USA OPT Guide for Nepali Students explains how Optional Practical Training provides temporary employment directly related to the F-1 student’s major, how the DSO recommendation and Form I-765 process work, when employment can begin and how pre-completion use, unemployment, reporting, transfer and new study affect authorisation. An OPT application or job offer alone does not permit work.
Information checked on 24 July 2026 using current USCIS, ICE and DHS guidance. Filing windows, fees and form editions can change, so use the current USCIS instructions.
OPT requirements at a glance
| OPT requirement | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Study history | The one-full-academic-year eligibility rule is met |
| Training link | Employment is directly related to the major |
| DSO action | OPT recommendation is entered in SEVIS |
| USCIS filing | Form I-765 is timely and complete |
| Work start | The EAD is approved and its start date has arrived |
| Reporting | Address and employment changes reach the DSO |
| Unemployment | The applicable cumulative limit is monitored |
Understand what OPT is
OPT is temporary practical training directly related to the student’s major area of study. It can be authorised before or after degree completion.
The job title alone does not prove the relationship. Keep a clear explanation connecting duties to knowledge and skills from the degree.
Check the academic-year requirement
F-1 students generally need one full academic year of lawful full-time enrolment at an eligible SEVP-certified institution before practical training begins.
Students in English-language training programs are not eligible for OPT.
Understand the 12-month allowance
An eligible student may receive up to 12 months of OPT at an education level. A later higher level can create eligibility for another 12-month period.
Prior pre-completion OPT at the same level reduces the post-completion OPT available.
Understand pre-completion OPT
Pre-completion OPT occurs before the program end date. While school is in session, it cannot exceed 20 hours per week.
During eligible annual vacation or other periods when school is not in session, it may exceed 20 hours if the student remains eligible and intends to register for the next term.
Understand post-completion OPT
Post-completion OPT begins after the academic program and is commonly requested for up to the remaining 12-month allocation.
The requested start date must fit the allowed post-program window, but USCIS adjudication can make the actual authorisation begin later.
Meet the filing window
USCIS states that post-completion OPT can be filed no earlier than 90 days before the program end date and no later than 60 days after it.
Within that broader window, USCIS must receive the filing no more than 30 days after the DSO enters the OPT recommendation in SEVIS. Confirm the live rule and date calculation.
Request the DSO recommendation first
The DSO reviews eligibility, enters the recommendation and issues an updated Form I-20. Check the recommendation type and requested dates.
The recommendation is not an employment authorisation. Form I-765 still requires USCIS approval.
File the current Form I-765
Use the current USCIS form, instructions, fee and filing method. Include the required identity, status and DSO-endorsed Form I-20 evidence.
Keep the complete submission, payment confirmation and receipt notice. A rejected filing may not preserve a deadline.
Track the USCIS case
Monitor the receipt, requests for evidence, address and decision through official channels. Respond by the stated deadline with accurate documents.
Do not pay an unofficial person who promises a guaranteed approval or hidden acceleration.
Wait for the EAD and start date
USCIS says OPT employment cannot begin until the date on the Employment Authorization Document. An approved application with a future date still requires waiting.
A job offer, pending case or DSO recommendation alone does not permit work.
Check every EAD field
Review the name, category, validity dates and card details. Follow USCIS instructions for an error or non-delivery.
Give the employer the lawful work-eligibility documents required for Form I-9 without surrendering originals unnecessarily.
Choose employment related to the major
The duties, not just the employer’s industry, must relate directly to the degree. Keep the offer, job description and a written relationship explanation.
If the role changes materially, reassess the degree connection and report the update.
Meet the employment-hours standard
Post-completion OPT employment generally needs to total at least 20 hours per week to stop unemployment accrual under the applicable rules.
Multiple qualifying roles may be possible, but each must be related to the major and properly reported.
Monitor unemployment days
Standard post-completion OPT has a cumulative maximum of 90 days of unemployment. Days can accumulate between the EAD start and qualifying work, and between jobs.
Keep a calendar and evidence of each employment period. Do not invent a role to avoid unemployment.
Report employment and address changes
Students must report required name, address and employment changes through the DSO or authorised reporting system within the applicable timeframe.
Keep confirmation and ensure employer name, address, dates and job relationship are accurate.
Check unpaid training carefully
USCIS recognises some unpaid or volunteer arrangements for standard OPT when they comply with labour law, relate to the degree and meet the required weekly activity.
Obtain written duties, supervision and hours. An invented volunteer letter is not lawful employment.
Understand travel during OPT
International travel can require a valid passport, visa, endorsed Form I-20, EAD and employment evidence. A pending application or unemployment can add risk.
Ask the DSO and review current government guidance before booking.
Understand transfer and new study
USCIS states that OPT automatically ends when the SEVIS record transfers to another school or the student begins a new degree level.
Coordinate the release or change date with the DSO and employer before taking action.
Understand the post-OPT grace period
After completing an authorised post-completion OPT period, an eligible student may have a 60-day grace period to depart, transfer, change education level or pursue another authorised status action.
Employment is not permitted merely because the grace period exists.
Recognise the STEM extension as separate
Eligible graduates with a qualifying STEM degree and employer may apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension. It requires separate eligibility, Form I-983, DSO recommendation and timely Form I-765 filing.
Do not assume every science-sounding major or employer qualifies.
OPT warning signs
- Form I-765 is filed before the DSO recommendation
- The filing misses the 30-day recommendation window
- Work begins before the EAD start date
- The job has no documented relationship to the major
- Employment changes are not reported
- Unemployment days are not tracked
- A transfer or new degree begins without checking OPT termination
OPT application workflow
- Check eligibility. Confirm level, academic year and CPT history.
- Plan dates. Map program end and filing windows.
- Request DSO action. Obtain the recommended Form I-20.
- File Form I-765. Use the current form, fee and evidence.
- Wait for authorisation. Do not work before the EAD date.
- Report employment. Keep addresses, dates and degree relation current.
- Monitor limits. Track unemployment, travel and transitions.
Frequently asked questions
Does the DSO approve OPT?
The DSO recommends OPT, but USCIS decides Form I-765 and issues the EAD.
Can I work while OPT is pending?
Not on the pending application alone. Wait for approval and the EAD start date.
When can post-completion OPT be filed?
USCIS describes a window from 90 days before to 60 days after the program end, with an additional deadline tied to the DSO recommendation.
How many unemployment days are allowed?
Standard post-completion OPT allows a cumulative maximum of 90 days.
Does starting a new degree end OPT?
Yes. Beginning a new education level or transferring the SEVIS record terminates the existing OPT.
Official sources
- USCIS: practical training and filing
- ICE: practical training
- DHS: F-1 OPT
- USCIS: Form I-765
- DHS: Form I-983 and STEM OPT
OPT planning support in Nepal
For a visible pre-departure review of the program, Form I-20 dates, practical-training claims and DSO questions, use MKS Education study in the USA guidance. For GRE, GMAT, SAT, IELTS or PTE preparation connected to the degree plan, compare current support at MKS Prep. The DSO and USCIS remain final for OPT.