Students who have been in F-1 visa status for 9 consecutive months may apply for employment related to their field of study through “practical training.” There are two kinds of Practical Training:
In addition, students who are currently on post-completion Optional Practical Training may be eligible for a STEM OPT Extension.
The average processing time for Curricular Practical Training is 2 weeks. The average processing time for Optional Practical Training is 3 months.