In addition, delaying your application will not allow you to stay longer in the US. If you want to travel while your STEM OPT application is pending and you will return from the US before your post-completion OPT end date, then you are fine to travel as long as you have all alumni travel documents. Please also know that once you receive your new OPT I-20 from NYU, USCIS must receive your complete OPT application within 30 days of when your OPT I-20 was issued and within 60 days of your completion date as listed on your I-20. Your job should be directly related to your NYU major. How many hours is 60 days.fr. If you're not sure if your NYU job is considered professional level, ask your hiring department. For example, if your completion date is May 20, your OPT can start anywhere from May 21 at the earliest and July 18 at the latest.
If you can't make that connection, then you should not be working at that job for OPT. Please also include a copy of your receipt notice from the USCIS on your OPT application. I didn't receive my "OPT card" by mail. How many hours is 60 days grace. You can work at NYU while on OPT as long as your job is considered professional level and is not a student job. If you receive any correspondence from USCIS while your OPT application is pending, you need to know what they have sent you. You can find this phone number on your receipt notice. I received a notice from USCIS that I need to send them more information.
OPT Frequently Asked Questions. If you will be moving but haven't received your card yet you will most likely need to change your address with the US government. During the current COVID-19 crisis, the US government has indicated that remote employment may be counted for OPT purposes as long as a student's employer has an office outside of the United States or the employer can assess student engagement using electronic means. This means that if you use up 60 days of unemployment time looking for a job in the beginning, you only have 30 days of unemployment time for the remainder of your OPT period. What do I do to get it? I'm trying to complete my OPT application. All students in F-1 status who have not yet accrued ninety days of unemployment during the post-completion OPT time period have up to sixty days after their OPT end date to remain legally in the United States.
Go to the US government's website to check your USCIS CASE Status Online:. We will review the reason for the letter together and help you prepare the requested document(s). What happens if I reach my unemployment limit and I can't go home because of travel restrictions? Can I be outside the US while it's pending? Current guidance from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement provides no confirmation that applying from outside the United States is permissible despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Which date should I select for the start date? By applying early, you can avoid the risks that come from an OPT request being denied after the grace period has ended.
In other words, if you still haven't finished your degree at NYU, as indicated on your I-20, then travel is the same as it has been; you'll need to bring with you the same documents we normally recommend you have with you when you travel: your most recent I-20 signed on page 3 for travel (on page 2 for I-20s issued 6/29/15 and later), your passport, and a valid F-1 visa. What do I do if I think it's lost? You must reply to USCIS within a specified period of time if you receive an RFE. You can also call the USCIS Customer Service Center for the status of your application at 1-800-375-5283. Create an inquiry with USCIS.
Will time spent working remotely outside the United States count towards my unemployment limit? For Field Office or Service Center, most of our students' applications go to the Potomac Service Center. I plan to move and I haven't received my "OPT card" yet. Is furlough considered unemployment that will then count towards my maximum unemployment days?
They have not specified a minimum number of hours that must be worked. On occasion students receive requests for further information/evidence (also known as an "RFE") from USCIS regarding their application. However, if you think it will be challenging to find a job, you should select a later start date to ensure you do not waste your OPT time. You can also get a letter from your job supervisor indicating how your degree is essential for your position. We can only request a courtesy inquiry and there is no guarantee that they will consider our request. OGS handles all NYU OPT applications and works as fast as possible to issue OPT I-20s. Can I work at NYU while on OPT? If you are applying for post-completion OPT, your start date should be one to sixty days after your completion date. I am now working fewer than 20 hours per week due to the COVID-19 situation. If the card is lost, and USCIS cannot simply resend it to you, then you will have to apply for a replacement card. They could potentially interpret any days the employee is on furlough as contributing to days of unemployment, therefore we believe it safest for students to try to secure some other volunteer work consisting of at least 20 hours per week in their field of study to prevent the accrual of further potential unemployment days. You can also review the government's policy guidance on OPT. If, however, neither of these options are possible for you, we encourage you to schedule an online advising appointment to discuss whether changing from F-1 to another status in the United States may be a viable option for you.
I need to change my mailing address. You can find further details, including eligibility requirements on our STEM OPT extension page. Please note, the soonest we can check with USCIS on your behalf is 15 days after the date you last contacted them. US government guidance has indicated that there is not currently any flexibility on extending the grace period for F-1 students. To correct the error, follow these instructions. If your application has been pending for more than 5 months from the day the US government received your application, we suggest you take the following actions: - Check the status of your application on the USCIS website. Keep in mind that the 90 days of unemployment is for the entire OPT period. What options exist for me? If you do not reply to them by their specified deadline, your application would then be at risk for being denied. If you are unable to leave the US due to travel restrictions, please schedule an online advising appointment so that we can discuss your options. Please also see our information on post-completion OPT employment types.
First, we recommend that you have someone you know and trust monitor your mail in the US if you choose to travel. Often a job posting or advertisement will include the kinds of degrees the employer believes will be well suited to the advertised position. Yes, you can be outside of the US while your OPT application is pending with USCIS, but there are always risks associated with this. If you are using someone else's address, be sure to fill out "In Care of for Mailing, C/O" section. Do I still need handwritten signature on my I-765 form or can it be a digital signature? That said, we have earlier seen USCIS reduce processing time for some applications when we have submitted courtesy inquiries. Therefore, we recommend you continue to adhere to the current rules on maximum days of unemployment. If you are having issues with your EAD being lost or misdirected, consider completing this USCIS case assistance request form. Remember, your OPT is not linked to one employer; this means that you can have more than one employer while on OPT as long as every job you have is directly related to your major.
If you have a trusted roommate or family member at the address listed on your OPT application and that person will be able to check your mail and will contact you immediately if anything arrives, ensure that you can still receive mail there and if so keep that address. What if USCIS makes an error on my EAD (OPT card)? You still need to have a handwritten signature with a pen--not a digital or electronic signature. If you would like to provide consent for an advisor at OGS to speak with USCIS about your issues, please upload a signed statement indicating your consent for OGS staff to speak with USCIS. Can I send it from outside of the US? If you are currently on post-completion OPT and you have an employer interested in sponsoring you for an H-1B work visa, you may also be eligible to apply for a Cap Gap Extension.
For December graduates, that means you should apply by mid September; for May graduates, by mid February. How does this impact my OPT? Once there, click "Change of Address" and follow the instructions.