Practical Training

Applying for Optional Practical Training

What International Students and Scholars Needs

Your passport
Proof that you have been in F-1 status for one academic year
Your current I-20
Copies of all previous I-20 forms, even those from previous schools.
Your I-94 (the small white card usually stapled in your passport). Note: The I-94 must show that you have completed "special registration" if required.
Form I-538 --available at the ISS. Note: Form must be completed in blue ink.
Form I-765--available at the ISS. Note: Form must be completed in blue ink. Versions prior to 5/27/08 are no longer accepted by USCIS.
A check for $340.00 (as of 10/10/07) made payable to "U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services"
Photocopies of previous EAD card IF YOU HAVE ONE
Two "passport photos." These can be obtained at any passport photo shop. (Print your name on the back of each picture).
A completed "Forward Mail" form from the L&C mailroom forwarding mail to MSC 192.

What the Student Needs To Do

Tell the International Students and Scholars office that you want to apply for practical training well before graduation (three months or more). This will allow your SEVIS record to be updated before your completion date is reached.
Attend the "Practical Training" workshop that is held each semester. This group meeting will provide you with basic information about practical training, eligibility, the application process, etc.
Obtain forms I-538 and I-765 from International Students and Scholars.
Complete section "A" only of form I-538. (See notes below).

#3: Student Admission Number, is your I-94 number.
#5: Level of Education..., is usually "Bachelor's Degree."
#6: Student's major field..., can list only one major on SEVIS but two majors on the I-538.
#7: Describe the proposed..., should be "No job yet, but I will look for a position related to my major."
#7: Under Beginning date, write the date you hope to begin work. (The date must be within 60 days of graduation). "
#8A: List any previous periods of curricular practical training, but make sure they are listed on the back of your I-20 form.
If applying for "Pre-completion practical training" , annotate Section 8A to read: "Pre-Completion OPT" and list dates.
Be sure to sign and date the form at the bottom of Section A.
Be sure to complete all forms in blue ink.

Complete all of form I-765. (See notes below).

Top: Check "Permission to accept employment."
#3: CAUTION! Do not use your L&C address or any address from which you might move within the next four months. The post office will NOT forward EADs. We suggest using the ISS office as your address. To do so, use the following:
- STUDENT NAME
  0615 SW PALATINE HILL RD, MSC 192/INT'L STUDENTS
  PORTLAND OR 97219-7899
#10: Use your I-94 number.
#16: Enter the following code exactly: "(C) (3) (B)
Sign the form.

Bring the completed forms, photographs and all items listed above (1-9) to International Students and Scholars.

ISS Staff Will (Check list)

___Check Section A of the I-538 to make sure that it is completed correctly.
___Complete and sign Section B of the I-538. (School file number is: P00 214F 0012.000)
___Check the I-765 to make sure it is the correct version (Rev. 5/27/08) and completed correctly.

Be sure to check "Permission to Accept Employment" at top of form.
Make sure the ISS address is used (See correct address above).
Codes for #16 are: (c)(3)(A) for PRE-Completion OPT, (c)(3)(B) for POST-Completion OPT, and (c)(3)(C) for 17-month extension for STEM students.
Make sure the student signed the form.

___ Remind the student about travel rules. Students can leave the US after filing the OPT application (e.g. to go to Canada or home on spring break), but should not leave the US after graduation until their EAD card arrives.
___ Register on SEVIS. Go to "OPT Request" and fill in information. Under Question #6 (How/Why OPT is relative to work), write: "Full time OPT in the field of ______ is recommended no sooner than (graduation date) and no later than (14 months after graduation date). Student requests 12 months of OPT from date of INS adjudication." (If exact dates are known and preferred, you may use those dates).
___ Be careful to use the correct "Program End Date." It should be dated the final day of exams in the student's last semester.
___Sign, the newly printed I-20 on page 1 and page 3.
___ Have the student sign page 1.
___Make one copy of everything:

I-538 (front and back) just for our records
I-765
Info pages of passport
Visa page of the passport
I-94 (front and back)
Newly printed I-20 (both pages)
All previous I-20 forms from all schools (front and back)
Previous EAD cards (front and back), if applicable
the pictures (with name printed on the back of each picture)
the check to US Dept. of Homeland Security ($340)

___Make one additional copy by running the photocopies again.
___Write the date that the forms are being sent on one copy and put it in the student's file.
___Put the original I-538 in the student's file. It is no longer mailed to Kentucky.
___Provide an updated list to the L&C mailroom showing who is expecting the EAD card.
___At end of school year, give the "Forward Mail" form to the L&C Mailroom so that mail will be sure to go to MSC 192.
___Mail the following to: US Department of Homeland Security, USCIS, Nebraska Service Center, PO BOX 87765, LINCOLN NE 68501-7765 (For courier, the address is: Department of Homeland Security, BCIS, ATTN BOX 87765, 850 S STREET, LINCOLN NE 68501-68501-7765)

Original I-765
Photocopy of newly issued I-20 ( both pages)
Copies of all previous I-20's (front and back) including those from previous schools.
Copy of passport information page
Copy of previous EAD cards (front and back), if applicable
Copy of F-1 visa page of the passport
Copy of I-94 (front and back)
Original pictures (in a small clear plastic envelope).
Check payable to USCIS

Notes

Only copies of the I-20 are sent to Lincoln.
Always mail in a manila envelop and put the check on top.
Use one paper clip, no staples.
It can take up to three months to receive the EAD card.
Your EAD will be mailed to whatever you list as your "mailing address" on form I-765. Think ahead. Will that still be your mailing address in three to eight weeks when your EAD is mailed to you?
Make sure the student signs the newly issued I-20 on page 1.

Important Information about Practical Training After Graduation

Optional practical training after graduation is designed to permit international students to gain practical experience in their major field of study. The Department of Homeland Security (formerly INS) permits international students to gain this experience during the year following their graduation.

Most international students find employment with a U.S. institution or company. Students who obtain permission to engage in practical training after graduation remain in F-1 student status, but may work legally and earn a salary.

The Department of Homeland Security requires international students to work in a position that is directly related to their major and commensurate with their educational level. Students who major in computer science may work at Intel or in the Information Technology Department of Nike, for example, but they must be employed in management-level positions (not as a receptionist, for example). Student who major in art may work at an art gallery, a museum, a graphic design company, or in the art department of Nike. A job offer is not required to apply for practical training after graduation. The Department of Homeland Security permits students to search for jobs during the one year of practical training.

In recent years, international students have engaged in practical training at Evergreen Airlines, the Oregon Health Sciences University, Epistat, Intel, and Arthur Anderson, depending on their major.

To qualify for optional practical training after graduation, F-1 students must apply within the following time period: no more than 120 days prior to graduation and no more than 60 days after graduation. Application is made through the Office of International Students and Scholars (ISS), which forwards applications to the Department of Homeland Security offices in Lincoln, Nebraska for adjudication. Approval often takes two to three months, so students are encouraged to apply early.

The regulations on travel while a practical training application is pending are complex. The Department of Homeland Security permits students who have applied for OPT, but not yet graduated, to travel abroad and return. However, after graduation, a student who has filed for OPT should NOT travel until the card is received.

IMPORTANT: Remember that you will not be covered by Lewis & Clark's student health insurance plan after you graduate. You should make arrangments with a private insurance company for insurance coverage during practical training. Confusion has arisen over this policy in the past, so pay careful attention. As a graduating student, you can apply directly to the L&C insurance company (not through the school) for one additional semester of coverage. If you graduate in May, you can apply and pay for coverage only for the summer. If you graduate in December, you can apply and pay for coverage for the next semester, through early May. The ISS Office can help with recommendations for insurance companies/policies.