|
Once you have picked up your OPT application from OISS, you must send it to USCIS. The following documents must be included in your application for optional practical training:
- A copy of pages 1, 2 and 3 of the SEVIS Form I-20 issued for OPT, signed and dated by an OISS adviser and signed by you at the bottom of page 1. (You keep the original.)
- Copies of all previous I-20s including the endorsement page
- A completed and signed Form I-765
- A copy of your I-94 form (both sides) and a copy of the visa and identification pages from your passport
- Two recent photographs per the attached instructions from USCIS. You can write your name and admission number in pencil on the back of the photos. Do not cut to size or staple.
- A copy of your last Employment Authorization Document (EAD) if applicable
- A check for $340 payable to U.S. Dept. of
Homeland Security. Note that USCIS will use an electronic transfer when processing your payment. You will not receive a copy of your cancelled check, but will be able to track your payment on your bank statement.
After making copies of all the above documents, staple all the documents listed above and send by certified mail with a return receipt or a courier service to the USCIS Service Center that services the address listed on your I-765. Those with addresses in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, your application should be sent to
USCIS Service Center, 75 Lower Welden Street, St. Albans, VT 05479-0001. If other, consult with OISS to learn where to send your application.
AFTER MAILING YOUR APPLICATION
Request for Additional Documentation
Occasionally a student will receive a request for further evidence from immigration at the time their application is reviewed. These requests are typically due to documentation that may have been omitted such as a copy of both front and back of I-94 or new photographs. If you receive such a request (normally a blue sheet of paper) simply reply to USCIS directly with the requested documents, including the original blue sheet placed on top. If you do not understand the USCIS request, contact OISS. Make copies of your materials before you mail them, and send the reply by return receipt mail.
Checking the Progress of Your OPT Application
USCIS will be sending you a notice (Form I-797) stating they have received your application. This is your receipt so take care not to lose it. This receipt will have your case number printed on it in the following format EAC##########. With the receipt number, you can track the progress of your application at the USCIS website - https://egov.immigration.gov/graphics/cris/jsps/caseStat.jsp. Note that USCIS will use an electronic transfer when processing your payment. You will not receive a copy of your cancelled check, but will be able to track your payment on your bank statement. If the payment has not cleared your bank within four weeks please contact OISS.
OPT Application Approval
First you will receive a paper notification (From I-797A) from USCIS. Within a day or two you will receive a small photo identification card, called an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). This card will state the type and length of the period of employment authorized. When you receive this card, you must check it to make certain all the information is correct. If there are errors, please consult with OISS immediately to determine whether the card needs to be returned for corrections.
When OPT Employment is Permitted
Generally you may only begin employment once you have the EAD (Employment Authorization Card) in your possession. In some cases the I-797A (OPT approval notice) may grant you permission to work for up to and only a 30 day period, pending receipt of the EAD card. The web confirmation will not suffice as evidence of eligibility for employment. You may only work within the dates printed on the card. Graduating students are not permitted to work on campus after graduation, unless the job qualifies under OPT, and falls within the dates of the EAD card.
Reporting Requirements After Graduation
During your OPT period you continue to hold F-1 status sponsored by Yale. As such, you must follow certain regulations. Your F-1 record remains in the government database, SEVIS. Any changes listed below must be reported to OISS, so that your SEVIS record is updated.
- your current address (where you physically reside) within ten days of a change (report the change to the OISS website directly http://www.oiss.yale.edu/sevis/addr.asp
- changes in your name or your dependent's name(s)
- intention of transferring from your OPT to another F-1 program in the U.S.
- change of visa status (e.g. F to H, F to J, etc.)
Travel After Graduation While Waiting for OPT Approval
After completion of studies, DO NOT leave the country without first receiving your EAD. Once you have graduated, you are required to show your EAD along with your other immigration documents in order to be permitted to reenter the United States. Printed on the EAD card will be the statement not valid for reentry. This statement means that you must have ALL documentation listed below in order to travel and return to the United States after graduation. In many cases students will also need to apply for a new F-1 visa stamp before they may return to the U.S. If you have an employer who has filed for H-1B on your behalf, no travel is recommended in F-1 status. The following is a list of required documents to re-enter the U.S. using OPT after graduation:
- a valid Form I-20, signed on page 3 by an OISS advisor(the signature should not be more than six months old at the time of reentry to the United States)
- a valid passport
- a valid F-1 visa stamp in the passport
- valid EAD card, evidence of a job offer, evidence of resumption of employment, or if not yet employed, evidence that you are searching for employment
 
|
 |
