Applying for Post-Completion OPT is a five-step process.
Step One
Complete this online application form. Please read the form carefully to learn about the timeline and how to select a date for your OPT. This form will be routed to your academic advisor for a signature.
Step Two
Please gather these materials:
- E-Notification of Application, USCIS form G-1145 (Optional).
- Form I-765, typed, printed, and signed in ink. Your eligibility category is (c)(3)(B). It is your responsibility to correctly fill and file form I-765.
- 2 brand new passport-style photos with your last name and I-94# printed lightly on the back in pencil. Place the photos in a small envelope.
- A check for $410 made out to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security.”
- Photocopies of all your previous I-20s.
- A photocopy of your passport bio and visa pages.
- Your I-94.
- Photocopies of any previous EAD cards you have received.
Step Three
Once your online application has been received by Lesley's International Student Services Office, we will reach out to make a video appointment with you to go over your next steps. During that video appointment, we will review all of your materials and you will prepare a packet to mail to USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services).
Step Four
- USCIS form G-1145 (not needed if applying online)
- Form I-765, with your check, and the envelope with your photos paper clipped to the first page
- Photocopies of all previous I-20s, including your new OPT I-20, in reverse chronological order (your new OPT I-20 should be first)
- A photocopy of your passport bio and visa pages
- Your I-94
- Photocopies of any previous EAD cards you have ever received
Our office will provide information on both the OPT on-line and paper applications when we issue you the OPT I-20. Above documents are needed for either the online or paper application
Mailing your application
If you are using the US Postal Service, mail to:
USCIS
PO Box 805373
Chicago, IL 60680
If you are using FedEx, UPS, or DHL, mail to:
USCIS
Attn: 1-765 C03
131 South Dearborn, 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517
Your application must be received at USCIS within 30 days of the day your OPT I-20 was created.
Step Five
A few weeks after you mail your application, you will get an I-797 receipt in the mail from USCIS. If you requested file form G-1145, you will receive email and text message notification as well. You should keep your receipt. OPT Processing can take 2 to 5 months. When it is approved, you will receive an EAD card in the mail. Once you receive your EAD, you must let Lesley's International Student Services Office know by scanning and emailing a copy of the card to iss@lesley.edu. You may not start working until you have received your EAD and the start date is reached.
If you do not receive your I-797 receipt within 4 weeks of applying, and if you do not receive your EAD within 90 days of applying, or you receive any other correspondence from USCIS (U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services), please email us at iss@lesley.edu.
Once you start working, you must remember to update Lesley's International Student Services Office through your SEVP Portal or via the Employment Report Form.