OPT Priority Processing

OISS is offering "Priority Processing" for early OPT applications for students graduating in December. If you submit your OPT request to OISS by Sunday, September 24th, we guarantee that you can get a priority OPT follow-up appointment at the earliest time when USCIS will allow you to submit your final OPT application.

What is Priority Processing?

Priority Processing is a benefit offered by OISS, where if you submit your OPT request to us by the Priority Processing deadline, OISS guarantees that your OPT I-20 will be processed first, and will be ready in time for the earliest available OPT follow-up appointments, based on when the application window opens with USCIS.

Priority Processing is an OISS benefit only, it does not provide any expedited processing from USCIS when the final OPT application is submitted to them for adjudication.

Who is Priority Processing for?

If you would like to take advantage of Priority Processing, please ask yourself the following questions:
1) Do I know what OPT dates I would like to request?
2) Am I ready to submit my OPT application to USCIS at the earliest available opportunity?

If your answer to both questions is Yes, Priority Processing is for you!

If you are not yet ready to commit to the requested OPT dates or to submit your application to USCIS, Priority Processing will not be helpful for you. You remain eligible to apply for OPT all the way until graduation, and even during your grace period, and OISS will still process your OPT request as soon as possible once it’s received.

Here is why applying early is important

  • If you would like to start work soon after graduation, applying early is the best way to make sure that you can get your EAD in time to begin employment on your requested start date. Please remember that you are not legally authorized to work until you have the EAD in your possession and you are within the validity dates, even in your advisor's lab!
  • Even if your job doesn't start until later, you want to get the EAD early in case you're hoping to travel internationally between graduation and starting your OPT. Leaving the country while your OPT application is pending can be risky, and OISS strongly discourages travel before you have the EAD. Applying early gives you a better chance of receiving your card before or right around graduation, which in turn may offer you more flexibility with your travel plans.

What you need to do by the deadline to use "Priority Processing"

  1. Complete the OPT Tutorial Canvas Course (link available on the OPT webpage)
  2. Work with your advisor to complete the OPT Faculty Advisor Form
  3. Submit your OPT request to OISS

What you don't need to have by the deadline:

  • Job offer! You can apply for OPT even without a job offer, because you can use OPT to work for any employer in the U.S., as long as the job is related to your major field of study!
  • The rest of the application items. You will not need to have these items until the OPT follow-up appointment, so you'll still have time to put everything together between September 24th and the follow-up appointment.

For more information, please see the OPT webpage.


Priority Processing Frequently Asked Questions

When does the application window with USCIS open?

USCIS can receive your OPT application no earlier than 90 days before your graduation date. For December 2023 graduates that would be October 1, 2023, which is 90 days before the December degree conferral (December 30th).

Why do I need to apply that early if I’m only graduating in December?

Because USCIS can take a long time to approve OPT applications, and you will not be able to start your OPT employment until you receive the EAD card issued by USCIS. Therefore applying early is very beneficial for you, especially if you want to start working (or travel internationally) soon after graduation, as it gives you the best chance of getting the EAD card by the time when you need it.

I don’t have a job offer yet, can I still apply for OPT? What start date should I ask for?

Yes, you can apply for OPT even if you don’t have a job offer! However, deciding on which start date to request can be a bit tricky, as all options have pros and cons (you can ask for a start date within 1-60 days after graduation). Ultimately it’s your choice, but here are a couple of “ground rules” or tips to keep in mind.

Requesting an early OPT Start Date:

  • Pro: Assuming that your OPT has been approved, you have work authorization to start on whatever date your employer wants once you find the job.
  • Con: If you don’t have a job on your OPT start date, you will start accruing unemployment days. Not an immediate concern since you can accrue up to 90 during your OPT, but may be problematic if it takes you a bit longer to find the job.

Requesting a late OPT Start Date:

  • Pro: You don’t have to worry about accruing unemployment days until much, much later.
  • Con: If you find your dream job and they want you to start immediately after graduation, you will need to convince them that you are worth waiting for, since your work authorization doesn’t start until later (on your OPT start date), even if you happen to receive your OPT EAD earlier.
Can I still apply for OPT later if I don't participate in Priority Processing?

Of course!! You remain eligible to apply for OPT all the way until graduation, and even during your grace period. For applications received after the Priority Processing deadline, we are no longer able to guarantee that the I-20 can be ready in time for the very earliest follow-up appointments, but OISS will still process your OPT application as soon as possible once it’s received. Just remember that the later you apply, the later you will get your OPT EAD. And if you end up applying super late, you may not get a full 12 months of OPT, since the OPT end date cannot be later than one year + 60 days after your graduation date.

Okay, let’s do this! How do we do this?

Read through the information and complete the OPT Tutorial at https://oiss.rice.edu/opt to learn about the process of applying for OPT. Then submit the documents needed by the Priority Processing deadline of September 24, 2023. Then respond in a timely manner to OISS if they have any questions or feedback on your documents. Finally, attend an OPT follow-up appointment via Zoom (OISS will tell you when and how to schedule the appointment) and submit your final application to USCIS. That’s the hard part, after that all you need to do is actually finish your degree and graduate, but that should be a piece of cake!

OPT Priority Processing deadline for December 2023 graduates is Sunday, September 24, 2023!