YOUR I-20 WILL BE SHORTENED TO 12/15/2017

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Angelina Collins
5 years ago
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1 OPT INFO SESSION

2 WHAT IS OPT? It is a benefit of your F-1 visa. However, ESL students are not eligible to apply. OPT authorizes students to work off-campus for 12 months as long as their work is related to their field of study USCIS usually takes 90 days to approve an application Once approved, you will receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) You can apply up to 90 days before your graduation date You do not have to have a job when you apply.

3 ARE YOU ELIGIBLE? HAVE YOU Maintained your F-1 status? Completed 1 fall and spring semester? Have a valid, unexpired passport? Have a valid, unexpired I-20? Are you DEFINITELY graduating this semester? Study hard and pass all of your classes. Make sure you know your department s rules about grades and required GPA s for graduation. Once you have been approved, it is almost impossible to cancel your OPT. 3

4 YOUR I-20 WILL BE SHORTENED TO 12/15/2017 4

5 WARNING! If you find out you will not graduate when you thought, you MUST apply for a program extension AS SOON AS POSSIBLE and you may lose time on OPT. Otherwise, you may fall out of status and lose your OPT. Trying to cancel an OPT application can be risky, and sometimes almost impossible, depending on timing. 5

6 WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OPT? You can apply for OPT only after each degree level (Bachelor s, Master s, and Doctorate). Keep in mind, if you have done two degrees at the same level, you DO NOT get two OPTs. You are allowed to change employers or work for multiple employers You MUST work more than 20 hours per week There is currently no maximum number of hours you can work as long as your employer is following labor laws. You are only allowed 90 days of unemployment for your entire 12 month OPT period. We have been notified by SEVIS that at some point they will begin automatically terminating students who exceed 90 days of consecutive unemployment.

7 MOST IMPORTANTLY! YOUR JOB MUST BE DIRECTLY RELATED TO YOUR FIELD OF STUDY If it is not related to your field of study, we will NOT issue an updated I-20. Any time you worked for that employer will be counted toward your 90 days of allowed unemployment. 7

8 WILL DOING CPT AFFECT MY OPT? ONLY if you worked a TOTAL of 365 days of FULL-TIME CPT over the course of your degree program. If you have, you are ineligible for OPT. Part-Time CPT will not affect your OPT. 8

9 I M A DOCTORATE STUDENT, WHAT IF I M STILL WORKING ON MY DISSERTATION? You can still apply for OPT. You just need to DEFEND your dissertation before your 12 month OPT period ends. 9

10 STEPS TO APPLY FOR OPT: Go to our website and print off the checklist UNDER CURRENT STUDENTS UNDER OPT 1. Take the OPT quiz 2. Fill out forms and get copies of required documents 3. Drop off your packet at ISAO 4. Wait for an saying that your packet is ready for pick-up. Usually 5 business days 5. Send your packet to USCIS 10

11 WHERE IS THE OPT QUIZ? Log in to Blackboard Under My Organizations you should see International Student Affairs (ISAO), click on it If ISAO does not show up under My Organizations, scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see Organization Search, search for ISAO and click Enroll In the menu on the left, you will see OPT Session

12 HOW TO APPLY CONTINUED Check or Money Order payable to U.S. Department of Homeland Security for $410 Four hundred ten and 00/ $410 Date your check month/day/year, date must be within 7 days of mailing Make your check out to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Make sure that the numeric and written amount match Make sure your check is signed WARNING: Do NOT write on the back of your check or they will reject your payment!

13 CAN I EXPEDITE MY REQUEST? If you have an offer letter and you must start within 30 days, you may request expedition of your OPT request if you meet one or more of the expedite criteria: Severe financial loss to company or individual Extreme emergent situation Humanitarian situation Nonprofit status of requesting organization in furtherance of cultural/social interests of the U.S. Department of Defense or National Interest Situation (request must come from official U.S. Government entity) USCIS error Compelling interest of USCIS Be sure to include the following documents with your application components. An employer s letter that includes the expected start date that is within 30 days. An ISAO Advisor will review your materials and attach a cover note to USCIS explaining the situation, which will be included with the rest of your application materials. There are no guarantees that your application will be expedited

14 I DON T HAVE A JOB YET. HOW DO I CHOOSE MY START DATE? The LATEST start date you can choose for your OPT is 60 days after December 15, 2017 which is: February 13, 2018 PLEASE REMEMBER: If you choose a later start date because you don t have a job offer yet, and then you end up getting a job that wants you to start earlier: You CANNOT begin work until the START DATE listed on your EAD card. You CANNOT start working until you have your physical EAD card. Once you submit your OPT packet to USCIS, it is almost impossible to change your start date.

15 IMPORTANT: MAILING DEADLINE USCIS must receive your OPT packet within 30 days from the date your new I-20 was signed by ISAO. Failure to send your packet in a timely manner will most likely result in an automatic denial.

16 HOW DO I KNOW IF USCIS RECEIVED IT? You should always send it with a tracking number. A week or so after you send it, USCIS will send out an I-797 Notice of Action (Receipt) with your LIN number. Your LIN number is what you will use to track the status of your application. Receipt LIN Number 16

17 PLEASE! Please do not or call our office asking for update on your OPT unless it has been pending for more than 90 days. When your EAD card arrives, you will receive an . When your OPT is approved and USCIS mails your card, please be aware that the tracking number you receive only shows when it has been delivered to the main Kansas City Post Office. From there, it must be sorted and sent to UMKC s main post office and then from there, it must be sorted again and sent to the correct departments. Our office makes two mail runs a day. If you see your card shows as delivered but you have not received an from our office, it is because we do not physically have your EAD card yet.

18 I HAVE MY EAD CARD! You are authorized to work starting on the start date on the EAD card & NOT BEFORE. You are still a UMKC F-1 student; you are simply an F-1 student on OPT. You must keep ISAO informed of any changes of address or employer. You are still required to report any changes to your visa, address, name, or marital status.

19 WHAT DO I HAVE TO REPORT TO ISAO? ALL OPT Participants must report the following information to ISAO within 10 days of any changes: Change of name or address (update in Pathway) Change of employer s name or address (update via Employer Update form, must submit official offer letter for verification) Any interruption or change of employment (report via Employer Update form) EMPLOYERS are required to report any student who has been fired or quit to ISAO within 48 hours. Failure to report a change in employment is not only failing to maintain status but may also cause issues if you are ever selected for H-1B processing.

20 WHAT ABOUT HEALTH INSURANCE? After completion of your program and graduation, you will no longer be automatically enrolled in UMKC s medical insurance. Insurance will be your responsibility. Be sure to ask your employer about health insurance for you and your family. If your employer does not offer insurance coverage, you may purchase your own health insurance through Aetna or any other company you choose. UMKC s student insurance is optional so, you must apply and choose to enroll here: 20

21 CAN I LEAVE THE US FOR VACATION? GRADUATED BUT OPT STILL PENDING: We do not recommend travelling outside of the US. If you leave, USCIS might see it as abandonment of your application and cancel it. If your OPT application is denied while you are gone, you will be turned around at the border If you MUST travel, take a travel endorsed I-20 and your I-797 Notice OPT APPROVED, EAD RECEIVED, NO JOB: It s risky, if you leave without a job, they may deny you re-entry. If you MUST travel, take a travel endorsed I-20, EAD, and documentation showing that you have and still are applying for jobs. OPT APPROVED, EAD RECEIVED, HAVE A JOB! Take a travel endorsed I-20, EAD, and a letter from your employer stating that you need to return to the US to resume working

22 OOPS, I LOST MY EAD CARD If you lose it, you must submit a new application including: Letter explaining how it was lost/stolen I-765 noting replacement of EAD Copies of I-20 s Copy of your previous EAD Copy of I-94 Copy of your passport photo page New photos A check or Money Order made payable to U.S. Department of Homeland Security. A copy of the original I-797. You may continue working with the same company while your request is being processed.

23 DON T HAVE A JOB? BE CAREFUL You do not have to be paid to be considered employed You can VOLUNTEER in an area related to your field and it will COUNT as employment as long as you work MORE THAN 20 hours/week and as long as your company is NOT violating any labor laws. Job site must provide formal letter stating unpaid employment with start and end dates on official letterhead, job responsibilities, etc. If you are unemployed and do not want/are not able to volunteer, then in order to maintain status during OPT, unemployed OPT participants must begin a new program, transfer, or leave the country. No grace period is permitted. This rule is enforced by USCIS, not ISAO. 23

24 SO MANY NUMBERS TO REMEMBER 10 days: From the time of the change to update your address, visa, name, marital status or employer information to ISAO. 30 days: To send your packet to USCIS from the date your OPT I-20 was signed by ISAO 60 days: After the official last day of classes to apply for OPT. Your OPT start date must be within 60 days of your graduation date (official last day of classes) 90 days: To apply for OPT before your graduation date (official last day of classes) Of unemployment during your entire Post-Completion OPT You should apply for STEM (if you re eligible) up to 90 days before your Post- Completion OPT ends.

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26 IF I M DEFINITELY GRADUATING THIS SEMESTER, WHEN SHOULD I APPLY? NOW!

OPT INFO SESSION GETTING THE INTERVIEW. GETTING THE JOB.

OPT INFO SESSION GETTING THE INTERVIEW. GETTING THE JOB. APPLYING FOR JOBS: DO YOUR RESEARCH. Make sure this is an organization you re interested in. Check Glassdoor or MyVisaJobs reviews to get an idea