Online filing extended to certain F-1 OPT applicants

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced Monday that it would expand online filing eligibility to certain F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) applicants.

Key Points:

• F-1 students applying for OPT can now file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, online if they are filing under one of the following three categories:
  • (c)(3)(A) – Pre-Completion OPT.
  • (c)(3)(B) – Post-Completion OPT.
  • (c)(3)(C) – 24-Month Extension of OPT for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students.
• Electronic filing of the Form I-765 is only available for these categories at this time. Applicants filing a Form I-765 under a different category must continue to submit paper applications by mail, though the agency said it will continue to work to expand online filing for Form I-765 to additional categories in the future.
• USCIS will host a webinar on April 22 to provide an overview of USCIS online accounts and instructions on how eligible applicants can file Form I-765 online.

Additional Information: Online filing allows applicants to submit forms electronically, check the status of their case and receive notices from USCIS electronically rather than through the mail. Overall, USCIS has made online filing available for 11 forms, all of which can be found on the agency’s Forms Available to File Online page.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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