You are not eligible to continue working on-campus at Boston University after the completion of your program of study unless, you

1. are hired into a new position through standard BU payroll that involves duties directly related to your program of study and
2. have received your EAD and will work within your authorized employment date

If you are a BU student offered employment at BU after completion of your program, you will no longer be paid through the Student Employment Office. If you are hired on campus as a researcher, faculty member, regular employee or casual employee, you become an ISSO Dual Client – both our “student” and our “scholar.” You will still work with your International Student Advisor for F-1 processing, but you must also check-in with the ISSO Scholar Advising team and complete a new I-9 to be paid through BU Payroll. See our information on ISSO Dual Clients for questions about ISSO services and the steps you will need to take with each ISSO team.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requires all students in F-1 status granted Optional Practical Training employment authorization to report the name and address of their OPT location/employer. You must also report the end date of employment as well as if your employment is interrupted at any point.

You must report all changes to your employer information through the Request Center in the ISSOPortal. The ISSO will then forward these updates to SEVIS. You can also verify your employer information in the SEVP Portal while on post-completion OPT.

You must continue to report changes to your US and foreign residence within 10 days by initiating a Contact Information Update in the ISSOPortal. The ISSO will then forward these updates to SEVIS. Failure to report a name or address change could be considered a violation of F-1 status and may result in termination of your OPT.

If you are approved for post-completion OPT, you may not accrue more than an aggregate of 90 days of unemployment during the entire 12-month OPT period. You must be engaged in at least 20 hours of OPT activity per week to count as active employment; periods with activity of less than 20 hours per week will be counted toward unemployment accrual.

We strongly recommend that you keep thorough and accurate records of your OPT experience/employment in case you are ever required to show proof of your OPT activities.

There are no restrictions on the maximum hours you may work once you have been authorized for post-completion OPT; you may work part-time (more than 20 hours per week), full-time or overtime, and may work for multiple employers. You may only work after receipt of the EAD, only for the dates as specified on the EAD, and only in the field of study related to the degree on which you OPT was recommended. More information about experiences that count as “employment” for OPT purposes is outlined on our website.

You should consult with an ISSO advisor BEFORE traveling outside the U.S. if you have applied for OPT to begin after the completion of your studies. You should not travel outside the U.S. after completing your studies until after you have received your EAD.

In order to reenter the U.S. in F-1 status during OPT after completion of studies, you will need their EAD, Form I-20 with the OPT endorsement, a travel signature less than six months old signed after receiving the EAD, a valid F-1 visa, and a valid passport. You should also carry proof of your employment or other valid OPT activity, or a job offer. If you have not yet secured OPT employment in your major field, we would advise you not to travel abroad after your degree completion as you may not be readmitted to the U.S. in F-1 status.

You can continue to request a travel signature from the Request Center in the ISSOPortal. Check the ISSO Current Travel Advisory for updated traval guidance.

Your F-1 status and your authorization for OPT is automatically terminated if:

1. you are physically absent from the U.S. for more than five months or,
2. if you are admitted to the U.S. in another immigration status (such as entry as a B-2 visitor)
3. if you accrue more than 90 days of unemployment

F-1 regulations do not permit for you to begin a new program of study during OPT. Check with your ISSO Advisor in advance as it may be permissible for you to take a non-credit online course or enroll in a vocational course. Your OPT employment authorization will be automatically terminated if you officially transfer your SEVIS record to another school or begin study at another educational level.

If you graduate with certain majors in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), you may be eligible for an extension of your OPT authorization, provided you are also working for a qualified employer. The ISSO provides detailed information about the OPT STEM extension benefit.

Your F-1 status and OPT employment authorization will be extended if you are the beneficiary of a timely filed H-1B petition requesting change of status and an employment start date of October 1st of the following fiscal year. This benefit applies to all students on post-completion OPT. The extension of status and work authorization automatically terminates upon the rejection, denial or revocation of the H-1B petition filed on your behalf. You should make an appointment with your ISSO Student Advisor — prior to the expiration of their OPT — to discuss how they can take advantage of “cap-gap” provisions.

Once you have completed your period of post-completion OPT, you are permitted to remain in the United States for up to sixty days in order to prepare for departure from the U.S. You are not permitted to continue employment during this period. While travel within the U.S. is permitted during the grace period, departure from the country and reentry in F-1 status is not permitted during this time. Once you departs the U.S., your F-1 grace period is concluded.

If you intend to continue your education immediately following completion of OPT, you must obtain an I-20 for the new program of study within 60 days of the end of your OPT and must begin the new program of study within five (5) months of the end of your OPT. If your program of study will begin more than five months after the end of the OPT, you will need to leave the U.S. within the 60-day grace period and request a new “initial attendance” I-20 in order to reenter to begin the new program of study.

If your status changes while on OPT, you must notify ISSO by initiating a Report New Immigration Staus through the ISSOPortal.

If you intend to remain in the U.S. following completion of OPT and your primary purpose will not be full-time study, you may qualify to apply for a change of immigration status. Your ISSO advisor may be able to give general information about eligibility for change to another nonimmigrant status (such as H-1B or TN temporary nonimmigrant worker categories, or F-2 dependent category). General information about immigration status can be found on the USCIS web site.