If you are considering applying for pre-completion OPT, you should first set up an advising appointment with your ISSS advisor. Your advisor will discuss:

• eligibility requirements and application procedures
• pre-completion OPT versus other options
• impact on future employment benefits, including post-completion OPT
• current processing timelines and processing issues

Pre-completion OPT may be an appropriate choice if:

• You expect to find, or intend to seek, a temporary training or job offer related to your major field of study
• Other F-1 employment options, such as post-completion OPT, Curricular Practical Training (CPT), unforeseen economic hardship employment, or international organization internship employment, are not appropriate or available
• You have at least three or four months to plan ahead, since the pre-completion OPT processing times can be extended; or you have sufficient funds to allow for premium processing of your application

PhD Students: PhD students on a teaching or research appointment should consult with both ISSS and the Graduate School to determine if they are eligible to accept off-campus employment.

In order to apply for pre-completion OPT, you will need to submit a request to ISSS before proceeding further. 

• In the request, you will need to decide whether to request part-time (up to 20 hours per week) or full-time (over 20 hours per week); note that full-time pre-completion OPT is permitted only during school breaks
• In addition, you will need to choose a start and end date for your pre-completion OPT period

Keep in mind that USCIS may take 4 months or longer to process pre-completion OPT application; choose your start date and end dates carefully.

To request your pre-completion OPT I-20, log into the ISSS Gateway to submit your request. Please allow up to ten business days for processing.

Once you have received your I-20, download the form and sign it in the “Student Certification” section at the bottom of page 1. Contact your advisor if you have any questions about the OPT recommendation on the form.

Once you have received your Form I-20 from ISSS, you should review the form for accuracy, including your pre-completion OPT dates and whether it has been issued for part-time or full-time OPT. 

If all the information is current, sign it at the bottom of page one, and proceed to prepare your Form I-765 application for USCIS. Do not submit your application to USCIS without first getting an updated I-20 from ISSS recommending you for pre-completion OPT. Otherwise, your application will be denied and you will lose both the filing fee and time it takes for USCIS to respond to you.

Filing Tips

• ISSS recommends that you file your application as soon as possible after receiving your pre-completion OPT I-20 from ISSS, and no later than 30 days after the OPT I-20 was issued
• You must be inside the U.S. when you submit your application to USCIS
• ISSS generally recommends filing your I-765 application online, rather than using the the paper version of Form I-765, as the online version charges a lower application fee, and allows for immediate delivery confirmation
• When filing the application, be sure to use the correct eligibility category for pre-completion OPT, which is (C)(3)(A)

Application Components

The following are the required components for Your Form I-765 application. If filing online, you will need to prepare clear PDF or JPEG copies for uploading. Please be sure that your copies (digital or paper) are clear and readable.

• Completed and signed Form I-765 (the online version permits a digital signature) 
• All three pages of your pre-completion OPT I-20 - be sure that you have signed the Student Certification section at the bottom of page 1
• Two recent 2" x 2" passport photos (print or digital) taken within the past 30 days - use the photo tool on the linked page to check your photos
• Your I-94 admission record showing the correct class of admission (F-1) [or change of status approval notice showing that your status was successfully changed to F-1 status]
• Your passport ID page
• Your F-1 visa, if applicable
• Any previously issued I-20(s) for CPT and/or OPT, if applicable
• Any previously issued Employment Authorization Document (EAD) cards, if applicable
• Filing fee - check the USCIS Filing Fee Schedule for the correct fee
  • If you are filing your application using the paper form, you will need to provide a credit card authorization form using Form G-1450; if you are filing online, you will submit payment once you have completed the online application and uploaded your attachments

Premium Processing

USCIS offers an optional premium processing service that typically expedites USCIS processing timeframes to a shorter window of 30 days after your application has completed the biometrics process (see next step). At the end of the processing, USCIS will issue an approval or denial. USCIS may also, in certain circumstances, issue a Request for Evidence (RFE) or a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID).  The response will be the issuance of an approval notice, a denial notice, a notice of intent to deny, or a request for evidence. To check the premium processing service fee, go to the Fee Schedule page and search for the fee associated with F-1 OPT applicants for Form I-765.

You can choose to pay for premium processing at the same time you file your I-765 application, or upgrade your application to premium process at a later date, after your I-765 has been received by USCIS.

Effective December 12, 2025, USCIS is requiring I-765 applicants to attend a biometrics service appointment (BSA) at a USCIS Application Support Center. Accordingly, after you submit your I-765 application, you may receive a notice to attend a BSA. Please check your myUSCIS account and/or your mail for a biometrics notice. You may also check the status of your case using the USCIS Case Status Online web site.

The closest Application Support Center to Brown is in Cranston.

If you are using premium processing, in general the premium processing “clock” only starts once you have completed your biometrics appointment.

Once USCIS processes and approves your application, you will be sent an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card. You may not start work until you receive your EAD card, and until the start date on the card has been reached.

Once you receive your EAD card and start working, you should upload a copy of your EAD card into the ISSS Gateway. You should also report your employment information, including:

• Name of Employer (company name) 
• Date you began working with this employer 
• Employer's address (worksite address)
• Supervisor’s First and Last Name:  
• Supervisor’s Telephone Number:  
• Supervisor Email Address:  
• Briefly describe how this employment is related to your field of study

If you change, end, or add employers during your pre-completion OPT period, notify ISSS so that the appropriate updates can be made to your SEVIS record.

Unemployment Time

Under pre-completion OPT, you are not ‘penalized’ for any time that you do not have employment. However, any time approved by USCIS and reflected on your EAD card that you do not use is still counted and deducted from your 12 months of OPT eligibility.

Hourly Restrictions

Please keep in mind that your OPT was recommended for either part-time or full-time. Part-time OPT restricts you to 20 hours per week throughout the duration of your EAD card. Full-time OPT allows you to work more than 20 hours per week. Refer to your pre-completion OPT I-20 to confirm your hourly restrictions.