Comments on: Give Yourself 5 Months to Find a Job Before Your OPT Starts

By: Deepjyoti Anand

Deepjyoti Anand — Tue, 24 May 2011 20:10:44 +0000

most beneficial. Seems like like to talk about on something

By: Brittney Soderblom

Brittney Soderblom — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 04:41:48 +0000

I’ve desired to write something like this on my webpage which has given me a concept. Cheers.

By: Psychomom .... Susan Sohn

Psychomom .... Susan Sohn — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:11:47 +0000

This is not a valid strategy per SEVP guidance on 4/23/10:
section 6.2
“a student cannot have a requested post-completion OPT start date that is more than 60 days past the student’s program end date.”

they continue in section 6.3
“a start date more than 60 days after the program end date is treated as a request to start on the 60th day after the program end date” …. the end date will not be more than 14 months after the program end date.

By: hurshid

hurshid — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:58:56 +0000

this is what I got from international student advisor:
“To be approved for OPT and receive your EAD card could take up to 90 days since you must file with USCIS directly. You may apply for OPT as soon as 90 days before your graduation date. You may also apply as late as 60 days after your graduation date.”

simple calculation 90+60=150 days.
of course, USCIS can issue EAD card earlier.

By: Jon

Jon — Mon, 24 May 2010 19:30:04 +0000

Every advisor I have talked to says that the latest date to begin OPT is 60 days after graduation.

By: HSB

HSB — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:15:18 +0000

5 months is when if you have built your network. In current economic downturn it might take even longer. Most of the students are not sure what kind of resume to use for job search.

By: admin

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:39:06 +0000

SRAJ, thank you for your comments. Yes, an employer may not be willing to wait for an applicant to get their OPT. But when you apply for jobs, you can usually specify when you are available to start work. That would be your OPT start date.
You are spot on about the E-Verify companies. I was going to mention it in a different article.

By: SRAJ

SRAJ — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 01:42:38 +0000

This is a nice strategy applying for OPT. But in the case that the applicant gets a job offer within 1 month of graduation, and if he hasn’t yet applied for OPT, he won’t be able to start until he gets the EAD, which could take upto 3 months. The employer may not be willing to wait for the work authorization.

Another consideration is H1B application. You may want to have OPT work authorization complete in Fab/March if you are graduating in December, so that you get a job and apply for H1B on April.

One issue the OP forgot to mention is the OPT applicant might want to search for an E-Verify company as its required for OPT extension. Also, once on OPT extension, you can be unemployed for 120 days (4 months). On normal OPT its 90 days.

If you are worried about timing and if you want to expedite your OPT authorization, call USCIS for expedite processing and you will see your case moved to the head of line.