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Post-Completion OPT allows students in F-1 status to work in their field of study for up to 12 months after completing all required coursework for their degree. OPT is a valuable benefit of the F-1 visa status that must be recommended by the student's (DSO). To apply for OPT work authorization, students must submit an application to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) with the recommendation from their DSO.

Students in F-1 status must apply directly to the USCIS for the OPT benefit, with assistance from a DSO at the international office of their degree-granting school. They can begin the application process up to 90 days before completing their required coursework. Any questions regarding the OPT application should be directed to the DSO at their degree-granting institution. Upon approval, the USCIS will issue the student an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), specifying the authorized work period.

The employee can commence work upon receipt of their Employment Authorization Document (EAD card), ensuring it falls within the OPT employment authorization period specified on the card.

The department should adhere to standard hiring procedures, as hiring an employee with Post-Completion OPT authorization does not require visa sponsorship. It is the employee’s responsibility to apply for work authorization directly with USCIS. To complete the Form I-9, employees in F-1 status using the Post-Completion OPT benefit must present their EAD.

Post-Completion OPT does not impose any immigration-related reporting requirements on the employer. It is the student's responsibility to report their employment with the assistance of their DSO.

Post-Completion OPT permits direct employment with an employer, such as CU Boulder. Additionally, individuals with approved Post-Completion OPT may engage in hire through 1099 employment, work through an agency, receive payment from multiple short-term employers, and even operate as self-employed business owners. A key aspect of OPT is that all employment undertaken while using this benefit must be directly related to the employee's major field of study.

In specific situations where it does not violate U.S. labor law, Post-Completion OPT permits volunteer work or unpaid internships.

A volunteer opportunity at CU Boulder needs to be a formally established volunteer activity. We recommend CU employers consult with the Dean of their respective colleges to ensure they understand labor law requirements and are willing to support volunteer research positions. If a CU Boulder department wishes to create a formal volunteer position, then ISSS recommends the CU Boulder department consult website for guidance in establishing a volunteer program. The volunteer guidelines will help ensure the project is formally recognized by the university as a volunteer work opportunity. Questions can be directed to: urmucbdirs@cu.edu.

The F-1 immigration record is maintained by the university from which the degree was obtained. If the employee’s most recent degree was not completed at CU Boulder, then the student must direct all immigration and OPT reporting questions to the DSO at the U.S. institution that maintains the immigration record.

If the employee’s most recent degree was not completed at CU Boulder, they must complete the upon arriving on campus.

All new international CU employees must complete a Sprintax Calculus profile to document their U.S. tax residency status with the International Tax Office. New employees will receive an invitation from CUIntlTax-noreply@Sprintax.com to activate their profile within approximately 14 days of their hire date. Please encourage your employee to complete this step as soon as possible.

Direct the hire to the ISSS Mandatory Income Tax Filing webpage for more information

Hiring an employee in an approved period of Post-Completion OPT offers several benefits:

• Employees with Post-Completion OPT authorization hold their own work authorization and do not require immediate visa sponsorship from CU Boulder. However, they may need sponsorship to continue working after their F-1 related work authorization expires.
• The hiring department is not responsible for paying any immigration-related fees for the employee to obtain work authorization.
• The hiring department does not have any additional reporting requirements mandated by the employee’s immigration status or related Post-Completion OPT benefit.

STEM OPT entails additional requirements beyond those of Post-Completion OPT:

• The student must hold a qualifying STEM degree and work for an E-Verify employer (such as CU Boulder, which is E-Verified!).
• Employment must align with the student's STEM major field of study.
• A bona-fide employer-employee relationship is necessary. STEM OPT does not allow for volunteer positions, unpaid positions, or self-employment.

Students in F-1 status must directly apply to USCIS for the STEM OPT benefit, with assistance from a at the international office of the school where they received their degree. They can apply as early as 90 days before their Post-Completion OPT period ends and USCIS must receive the 24-month OPT STEM Extension prior to the last day of their Post-Completion OPT period.

The F-1 immigration record is maintained by the university where the degree was completed. If the student did not earn the degree tied to the current OPT work authorization from CU Boulder, they must direct all immigration and OPT reporting questions to the home institution that holds the immigration record. The F-1 sponsoring university is responsible for reviewing the completed Form I-983 and issuing the Form I-20 with the STEM OPT Extension recommendation. The F-1 sponsoring university will determine if additional information or updates are needed on the I-983. Questions regarding the completion of Form I-983 should be directed to the sponsoring university’s DSO.

The OPT STEM Extension Form I-983 training plan must be completed by the employee on STEM OPT and their employer (their CU hiring department). The Form I-983 training plan describes their position/ training at CU Boulder, how their position relates to the student’s OPT STEM qualifying degree, the goals of the position, etc. provides an overview of the I-983.

The CU Boulder hiring department has discretion to designate the individual responsible for entering training information on the Form I-983, provided that all required signatories endorse the document. It is beneficial for the person entering this information to have familiarity with the position's goals and responsibilities.

For CU Boulder hires, ISSS provides some of the answers on the I-983 through the I-983 Guide for CU Hiring Departments with International Employees in F-1 Status. This guide includes essential information such as CU’s E-Verify name, NAICS number, the number of full-time employees, and who has the authority to sign each section. Any remaining questions not addressed in the guide will require input from someone with expertise on the student’s specific position at CU Boulder.

Once completed and signed by both the STEM OPT employee and their employer, the student must submit the form to their F-1 sponsoring university's DSO for review, as it is the F-1 sponsoring university's responsibility to make the OPT STEM Extension recommendation.

OPT STEM Extension employers must complete and certify the employer sections of the

• I-983 Guide for CU Hiring Departments with International Employees in F-1 Status.

Once approved, the student will receive an Employment Authorization (EAD) indicating the permitted 24-month work period.

The start date of the STEM OPT position must be the date immediately after the Post-Completion OPT end date.

Example:
The Post-Completion OPT end date is June 1

Then the STEM OPT authorization start date will be June 2

An employee can continue to work for up to 180 days after their Post-Completion OPT EAD expires if:

• The employee filed a Form I-765 for the STEM OPT Extension and received a receipt notice (I-797A).
• USCIS received the Form I-765 for the extension before the EAD for the original Post-completion OPT expired.

The CU Boulder hiring department should carefully review the 24-month OPT STEM Extension .

Volunteer or unpaid employment is not permitted under STEM OPT regulations; all positions must be paid. The salary must be commensurate “with the terms and conditions applicable to the employer's similarly situated U.S. workers in the area of employment.”

Students who obtained the degree for their OPT STEM Extension from another U.S. institution must complete the upon arriving at CU Boulder. However, if the employee has already been working at CU Boulder under post-completion OPT and has previously submitted the , they do not need to complete it again. Instead, they should provide a copy of their OPT STEM Extension EAD to ISSS.

All new international CU employees must complete a Sprintax Calculus profile to document their U.S. tax residency status with the International Tax Office. New employees will receive an invitation from CUIntlTax-noreply@Sprintax.com to activate their profile within approximately 14 days of their hire date. International employees should complete their profile as soon as possible to ensure accurate taxation of their pay including any applicable tax treaty or FICA tax exemptions. After the initial profile has been completed, employees must keep their Sprintax profile up to date as circumstances change.

Please visit the for additional information.

Hiring a student with an approved STEM OPT offers several benefits.

• An individual with an approved 24-month OPT STEM Extension has their own work authorization, which does not require visa sponsorship from CU Boulder. However, they may need sponsorship to continue working after their F-1related work authorization expires
• The department is not responsible for paying any immigration processing fees for this work authorization.

What are some additional 24-month OPT STEM Extension resources?

• Hiring a student in F-1 status with Pre-Completion OPT authorization offers several benefits:
  • Employees with Pre-Completion OPT authorization hold their own work authorization and do not require visa sponsorship from CU Boulder. However, they may need sponsorship to continue working after their F-1 related work authorization expires.
  • The hiring department is not responsible for paying any immigration-related fees for the employee to obtain work authorization.
  • The hiring department does not have any additional reporting requirements mandated by the employee’s immigration status or related Pre-Completion OPT benefit.
     

Pre-Completion OPT is a type of work authorization that allows students in F-1 status to work in their field of study before completing the coursework requirements for their degree. Students in F-1 status studying at another U.S. institution may choose to apply for Pre-Completion OPT authorization rather than Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization if CPT is not an option at their host institution.

Students in F-1 status must directly apply to USCIS for the Pre-Completion OPT benefit, with assistance from a at the international office of the school where they are currently pursuing their degree.

Employment must be directly related to the student's major field of study. The number of hours a student can work depends on their authorization: part-time employment authorization is limited to 20 hours per week or less, while full-time employment authorization allows more than 20 hours per week.

The employee can commence work upon receipt of their Employment Authorization Document (EAD card), ensuring it falls within the OPT employment authorization period specified on the card. The Employment Authorization Document (EAD) is a mandatory document for completing the I-9 process.

The department should adhere to standard hiring procedures, as hiring an employee with Pre-Completion OPT authorization does not require visa sponsorship. It is the employee’s responsibility to apply for work authorization directly with USCIS. A department should be mindful that a student may be authorized for either full-time or part-time Pre-Completion OPT and design the work schedule accordingly.

Pre-completion OPT does not impose any immigration-related reporting requirements on the employer. However, employees in F-1 status should consult their degree granting university directly for any Pre-Completion OPT reporting requirements for which they may be responsible.

In certain situations where it does not violate U.S. labor laws, Pre-Completion OPT allows for volunteer work or unpaid internships. Students using Pre-Completion OPT for formally recognized volunteer activities at CU Boulder should consult with their host institution's international office before participating in any volunteer activities under Pre-Completion OPT.

Students in F-1 status pursuing a program of study at another U.S. institution that will use Pre-Completion OPT authorization to work at CU Boulder must complete the upon arriving to CU Boulder.

All new international CU employees must complete a Sprintax Calculus profile to document their U.S. tax residency status with the International Tax Office. New employees will receive an invitation from CUIntlTax-noreply@Sprintax.com to activate their profile within approximately 14 days of their hire date. International employees should complete their profile as soon as possible to ensure accurate taxation of their pay including any applicable tax treaty or FICA tax exemptions. After the initial profile has been completed, employees must keep their Sprintax profile up to date as circumstances change.

Please visit the for additional information.

Hiring a student in F-1 status with Pre-Completion OPT authorization offers several benefits:

• Employees with Pre-Completion OPT authorization hold their own work authorization and do not require visa sponsorship from CU Boulder. However, they may need sponsorship to continue working after their F-1 related work authorization expires.
• The hiring department is not responsible for paying any immigration-related fees for the employee to obtain work authorization.
• The hiring department does not have any additional reporting requirements mandated by the employee’s immigration status or related Pre-Completion OPT benefit.

Any questions regarding CPT eligibility, including inquiries about F-1 regulations and the degree-granting (F-1 sponsoring) institution's policies, should be directed to the DSO at the student's degree-granting institution.

Each F-1 sponsor (the university where the student is pursuing their degree) is responsible for creating its own unique CPT request process for its students in F-1 status. The employee must obtain CPT authorization from their designated school official (DSO) at the U.S. academic institution sponsoring their F-1 status. The employee must contact their home institution’s international office for more information.

The internship or job can be either a paid or volunteer position, but it must be directly related to the employee’s major field of study.

Work authorization is limited to the CPT authorization dates and employer listed on the second page of the student’s I-20. The I-20 also indicates whether the employee can work part-time, up to 20 hours per week, or full-time, more than 20 hours per week. A department should be mindful that a student may be authorized for either full-time or part-time CPT and design the work schedule accordingly.

The department follows standard hiring practices, without requiring visa sponsorship. The employee is responsible for applying for work authorization with their F-1 sponsor. The employee may start working on the day that their CPT authorization begins as listed on page 2 of their Form I-20. The I-20, with the CPT authorization listed on page 2, is required for the I-9 process.

The employee’s F-1 sponsor may require certain documentation from the hiring department, such as a CPT agreement form or an offer letter with specific requirements, to authorize the employee for CPT. It is the employee’s responsibility to inform the hiring department of any documentation required by their F-1 sponsor. The employee must not begin employment before the start date listed on page 2 of their Form I-20.

In specific situations where it does not violate U.S. labor law, CPT permits volunteer work or unpaid internships.

A volunteer opportunity at CU Boulder needs to be a formally established volunteer activity. If a CU Boulder department wishes to create a formal volunteer position, then ISSS recommends the CU Boulder department consult with their Dean's Office to see if leadership deems it appropriate and the website for guidance in establishing a volunteer program. The volunteer guidelines will help ensure the project is formally recognized by the university as a volunteer work opportunity. Questions can be directed to: urmucbdirs@cu.edu

Students in F-1 status pursuing a program of study at another U.S. institution that will use CPT authorization to work at CU Boulder must complete the upon arriving to CU Boulder.

All new international CU employees must complete a Sprintax Calculus profile to document their U.S. tax residency status with the International Tax Office. New employees will receive an invitation from CUIntlTax-noreply@Sprintax.com to activate their profile within approximately 14 days of their hire date. International employees should complete their profile as soon as possible to ensure accurate taxation of their pay including any applicable tax treaty or FICA tax exemptions. After the initial profile has been completed, employees must keep their Sprintax profile up to date as circumstances change.

Please visit the for additional information.