What OPT is
OPT is temporary work authorization tied to your F-1 status that lets you work in a job directly related to your major, most commonly for 12 months after you complete your degree (post-completion OPT). It is authorized by the federal immigration agency, not by an employer, and you can start a job only once you have the physical work-authorization card in hand.
The timeline
You can apply for post-completion OPT as early as 90 days before your program end date and as late as 60 days after. The application takes weeks to months to process, so start with the international student office the semester before you finish. Applying late — or after the 60-day window — means losing the opportunity entirely.
The rules while on OPT
Your job must relate to your degree, and you report your employer and any changes to the international office so they can update your SEVIS record. There is a strict limit on total unemployment days during the 12 months (accumulate too many and your status ends). Keep evidence that each job is degree-related.
The STEM extension
If your degree is on the federal STEM list — many engineering, computing, and science programs at Porter qualify — you may apply for a 24-month extension of post-completion OPT, for a total of three years. It requires an E-Verify employer, a formal training plan, and additional reporting. The international office confirms whether your specific program is eligible.
Pre-completion OPT
You can also use OPT part-time while still enrolled (pre-completion OPT), but any time used this way is subtracted from your 12 months of post-completion authorization. Most students save it all for after graduation.
How it connects to a longer stay
OPT is a bridge, not a permanent status. Many students use the OPT year (or the STEM extension) while an employer sponsors a work visa. Talk to the international office and, for the sponsorship itself, an immigration attorney — the university advises on OPT, not on visa petitions.
Fictional information
UW–Porter Falls is a work of parody. Every office, person, building, phone number and statistic on this page is invented; nothing here describes a real institution or a service you can actually contact.