24-Month STEM OPT recommendations are valid for 60 days

Please plan accordingly. Submitting your application with an expired recommendation will likely result in denial of your application. If you haven’t yet requested your recommendation I-20, please revisit the OPT and STEM OPT application process instructions as needed.

ISO recommends that you submit copies of previous I-20s with CPT or OPT authorizations. These should be arranged in chronological order, with the most recent on top and the oldest on the bottom.

Please note: If filing for your STEM OPT Extension, it’s assumed that you’ve already submitted your previous CPT/OPT I-20s when you filed for your 12-month Post Completion OPT and wouldn’t be required to submit in your STEM OPT Extension application. However, this is a personal decision and up to you to decide.

You must include a copy of your current, valid passport ID page. If your passport is currently expired or going to be expired in the next 6 months, please consult an ISO advisor.

Include a printed copy of your most recent I-94. You can look up your most recent I-94 online. If you look up your I-94 and notice that any of the details on that document appear to be incorrect, please contact an ISO advisor.

You don’t need to include your full travel history.

In rare cases, students may have received a paper I-94 stapled to their passport (upon entry through a land border), without an update to the online I-94 system. If your only I-94 document is a paper I-94 stapled to your passport, you should include a copy of the front and back of this card.

Students who entered F-1 status by filing Form I-539 Change of Nonimmigrant Status and have not traveled internationally since changing status may find their most recent I-94 on their change of status approval notice (I-797).

You must include copies of any current or previous Employment Authorization Documents, also known as EADs, EAD cards, or OPT cards, that you have been issued. Include a copy of the front and back of each card.

• All students applying for the 24-Month STEM OPT extension have a current EADand may have previous EADs.
• Students who are applying for 12-Month Post-Completion OPT will not have any current EAD but may have previous EADs.

You may have a previous EAD if you have been authorized for OPT at any prior degree level, or if you have been authorized for another type of work. You may have a previous EAD if you have been authorized for OPT at any prior degree level, or if you have been authorized for another type of work authorization that requires an EAD. If you are including multiple EAD copies, ISO recommends labeling them accordingly.

• Proof of STEM degree: STEM OPT applications require proof of your STEM degree. ISO recommends including both diploma (required) and transcript (optional). The proof of your degree must include the name of the degree and the date it was awarded.
  • 12-Month Post-Completion OPT applications don’t require any proof of degree, regardless of your specific major/program.
• Accreditation Summary (as needed): If applying for the STEM OPT extension based on a previously earned STEM degree, you should provide evidence that the degree is currently accredited by the US Department of Education and certified by SEVP.
  • If the previously earned degree is from the University of Rochester, you can find the statement of accreditation status on the Office of the Provost’s website.
  • If the previously earned degree is from a different university, please contact that university directly.

If your EAD card contains incorrect information due to a USCIS error such as a typo in name or incorrect birthdate, you must return the original EAD card to get it corrected by USCIS. USCIS will issue a corrected EAD.

1. Go to the USCIS e-request page.
2. Select “Typographic Error” under the “Service Request” section.
3. Fill out and submit the “Typographic Error” e-form.
4. You will receive an email with instructions. Follow the instructions to mail your EAD back to USCIS.

If you believe your EAD card has been lost, stolen, or damaged ISO recommends completing the steps below before moving forward. It is important to first confirm that the card truly cannot be located. This includes checking with roommates, neighbors, or apartment management, as well as contacting your local post office. You should also review your mailing address and recent mail delivery to determine whether any issues may have contributed to the problem. If the card cannot be located, you have two choices:

1. You can follow the instructions on the USCIS online case status and request the EAD card be resent to you using their online tool. If the card was returned to USCIS, they may be able to locate it and mail it back to you (make sure the post office will be able to deliver Priority Mail to your address). This may take a long time and the result is not guaranteed, since the card may or may not be found. You cannot start working without the EAD.
2. You can give up on the lost EAD and apply for a replacement card by filing a new I-765 application for replacement EAD. With this option, you will have to pay a new I-765 fee. You will need to do the following:
   1. Submit another I-765 and where it says “I am applying for” you would select “replacement of employment authorization document.”
   2. Include copies of I-797 approval notice and I-20 showing original OPT recommendation.
   3. Include a cover letter explaining the problem and the correction you need to make.
   4. You do not need a new OPT I-20. The I-20 does not need to be recommended within 30 days, since this is not your initial OPT application, it’s a replacement application.
   5. Also, please make sure the I-765 mailing address you used has your name on the mailbox and is regularly accepting/receiving mail!

Once you receive your new receipt notice from USCIS for the replacement card application, you are allowed to start working while the application is pending. You may work up to 90 days with this I-797 receipt notice while awaiting your replacement card. Please see USCIS Handbook for Employers M-274, Section 4.0 Completing Section 2 of Form I-9 and Section 4.4 Acceptable Receipts.