Student Life

Curricular Practical Training is work that is considered an "integral part of an established curriculum" for an F-1 student, and may take the form of "alternative work/study, [an] internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum that is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school."

Permission to participate in Curricular Practical Training will be granted only when:

• An F-1 student has been lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis for at least one full academic year in a USCIS-approved college or university. Exceptions to the one full-year requirement may be granted only in the case of graduate students who are required by their academic departments to begin an internship earlier (e.g. GE-Gannon Graduate Programs).
• The work is directly related to the student's declared "major area of study."
• The proposed employment is required of all students in order to complete a degree OR is required for a particular course or "track" within a degree program. When the work is required for a particular course or track within the degree program, the course must appear on the student transcript and the credits granted for the course must count toward graduation.

F-1 students petitioning for off-campus work permission in CPT must consult with their academic advisor, complete a CPT application process, and receive written permission prior to beginning employment.

Optional Practical Training is work which allows a student in F-1 status to engage in employment, directly related to the field of study, for a period totaling no more than twelve months before or after the completion of a degree program or course of study. Students are not required at the time of application to have a job or job offer.

There are two types of OPT:

1. Pre-completion OPT (granted for work to begin before all degree/program requirements have been met, i.e. summer internship)
2. Post-completion OPT (granted for work to begin after graduation)

In order for an F-1 student to be eligible for OPT, they must:

• Have maintained F-1 status and been lawfully enrolled as a full-time student in a USCIS approved college or university for a least one full academic year.
• Accept only employment in OPT that is directly related to the field of study.
• Not have engaged in 12 months or more of full-time CPT employment (part-time CPT employment is not counted against eligibility for OPT).

For those seeking post-completion OPT, please remember that:

• Work can be full-time (40 hours per week); however, if after receiving OPT authorization you discover that you have not been granted your degree within the time frame expected, then you must work only part-time during the period in which you continue your studies and until you have met the requirements for your degree.
• OPT employment must be completed within 14 months after the completion of the degree (thus, you cannot request a post-completion OPT start date over 60 days after gradution).
• Applications may be filed with the USCIS no earlier than 3 months before the completion date for the degree or course of study, and no later than 2 months after the completion date. Since 2 to 3 months may pass while your case is processing at the USCIS before permission is granted and the Employment Authorization Document is in hand, the ISO urges students graduating in December to apply for post-completion OPT in October, and those graduating in May to apply in March.

What is needed for an OPT application?

Gannon University requires that all international students attend an OPT information session in order to obtain an OPT application packet with instructions for applying.  Please see the ISO staff for the date of the next OPT information session.  These sessions are also announced via weekly email updates.

To prepare for an information session, you may want to collect photocopies of the following documents:

• Copy of application for graduation from the Registrar's Office
• Copy of visa, passport, and ALL I-20s you have ever received from Gannon or any other U.S. institution (make sure you have signed page 1 of each I-20)
• Copy of front and back of I-94 card
• Copy of driver's license or state ID (if applicable)
• Copy of previous EAD card (if applicable) 

After you submit your OPT application to the USCIS:

Once you have submitted your OPT application packet to the USCIS, you will receive either a "Request for Evidence" or a Form I-797 which serves as a receipt and is an indication that your application is under consideration. If you should receive a "Request for Evidence, " please inform the ISO and respond to the specific request immediately.

If your EAD fails to arrive:

Please wait 90 days from the date of your Receipt Notice.  If 90 days have passed and your case is still processing, please notify the ISO for assistance.

If OPT is denied:

There is no formal appeal for a denial, but a student may file a motion to re-open or reconsider the decision if such a motion has merit.  Please discuss your options with the ISO.

Those granted OPT work permission remain in F-1 status and must maintain that status:

Although once you have been granted a degree by Gannon University you are no longer considered a Gannon student, you remain in F-1 status for the duration of your OPT and you must report to the Gannon DSO who recommended you for OPT and continues to bear responsibility for maintaining your records in the SEVIS system. Therefore, please remember that you must maintain contact with the DSO throughout your OPT employment, and you must report any changes to the following within 10 days:

• Name
• Physcial/Residential Address
• Employer Name and Address
• Interruptions in Employment or Inability to Find a Job

Travel outside the U.S. while waiting for the EAD:

Although you may certainly leave the country while your OPT application is pending, you will not be allowed to reenter the U.S. unless you are able to present your EAD and a letter from your employer stating dates of employment and salary, along with other up-to-date immigration documents.  There have been cases where students were able to present a valid visa, I-20 with OPT request on page 3, and an I-797 Receipt Notice of a pending case to the Border Patrol and were allowed entry.  However, there is a great risk of being denied entry with this approach, so the ISO advises that you postpone any post-graduation travel outside th U.S. until you have your EAD and a job offer.

Travel outside the U.S. after you have the EAD in hand, but no offer of employment:

Even with the EAD in hand, if you depart the country before you have an offer of employment, your OPT permission will be automatically terminated and you will not be permitted to re-enter the US.

Travel outside the U.S. after you have received the EAD and an offer of employment:

You may travel outside of the U.S. if upon your return you are able to present:

• Valid passport
• Valid F-1 entry visa
• Valid EAD
• ALL of your I-20 status forms with the travel signature dated within the last six months (not 12, as when you were a student)
• A "letter of employment" which includes the dates of employment and the amount of your salary

Keep in mind that any time you spend abroad while employed in OPT counts against the twelve months total allowed for post-completion OPT.

Changing jobs in OPT:

A student may work for more than one employer or change employers during a period of authorized practical training provided that each position is directly related to the field of study.

Transferring to another school or beginning a degree at another educational level:

Authorization to engage in Optional Practical Training employment is automatically terminated when a student transfers to another school or begins study at another educational level. You may, however, apply for another 12 months of OPT in connection with a degree that is at a higher level than the one completed earlier.

Departing the U.S. at the end of OPT:

Within 60 days of the final date of employment, a student must depart the U.S., transfer to another school, or apply for a change of status.

Extending OPT: H-1B "Cap-Gap" Extensions and 17-Month STEM Extensions

There are only 2 circumstances that permit a student on post-completion OPT to extend their authorized period of employment:

1. Student is a beneficiary of a cap-subject H-1B petition and requires an extension of work authorization to cover the time between the end of their current OPT period and the beginning of their H-1B on October 1st.  (There are no field of study restrictions for this option).
2. Student received their degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) and has secured a job offer to continue working in a field related to their degree for another 17-months.

Please see the following link in order to determine whether you might be eligible for one of the above extensions following your initial post-completion period of OPT.

If you qualify for an H-1B "Cap-Gap" extension, please fax a letter of request (with your employer name and address) and a copy of your H-1B Approval Notice to the ISO at (814) 871-5323.  This extension only requires that the ISO make a request in SEVIS for an updated I-20 showing an OPT expiration date of September 30.  While the request is simple, please be aware of the fact it can take 30-45 days for SEVIS to make the update.