Determining Your OPT Start Date
Q. What date should I put as the start date for post graduation Optional Practical Training?
A. That depends on your plans. Optional Practical Training must begin no later than 60 days following your graduation date.
Last Day for Optional Practical Training to begin:
May 2007 graduates last day: July 18, 2007
August 2007 graduates last day: October 15, 2007
May 19, 2007 July 18, 2007
Keep in mind that:
• Spring applications for OPT may take 10-12 weeks to process at the Service Centers
• If you have a job offer, consider when you need to start work
Example of date choice:
Starting Date:June 3, 2007 Ending Date: June 2, 2008
Q. My I-20 completion date is after May 2007, but I will graduate in May, do I have extra time to start Optional Practical Training?
A. No. The dates for post-graduation OPT must follow the guidelines described above.
The I-20 completion date is the time you have to finish your program of study. This date (on page 1 of your I-20, item 5) is the date you must graduate by or apply for extension of stay. It is not a date determining the start of OPT.