Immigration Guides
Practical guides on OPT, CPT, H-1B, and work authorization for international students and workers.
Practical guides on OPT, CPT, H-1B, and work authorization for international students and workers.
A comprehensive overview of Optional Practical Training for F-1 students, including eligibility, types, time limits, and the EAD requirement.
Compare pre-completion and post-completion OPT: work-hour limits, application windows, and how pre-completion time reduces your post-completion allowance.
Step-by-step OPT application walkthrough, from requesting your I-20 to receiving your EAD card, including required documents, fees, and filing windows.
Line-by-line instructions for every part of Form I-765, with the OPT and STEM OPT category codes, current fees, the document checklist, and what arrives after you file.
How long USCIS is taking to approve post-completion OPT work permits, with the current wait and how it has moved month to month.
How OPT unemployment days work: the 90-day rule, which days count, what stops the count, what happens after 90 days, and how to check your current total.
How to submit an EAD expedite request, what it costs (nothing), how USCIS evaluates expedite criteria, and how it differs from premium processing.
Step-by-step instructions for reporting a new employer in the SEVP Portal within 10 days, and how to fix your SEVIS record if you missed the deadline.
F-1 students on OPT can travel internationally, but re-entry requires a valid visa stamp, OPT EAD, and I-20 with a current DSO travel signature.
After OPT or STEM OPT expires, F-1 students have 60 days to prepare for departure, change status, or begin new studies. Work authorization ends with OPT.
When an H-1B petition is filed for you by April 1st and you are selected in the lottery, OPT work authorization extends automatically until October 1st.
Whether OPT allows self-employment, how the 1099 gray area works, the single-member LLC approach, SEVIS reporting requirements, and what changes with STEM OPT.
General overview of US tax obligations for F-1 OPT students, including FICA exemption, federal income tax filing requirements, tax treaties, and state taxes. For educational purposes only.
Everything you need to know about the 24-month STEM OPT extension, including CIP code requirements, E-Verify employers, Form I-983, and application timing.
How to complete the Form I-983 training plan for STEM OPT, including who fills out each section, the DSO submission process, and annual evaluation requirements.
What US employers must have to hire a STEM OPT student: E-Verify enrollment, Form I-983, annual evaluations, and termination reporting.
How the 150-day unemployment limit works during STEM OPT, how days from initial OPT count toward the total, and what happens if you reach the limit.
How to request 15-business-day processing for a STEM OPT I-765, what Form I-907 requires, and how premium processing differs from an expedite request.
How Curricular Practical Training works for F-1 students: who can use it, how the DSO authorizes it, and why 12 months of full-time CPT eliminates OPT.
Understand the H-1B cap season, the lottery process, cap-gap extensions, and how OPT serves as a bridge to H-1B sponsorship for F-1 students.
What counts as a specialty occupation for E-3, the degree and equivalency rules, and what employers must do before filing the Labor Condition Application.
Step-by-step walkthrough of the E-3 visa application process, from the job offer and LCA filing through the DS-160, consular interview, and visa issuance.
How to renew your E-3 visa through USCIS (Form I-129) or at a U.S. consulate. Covers third-country processing, documents, and changing employers.
How E-3 visa holders can pursue a green card through EB-2 or EB-3 pathways. Covers PERM labor certification, the dual intent problem, and key risks.
How the E-3 and H-1B work visas compare on cap, lottery, cost, dual intent, portability, and dependent work authorization. A detailed breakdown for Australians.
The proposed E-3 for Irish nationals has been introduced in multiple Congresses but never enacted. Current status, legislative history, and how it would work.
How E-3 dependent visas work for spouses and children. E-3S spouse work authorization, E-3Y status for children under 21, and documents needed.
How to file an E-3 Labor Condition Application on FLAG. Find prevailing wages, select SOC codes, complete Form ETA 9035, and track certification status.
How self-employment works on an E-3 visa. Forming a US entity, the employer-employee relationship requirement, LCA obligations, and the risks involved.
What happens when you lose your job on an E-3 visa. The 60-day grace period, portability to a new employer, changing status, and departure deadlines explained.