OPT相关信息

OPT中文简介

OPT (Optional Practical Training) 指F-1学生在相关领域进行的短期实习。通常OPT的有效期总计为12个月。对于STEM学科 [科学(Science)、技术(Technology)、工程(Engineering)与数学(Mathematics)]领域内获得本科、硕士或博士学位的学生，在最初12个月实习期之外可以再申请17个月的延期（有效期共计29个月）。

身份为F1的非STEM学科学生在开始OPT后的12个月中，有累计不超过90天的非雇佣状态。STEM学科学生拥有额外的17个月OPT实习时间（一共为29个月），可以有累计不超过120天的非雇佣状态时间。

兼职和其他工作机会：

OPT期间的工作必须和学生专业相关。大多数情况下，公司不需要学生全职工作，也就是学生可以兼职工作。这种兼职OPT雇佣包括普通有偿雇佣，通过机构雇佣，志愿者，或者每周至少20个小时的无偿实习。某些情况下，从事艺术表演的学生需要为不同的雇主短期工作，而且也很难去精确计算工作时间。当处于以上这些情况下，学生必须能够列出所有的雇佣持续时间和大体情况，并且注明日期和相关证明，而不必记下精确时间。

合同关系雇用或者自我雇用：

OPT期间，学生最好签署雇佣合同而不仅仅具有口头上的雇佣关系。例如在美国国土安全局 (DHS)要求学生出具雇佣证明和介绍工作情况的时候，学生可以根据签署的合同，向DHS提供关于所有雇佣合同的性质和时间等详细情况，另外也可以提供与之签署合同的公司的联系方式。再次强调，一定要好好保存这些重要的文件。

在自我雇佣的情况下， 该雇佣要满足三个条件：

（1）业务经营要和自己的专业相关。

（2）学生积极的投身于此项业务经营。

（3）满足时间要求。自我雇用的情况下，学生必须每周至少工作20小时；或者如果工作日程是多变的话，也必须做到平均每个月每周工作时间超过20小时以上。例如第一周工作10小时，但是第二周工作超过了30个小时，这样平均每一周都超过了20小时，也是符合规定的。

强调一下，雇用准备的材料文件与业务经营的性质必须紧密相连。所以，为了减小风险和不必要的失败，建议您事先与经验丰富的律师进行咨询。

志愿者或无偿实习：

很多学生通过做志愿者或者无偿实习来获取工作经验。在12个月的OPT期间这些活动都是合法的。但是无论是做志愿者还是无偿实习，都不能违反相关法律规定，例如每周不得少于20个小时的工作时间。学生要提前准备好满足着这些要求的相关证明文件。

OPT 申请时间 毕业前90天 到毕业后60天之内

英文介绍

Overview & Eligibility OPT is temporary employment authorization for F-1 students to gain experience in jobs directly

related to your major area of study. You are eligible for a total of 12 months of OPT available per

education level (e.g. Bachelor‘s, Master‘s, Doctorate).

OPT Quick Facts:

 You do not need a job offer to apply for OPT

 You may not pursue a new course of study while on OPT.

 The application is approved by United States Customs & Immigration

Service (USCIS), but

OPT must first be recommended by OIA.

 The approval process for USCIS takes between three and four months.

 Pre-Completion OPT (Before program end date)

o Part time while classes are in session (20 hours or less per week, cannot be averaged)

o Full time or part time during breaks or vacation quarters

o Master‘s/Doctoral Students ONLY: Full-time or part-time after courses finished, while

working on thesis

 Post-Completion OPT (After graduation, or after completion of course requirements for

MA/PhD students)

o

Granted on a full time basis only (over 20 hours a week)

o All previous periods

of OPT at the same

level are deducted from the 12-month

total.

Part-time OPT is counted at a half-rate. Example: Four months part

time OPT is

subtracted from the total as two months.

Eligibility Requirements

 Registered full-time for at least one academic year (three quarters) in a valid F-1 status

 Present in the U.S. in valid F-1 status at the time of application.

Important Notes:

Twelve months or more of full time CPT makes you ineligible for OPT.

On-campus employment does not count against the 12-month OPT eligibility.

Employment Requirements & Types of Employment

Employment Requirements (Post-Completion OPT)  Unemployment: During your initial post-completion OPT period, you can have up to

90 days

of unemployment. The STEM OPT extension allows 120 days of unemployment (for the entire

time spent on OPT).

 Reporting: You must report all employers to OIA within 10 days of a new job.

Showing that OPT is directly related to a degree program

 The

Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP) recommends that students maintain

evidence - for each job - of the position held, proof of the duration of that position, the job title,

contact information for the student's supervisor or manager, and a description of the work.

 If it is not clear from the job description that the work is related to the student's degree, SEVP

highly recommends that the student obtain a signed letter from the student's supervisor or manager

or the employer's hiring official stating how the student's degree is related to the work performed.

Types of Paid Employment:

 Multiple employers: You may work for more than one employer, but all jobs must be related to

your field.

 Short-term multiple employers (performing artists):

You‘re allowed to have multiple short

term jobs or gigs (e.g. music performances). Keep a list of all gigs, the employer, and duration of

each.

 Work for hire: Commonly referred to as 1099 or Independent Contractor Employment; keep

evidence of the duration of contract periods and the name and address of the contracting company.

 Self-employed business owner: You can start a business or be self-employed while on OPT.

You should be able to prove that you have the proper business licenses and that it is related to your

degree program.

 Employment through an agency or consulting firm is also allowed.

Unpaid Employment:

 You may work as a volunteer or unpaid intern, where this practice does not violate any labor