USCIS Announces On-Line Filing of OPT Applications

4/12/2021 - THIS IS A DEVELOPING ANNOUNCEMENT. PLEASE EXPECT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

Dear F-1 students:

Today, on April 12, 2021 the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced that it will start accepting on-line Form I-765 applications from F-1 students for optional practical training, including standard post-completion OPT and the 24-month STEM extension of OPT. On-line filing of Form I-765 will require students to first create a USCIS account, after which they can then submit the required forms, fees, and other materials needed. The on-line process will also allow students to track their applications and respond to requests for additional evidence, if needed.

USCIS has indicated that it will continue to accept paper applications and that use of the on-line application format is not required. In addition, USCIS has also advised schools that processing of on-line applications is not anticipated to be faster than processing of paper applications, except for some time savings involved in the mailing and delivery of applications to a USCIS lockbox.

The International Center is waiting for further detailed instructions from USCIS about what students should expect with on-line processing of I-765 applications for OPT or the STEM extension of OPT. Once we have additional details, we will update our guidelines and instructions accordingly.

Sincerely,

Tufts International Center

April 14, 2021

Based on incoming information, the International Center recommends the following:

• Students who have already submitted the application for Optional Practical Training to USCIS should not submit a second application to USCIS using the on-line process. You can only apply once for the benefit through either the paper or on-line method. If you have already applied for OPT and are simply waiting for the application to be processed, the International Center cannot directly withdraw your application. You must contact USCIS yourself and withdraw your original application. We do not recommend taking this step as it is unlikely to create any advantage in terms of time savings or other benefits.
• If you have not yet submitted your OPT application, you may choose either the paper or on-line method. At this time, the International Center is unable to provide direct guidance on the on-line method; as more information becomes available we hope to be able to provide more detailed guidance.
• For both application methods (paper and on-line), you must still obtain a new OPT I-20 from the International Center. Applying for OPT on-line does NOT mean you can skip the process of getting a new I-20 with an OPT recommendation from the International Center first. You should follow our F-1 instructions on OPT.

Please look for more guidance in the near future as we learn more about the on-line OPT filing process.

Sincerely,

Tufts International Center