U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that F-1 students can now file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, online if they are filing for pre-completion OPT, post-completion OPT, or 24-month OPT STEM extension. OPT is temporary employment that is directly related to an F-1 student’s major area of study. Eligible students can apply to receive up to 12 months of OPT employment authorization before completing their academic studies (pre-completion) and/or after completing their academic studies (post-completion). Eligible F-1 students who receive STEM degrees may apply for a 24-month extension of their post-completion OPT.
As per USCIS: The option to file Form I-765 online is only available to F-1 students filing Form I-765 for OPT. If an applicant submits Form I-765 online to request employment authorization on or after April 15 but is eligible for a different employment authorization category, USCIS will deny the application and retain the fee.
The online filing allows applicants to submit forms electronically, check the status of their case anytime from anywhere, and receive notices from USCIS online instead of waiting for them in the mail.
Please contact us directly if you have any questions relating to F1 related employment authorization or if you need help sponsoring workers for H1B visas for the fiscal year 2023.
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If you have any questions or concerns about the information provided above, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Luke Bowman
The Law offices of Luke Bowman