Your Guide to OPT — and a Free Tool to Help You Pick the Perfect Dates
Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a great opportunity when studying in the U.S. on an F-1 visa. It allows you to gain practical experience in a job directly related to your field of study for up to 12 months after graduation — and if you’re in a STEM field, you may be eligible for an additional 24-month extension. That means you could gain valuable U.S. work experience, a chance to apply your classroom skills in the real world, and get an edge when building your career.
The process has two key steps to apply:
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Request an OPT I-20 from your school’s international office.
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Submit your OPT application to USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services).
Sounds simple, but here’s the tricky part: choosing your OPT start date and knowing exactly when to apply. Apply too early or too late, and you could risk delays or lose work time.
That’s why Homebase created a free OPT Date Calculator. Just enter your I-20 Program End Date, and it will give you an estimated application timeline and recommended start date. While your school’s processing time for issuing an OPT I-20 may vary, the calculator gives you a starting point so you can plan ahead with confidence.
If you’re preparing for OPT, don’t guess the dates — calculate them.
To learn more about OPT, you can watch this overview video:
OPT Timeline: When exactly, is the earliest an F-1 student can apply for OPT? What about the latest? There are many rules governing this, but with our tool, you can easily calculate based on the I-20 Program End Date. You should get this date from their international services office or your I-20 before using the calculator!
OPT Start Date: The exact date an F-1 student can use as the beginning of their OPT period is often not clear, based on when the “60-day grace period” ends. Homebase’s calculator will help provide the date range during which they can request the start date for their OPT when applying to USCIS.
