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Recently Graduated F-1 Students

As an F-1 student, you will have a 60-day grace period after your program completion date.

During your 60-day grace period, you will need to do one of the following:

Post-Completion OPT

graduates

OPT is a possible benefit upon completion of your studies to get practical experience in your field of study.

You may request one year of OPT per educational level (master’s or Ph.D., for example). When applying for OPT, be aware of the following:

  • You must apply with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) for OPT, and you must receive your employment authorization document (EAD) prior to beginning work.
  • You must have an OPT-endorsed I-20 form from the Office of International Affairs prior to applying for OPT with USCIS.
  • You can apply for OPT up to 90 days before your program completion date and up to 60 days after your program completion date.
  • The earliest start date you can request for your EAD is the day after your program completion date. The latest start date is 60 days after your program completion date.

Please reach out to your immigration specialist once you have determined your program completion date for additional information on the application process.

OPT Reporting

If you have post-completion OPT authorization, you should inform your immigration specialist of any of the following changes within 10 days:

  • Legal changes to your name
  • Change of address
  • New employment including the employer’s name, address, and start date of employment
  • Changes in the name and/or address of employment
  • The end of any employment
  • Changes to another immigration status

Please reach out to your immigration specialist for the OPT reporting form.

STEM OPT Extension

You may extend your OPT for 24 months with an eligible STEM degree.

You should be aware of the following when applying for STEM OPT:

  • You can apply for the STEM OPT extension with USCIS up to 90 days prior to the post-completion OPT end date.
  • You must have a STEM OPT-endorsed I-20 form from the Office of International Affairs prior to applying for OPT with USCIS.
  • STEM OPT employment must be with an E-Verify employer, compensated, and full time.
  • You must maintain an I-983 training plan with your employer. We've provide Form I-983 inforamtion for your convenience.

Reach out to your immigration specialist at least three months prior to your 12-month OPT end date for additional information on the application process.

STEM OPT Reporting

To comply with U.S. immigration regulations governing a student’s F-1 status, if you have STEM OPT authorization status, you should inform your immigration specialist of any of the following changes within 10 days:

  • Legal changes to your name
  • Change of address
  • New employment including the employer’s name, address, and start date of employment
  • Changes in the name and/or address of employment
  • The end of any employment
  • Material changes to Form I-983
  • Changes to immigration status

Please reach out to your immigration specialist for the STEM OPT reporting form.

STEM OPT Validation Reports

If you are on STEM OPT, you must submit a validation report to UT Southwestern every six months.

This validation report is due within 10 days after the validation due date. You will need to validate your personal address and employment information, even if your information has not changed.

  • For your six- and 18-month validation report, you will need to submit a STEM OPT reporting form, validating your information.
  • For your 12- and 24-month validation report, you will need to submit both a STEM OPT reporting form and an I-983. All five pages of the I-983 must be submitted, even if your employment information has not changed. You will complete the top half of Page 5 for your 12-month validation, and the bottom half of Page 5 for your 24-month validation.
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