OPT Employment Possibilities

Students completing Post Completion OPT may engage in several types of employment opportunities.

You may only begin employment once you have the EAD, and you have reached the start date on the card. (Those are the only days you are authorized to work by USCIS.)

Your employment must be directly related to your field of study/Major at SUNY New Paltz. When you report employment in the International Student Platform, you must explain how your employment is directly related to your field of study/major.

It is important to remember that while completing OPT, you continue to be in F-1 student status, under the immigration sponsorship of SUNY New Paltz. 

 

Unemployment:

The OPT regulations allow 90 days of unemployment during the first OPT authorization. Once authorized for the 24 Month STEM OPT Extension, an additional 60 days are allowed for a total of 150 days. 
   - OPT- 90 days of unemployment within your 12 months of OPT 
 

SEVP - Student and Exchange Visitor Program requires all students practical training to report employment and U.S. address (changes/updates) to International Student Programs.
Ensure your address is correct and up to date in the International Student Platform: From the Personal & Program Page >> Contact Information >> US Physical Address>>

 

Types of employment that are allowed while on OPT

All OPT employment must be directly related to your program of study.

Regular paid employment	For post-completion OPT you must work at least 20 hours per week. Employment may be paid or unpaid.
Multiple employers	You may work for multiple employers as long as all work is directly related to your program of study.
Multiple short-term employers	You may work for multiple short-term employers. For example: If you are a musician or other performing artist, you may work multiple short-term employers (gigs). You must keep a list of all gigs, their dates, and their duration.
Work for hire and consulting	This is also commonly referred to as 1099 employment (contract work) where an individual performs a service based on a contractual relationship rather than an employment relationship. If requested by DHS, students should be prepared to provide evidence showing the duration of the contract periods and the name and address of the contracting company.
Self-employed business owner	You may start a business and be self-employed. You should be able to prove that you have all the proper business licenses and are actively engaged in a business related to your degree program.
Employment through an agency or staffing firm	You may use an agency or staffing company to find employment. You must be able to provide evidence showing that you worked an average of at least 20 hours per week while employed by the agency.
Volunteer / Unpaid internship	You may work as a volunteer or as an unpaid intern, where this practice does not violate any labor laws. The work should be at least 20 hours per week, and you should be able to provide evidence, to verify that you worked at least 20 hours per week during the period of volunteer position/unpaid internship.

 

Maintaining Status:

To maintain status while completing OPT, you must:

• work at least 20 hours per week,

• work in your field of study/major,

• report any address or employment changes within 10 days in the platform, and

• not accrue more than 90 days of unemployment.​​

 

Address Update:

To update your US Physical Address, choose the Contact Information Update if your My OPT Profile.
 

Employment Update: 

To update your employment information, choose the OPT Employer Update Request in your My OPT Profile.